Child Life Assistant and Facility Dog Handler - Chicago Children's Advocacy Center : Job Details

ChicagoCAC employees are expected to perform their job duties and act in a manner consistent with the Core Values of the organization. DEI&AB Culture Commitment: The Child Life Assistant & Facility Dog Handler (CLAD) is responsible for creating an inclusive environment that demonstrates equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging to our clients, ChicagoCAC employees, and partners. The position also assists in ChicagoCAC's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging (DEIAB) initiatives. Responsibility Summary Provide a developmentally appropriate and trauma-informed environment to all children, ensuring their physical safety and emotional well-being. Utilize the facility dog to provide support to family members, as needed. Approximately 50% of responsibilities will fall under child life assistant role and 50% under the facility dog handler role. Child Life Assistant Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide a range of developmentally appropriate and culturally competent play materials and activities that normalize the environment and encourage positive coping skills.
• Prepare children for their appointments while meeting their developmental, emotional, and educational needs.
• Provide guidance and assistance to families throughout their visit to the center.
• Observe child behavior and emotional responses, providing behavioral intervention and support as needed, as directed by child life specialists.
• Facilitate child-directed play and socialization with other children.
• Establish rapport with children and families, fostering positive relationships, and maintain connections with returning families.
• Share important information gathered from the child with the appropriate team member and relay any behavioral changes or concerns to the therapist.

• Notify the appropriate staff member during crisis situations.
• Coordinate the provision of food and comforting items for children receiving child life services.
• Input child life data into the electronic case tracking system.
• Organize and manage donations, fulfilling requests as they come in.
• Track and inventory child life materials and food, ordering additional items as needed.
• Engage in local networking and training opportunities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Facility Dog Handler Primary Responsibilities:

• Coordinate the facility dog's interactions and services with clients, family members, and staff.
• Ensure facility dog's basic needs are met.
• Maintain certification and training requirements from facility dog's training organization.
• Follow all communication and documentation requirements.
• Participate in facility dog program meetings and development.
• Provide exercise for the dog as needed and use various training techniques to address and correct problematic behaviors.
• Supervise the dog during designated play and socialization times to prevent accidents or injuries.

Discretion Child Life Assistants have a low-level range of discretion and independent decision-making. Supervisory Responsibilities This position does not supervise any other position but does provide guidance and support to other dog handlers, as well as child life students and volunteers. Relationships Child Life Assistants work closely with the Child Life Supervisor, Support Services, Mental Health, Advocacy, and Forensic Interviewing teams. Qualifications

• Minimum educational requirement of an Associate's degree, or equivalent course study, in a child development, family studies, or human services field.
• General knowledge and understanding of typical and atypical growth and development in children and adolescents.
• A Minimum of 2 years of experience working with children of all ages and backgrounds.
• Experience working with dogs personally or recreationally is required.
• A love for dogs.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.
• CPR Certification preferred.

In addition to making a significant impact on children's and families' lives, ChicagoCAC offers amazing benefits for our staff, which include:

• BCBS HMO and PPO healthcare coverage options with an opportunity to add family members to plans.
• Free life insurance at 2x your salary up to a maximum of $200,000.
• Additional pay of 10% of your salary up to $7,500 per year (available after 6 months of employment) to use towards a menu of benefits such as: additional health benefits, dental, vision, long-term disability short-term disability, 403b plan, a Roth option, legal coverage, dependent care, flexible spending, and taxable spending.
• Taxable spending may be used for health club membership, fitness activities, tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment, among other options.
• Paid Time Off ( PTO ): PTO starts accruing the first day of employment and accrues at a rate of 35 days in a 12-month period.
• PTO days are used for all days off, including holidays and sick time so you have maximum flexibility in the use of your PTO.
• Timing of vacations may be dependent on client needs, as that's our first priority.
• PTO goes up to 40 days after 5 years.
• Additional PTO for FMLA-related reasons up to 20 days.
• A remote work policy that provides flexibility in work hours so long as operational needs are met.
• Regular expert training on evidence-based therapy modalities, which includes being able to earn Continuing Education Units.
• A casual dress code.
• Enjoy afternoon milk and cookies every Friday! If you share our passion for providing hope and healing to children and families who have experienced abuse and trauma, and possess the qualifications we're looking for, please submit an application!

ChicagoCAC's Compensation Philosophy: We believe in fair compensation for your work. Our salary scale is comparable to salaries you would find in Chicago, IL. We believe our compensation program is designed to support, reinforce, and align our values, business strategy, and operational & financial needs with a goal of growth and profitability. Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: ChicagoCAC is an Equal Opportunity Employer: BIPOC, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people are strongly encouraged to apply. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact our People & Culture Department at (312) ###-####.Salary commensurate with experience.