What is a Child Life Specialist?
Certified child life specialists (CCLS) are trained psychosocial care providers and fully integrated members of most pediatric healthcare teams. Traditionally, they work in healthcare settings such as children’s hospitals, hospice centers or outpatient pediatric facilities. Chances are, if you have spent time in a pediatric healthcare setting, you have crossed paths with a CCLS. In recent years, there has been a movement to bring the expertise of CCLS outside of the hospital and into the community — which is how Rosebud came about.
Our training is focused on the most acute kinds of stress a child can experience. We specialize in providing psychosocial support to families with children who are dealing with illness, injury, grief or other health related issues. Our skills are also easily transferrable to support children experiencing any number of life changes, including moving or changing family structures. We utilize our knowledge of child development to facilitate positive coping in children and families, and are trained to break down ‘difficult’ or ‘complex’ topics and communicate them on a level that a child of any age will understand.
In short, CCLS hone in on providing validation, transparency and developmentally appropriate education. They are here to help your child understand the most complex things life has to throw at them, and move forward equipped with coping skills that can be used for the rest of their lives.
For more information about the discipline of child life, here are some helpful links.
American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on the Importance of Child Life Services
The Child Life Profession- Association of Child Life Professionals
Meet Annie!
Annie Sweeney, MS, CCLS
Likes: Reading, cooking, Star Wars movies, walking my dog, Mr. Rogers, yoga, blue nail polish & Sabrett’s hot dogs from the cart in front of the Met.
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to learn a bit about me and my mission.
After completing my undergraduate degree at NYU’s Gallatin School, I went on to get my Master’s of Science in Child Life from Bank Street College of Education. I did a practicum at NY Presbyterian’s Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, followed by an internship with the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. My career brought me back to New York Presbyterian, where I served as the CCLS in the radiology department for several years. In addition to this community-based work, I now maintain a per diem role at Northwell Health’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center. I have had the chance to work with some awesome organizations such as New York’s Child Mind Institute, Bank Street’s Graduate School, Columbia University as well as Sunrise Day Camp Long Island.
Do you see a theme here? It’s that I ❤️ NY!!!
I’ve done child life work in 3 of 5 boroughs, Jersey City and Long Island as well. As a child life specialist and a life-long New Yorker, I’m so excited to bring my skillset to the community that I call home.
My ultimate goal is to help children feel a sense of confidence in their abilities to deal with difficult things, and leave them with coping skills they will be able to use in stressful situations for years to come. I strive to foster a sense of self-advocacy, bodily autonomy and control in children, and help them understand the often complex world of adults that they live in. Just because a topic is complicated does not mean a child wouldn’t benefit from being involved in that conversation. Every kid deserves a seat at the table.
If you are interested in child life services, or if you would like to book a free consultation, please reach out for more information on how I might be able to help!
