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Hello Everyone,
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I'm Tracey Craddock, the current chair for the Child Life Certification Commission. I've been in child life for 19 years and have volunteered with ACLP and CLCC since 2012.
It's an exciting time for CLCC and I hope that it is for you as well. This newsletter is packed with articles to help you both in your daily work and in maintaining your own certification. In this edition, you will find an interview with our Ethics Chair. Spend a little time reading about how this important position functions and helps to ensure credibility for the profession. Changes are coming to the Child Life Code of Ethics; you will find an article with details included.
We are coming up on a busy time for CLCC. We have our item writers working on new questions for our certification exam. From there, they will go to our Item Reviewers and then to the group that will assemble the exam. Our Audit Committee is preparing to review applications for those renewing their certification. And finally, I'm thinking about the brand-new group of aspiring professionals who have completed their internships and are anxiously awaiting the certification exam this month.
This time of year also comes with the reminder to renew/maintain your certification. Certification is important not only for credibility but also for the protection of the patients and families we serve. To help keep up with your PDUs, this edition showcases an article on low-cost and free PDUs. Peruse this article and learn what's out there. And finally, as we enter into the time of fall internships, check out our article on answering common student questions—whether you're in academics or a student coordinator—it’s sure to be of use.
Best wishes for a wonderful fall season,
Tracey M. Craddock, MS, CCLS
Certified Child Life Specialist
Chairperson, Child Life Certification Commission
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Thank you to our generous sponsor, Starlight Children's Foundation
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The revised Child Life Code of Ethics, Attestation Form, and Ethics Complaint Form will go into effect on October 1, 2023. They reflect thoughtful discussions and consideration amongst CLCC commissioners, an ethical expert, and legal counsel. ACLP and CLCC have a long history of upholding the CLCC credential, using the Child Life Code of Ethics as a guide.
Housed in the Child Life Code of Ethics, the Principles and Rules reflect the commitment to maintaining a high level of integrity in our profession. As CCLSs, the foundation of our work centers around skillfully gaining and maintaining the trust of our colleagues, families, and the communities in which we serve. When we identify ourselves as certified professionals, there is an expectation of adherence to the highest ethical standards and integrity. The documents that guide us are the Child Life Code of Ethics and Attestation Form. The updated versions serve to enhance the opportunity to protect members and CLCC in a way that stays true to our history of maintaining professional standards for those who hold the CCLS credential.
As part of the revised Ethics Complaint form, CLCC has recognized that the person filing the ethics complaint may wish to remain anonymous. The CLCC will consider this request and contact the complainant to discuss. This document will now be electronically filed and will utilize both the Principles and Rules for justification of the complaint. Using the framework of the Code of Ethics, we are frequently able to provide guidance and empower the CCLS to maintain professional standards and to operate within the boundaries of ethical practice.
We encourage you to read through these documents and become familiar with the changes. If there are any questions, please feel free to reach out to me via email (geri.sehnert@rochesterregional.org).
Geri Sehnert, MS, CCLS
CLCC Ethics Committee Chair
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The Child Life Code of Ethics provides a comprehensive framework for Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLSs) to guide their professional conduct and ensure the well-being and protection of children and their families in potentially stressful or traumatic situations.
Due to changing legislation across the United States, a review of the Code of Ethics was conducted to ensure that Certified Child Life Specialists adhering to the code do not violate state laws. The review of the code led to formal revisions of the following: the Child Life Code of Ethics, the Ethics Complaint Form, and the Annual Attestation.
It was found that the ethical principles included in the code were written more as guidelines categorized in a broad way that allowed for a “hierarchy for judgment” and ultimately were not enforceable.
The Child Life Code of Ethics has been revised to now include two parts: The Principles and The Rules. The addition of rules provides guidance to better determine actions of ethics violations. Although the number of principles and rules differ, there is a rule to guide expected behaviors for each principle.
The Principles are recommendations for professional ethical behavior that then become the cornerstone of decision-making (think guidelines).
The Rules are a description of best practices (think implementation of principles). Rules are included to best protect the children and families CCLSs serve. Rules also provide statements of best practices based on ethical tenets that CCLSs are expected to uphold.
The updated Child Life Code of Ethics offers more precise guidance on ethical behavior, with a particular focus on confidentiality, competence, and professionalism, as outlined in its rules section. It places greater emphasis on complying with legal and regulatory standards, making it more explicit about following external regulations. The new Code provides more specific and detailed rules for professional behavior and emphasizes compliance with external regulations.
To discuss these changes and their impact on child life practice, CLCC will be hosting a Commission Update on September 21st at noon EST. This event is free and open to all in the child life community. The updates to the code will be discussed and participants will have the opportunity to ask questions. For those unable to attend the live event, a recording will be made available. Click here for more details.
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One of the most challenging aspects of child life work can be balancing patient care and “other tasks as assigned.” One of those tasks that we are privileged to be involved in is providing guidance to future professionals. Even if aspiring professional supervision isn’t a formal part of your role as a child life specialist, it is likely that at some point, you have encountered/met with a future professional who has sought out your advice.
The ACLP and CLCC have made great efforts in recent years to provide guidance to students as they navigate the pathway to the profession. Even with the excellent resources available to students, there still seem to be some common misconceptions. Recently, there is anecdotal evidence of an uptick in aspiring professionals contacting child life departments asking about the change to the practicum requirement, with many aspiring professionals under the impression that a child life practicum was required and now is not. Although practicum experiences have long been sought after by aspiring professionals and looked upon favorably by internship sites, they have never actually been required by ACLP or CLCC to obtain certification. So, how do we best provide guidance to an aspiring professional who is confused about the practicum?
1. Clarify Misconceptions: it is important to clearly state that a practicum experience, while it certainly has value for many students, has never been a requirement for certification.
2. Offer Resources: The ACLP Pre-Internship Modules that have been developed are an excellent resource for students. Some topics covered in these modules include professional development, DEI, and the power of play, among others. Although each module does not specifically note how students can become child life professionals, they can be used as a self-assessment tool to support their knowledge and learning goals.
3. Direct Them to the Source: Similar to what we do when patients and families are seeking information, we can be helpful by directing students to the appropriate resources to find information. Encourage future professionals to utilize the ACLP webpage, the CLCC, and ACLP Connect as a means of getting the correct answers to their questions related to certification. The best starting place to send someone to is the “Becoming Certified” section of the ACLP website. Encourage students to be cautious of getting their information only from other students or unmonitored student groups.
4. Lean on Your Academic CCLSs: If you aren’t familiar with the child life academic programs in your region, this is a great opportunity to forge some new connections in your community. Our academic colleagues are providing invaluable advice to future professionals on a daily basis and serve as a wonderful resource for those of us who want more information about navigating the current certification processes.
If a future professional presents with a question you are unsure of and can’t find the answer to, you can always reach out to certification@childlife.org. Certification can be a tough road but we are motivated to help our future professionals travel it!
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When will your current certification expire? Have you started a plan for recertification? Have you kept your home address, email, and contact information with ACLP up to date? Are you aware of the current requirements for recertification following a possible lapse? If you can’t answer any of these questions, please take a few minutes to review your profile on the ACLP website.
These are crucial questions we all need to answer when it comes to maintaining certification. Most often those whose credentials have lapsed failed to think about them during the five-year active period. Or answer them.
Even if you are retired, it is often beneficial to maintain your credential and required if you wish to remain involved in ACLP or CLCC committee work or teach specific courses in the field. The credential can also be helpful if you are involved in research or other related areas of teaching or care.
If you start thinking about recertification at year four and a half, it will be almost impossible to complete the required 60 PDUs in time. We know that unanticipated events happen, but that need not result in losing certification. If you wait until the last month to begin completing the requirements, it will be impossible to avoid losing the credential. Please plan ahead.
You can help your workmates, colleagues who share your love of the work, to stay on top of their PDUs by including discussions with your team. Make sure everyone is on the ball. Otherwise, they can lose their credential. And regaining it could be very, very, complicated. One-person programs may be at a disadvantage when it comes to collegial support. If you know of or are connected with a small or one-person program in your region, could you invite them to share in the strategies that work for you? Do checkups with each other?
The CLCC Appeals Committee members all have hearts. When they meet to hear a plea that arrives after a colleague’s certification has lapsed, they are always saddened. In some cases, the committee is able to make recommendations to help the applicant complete their requirements. Often, if there was a lack of education over much of the 5-year cycle, there are few if no options to help them. If you certified prior to 2019, when new requirements were implemented, you may not have the current coursework or internship hours required to sit for the current certification exam. It has happened.
Why not make certification maintenance a regular departmental discussion? Maybe hang a reminder poster in the office? How about including PDU reports along with your monthly statistics? Keep a chart of everyone’s PDU progress in the department? Share tips on a monthly basis to access excellent or even free education options?
Could you…
- Make certification maintenance a regular departmental discussion?
- Hang a reminder poster in the office?
- Include PDU reports along with your monthly statistics?
- Keep a chart of everyone’s PDU progress in the department?
- Share recommendations on a monthly basis to access great or free education options?
- Nominate someone in your department to do “certification wellness checks?”
- Ask if your colleagues have been getting e-mail from ACLP and CLCC?
- Ask if they have been logging their PDUs?
- Ask if they received issues of the CCLS Connection e-newsletter? If not, it may mean that ACLP and CLCC are not able to get in touch with them.
Many of us are guilty of procrastination. It’s not unusual or shameful. But help with organization can be the best kind of encouragement. CLCC wants you to qualify for recertification. It’s up to you.
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The Communications Committee of the CLCC is dedicated to providing information regarding all matters of certification. Obtaining PDUs is one area that is a challenge often expressed by ACLP members. The difficulty in obtaining PDUs can be related to costs associated with continuing education sessions, lack of access to available opportunities, or the ability to find topics related to domain-specific requirements. The good news is there are opportunities for PDUs in unexpected places, with options that are free and/or available online. The Communications Committee would like to take this time to introduce or remind the membership of additional methods for obtaining PDUs. The following is a list of PDU opportunities that can be completed in a wide variety of ways. Some have a cost attached to them and many are free.
Please note: the following list of PDU opportunities is provided for your review. Other than ACLP offerings, ACLP/CLCC does not endorse any activity listed here and makes no claims as to the quality of offerings listed. It is the responsibility of the CCLS to evaluate the content and learning outcomes for all PDUs.
ACLP
- Write an article for ACLP Bulletin
- Presenting or co-presenting for: a professional workshop, seminar, or session at a state, national, or international conference, a poster session, or for a local organization, association, or group on practice area-related topics
- Internship supervision
- Publishing
- Professional service: completion of a research project/study on a child life-related topic = 2 PDUs, and also serving on a board of directors, committee, or task force
ROUNDS
WEBINARS
WORKSHOPS
CONFERENCES
Keep in mind that for a professional development activity to qualify as a PDU, the content must relate to one of the three established domains from the Exam Content Outline: professional responsibility, assessment, or intervention. In addition, there are some important things to remember: 1) internet-based activities that do not include an interactive element MUST have a standardized, post-completion assessment (quiz/test) to be eligible for PDUs and 2) recorded sessions need a post-completion evaluation, such as a quiz, written product, or documentation of discussion to be eligible for PDUs (see the Child Life Professional Certification Maintenance and Recertification Manual for more information).
A child life group could review a webinar from another organization. In the review, they can find a needed domain topic, such as assessment, and find a webinar related to it. As a group, they could watch the webinar. After the webinar, the group could actively discuss the webinar and its relationship to their professional growth. A moderator of the event would then provide verification of the education session through the PDU Verification Form (see Appendix III of the manual).
If time is a problem for a program, another option would be for a group leader to review materials, such as grand rounds, research articles, or webinars, and prepare a quiz on the topic. Then, the needed materials can be shared with the child life team for them to complete and return to the leader. This allows for flexibility in completing the tasks. The scored quiz and PDU Verification Form would be the verification for such a continued learning session.
Note. It is important to note there is a maximum of 10 PDU of independent learning opportunities per five-year certification cycle. Recorded webinars with a quiz are classified as Traditional Professional Development.
As our field expands and becomes even more recognizable, the importance of our credentials is further highlighted. Continued learning in each domain ensures the credibility of our credentials to ourselves and others.
Although obtaining PDUs for recertification can be challenging at times, it is important. We are fortunate to have a variety of continued learning experiences that meet the eligibility for PDUs, and we hope the above lists furthers your options and excitement for obtaining PDUs.
If you have additional PDU opportunities that you would like to share with our CLC community or questions/comments, please email them to certification@childlife.org
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What is your name & volunteer position
Geri Sehnert, MS, CCLS
Chairperson of the Ethics Committee
Give an elevator description of your commission/committee.
The Ethics Committee of the CLCC is charged with evaluating and making recommendations for action regarding ethical issues and other concerns faced by CLCC. The committee is led by the Ethics Committee Chair. Our group also includes the Committee Chairs of CLCC, the ACLP Executive Director (non-voting), and the Director of Certification (non-voting).
What do you like best about volunteering for CLCC?
Being part of the CLCC has been extremely rewarding. We have some of the brightest, most engaged and supportive child life specialists involved in making decisions about certification. It’s rewarding to be able to share ideas and get feedback on important matters that affect all of us who are certified child life specialists. It’s important to give back to our profession and serving on the CLCC has been an exceptional choice for me.
How has volunteering in CLCC supported your professional growth/development?
As child life specialists, we have oodles of compassion and problem solving skills. We use these tools throughout our practice on a daily basis. Being on various CLCC committees has taught me to use these tools in a whole different way. Having compassion for colleagues in the profession who are experiencing challenges with certification, using the bright minds of CLCC board members and staff to deep dive into topics that affect the direction of certification and working hard on behalf of our colleagues has given me the unique opportunity to grow as a professional.
What is a common misconception that members may have about your commission/committee?
Members of the ethics committee receive a variety of ethics concerns and complaints. We are typically able to offer suggestions to the complainant that solve the ethical dilemma with just a discussion and some guidance. Despite what many people may assume, we generally do not consider revoking certification as a tool for managing the ethics complaint. In fact, our focus is on bringing the specialist into ethical compliance, using the Code of Ethics as a guide.
In addition, members may not realize that anyone can file an ethics complaint. And if a member just has a question about a certification violation, they can contact the ACLP office to request a review of their question.
In general, what types of complaints do individuals submit?
Our Ethics Committee receives a wide array of inquiries and complaints. In general, our goal is to help the child life specialist make decisions that help that person to develop and refine their critical thinking related to the code of ethics. Whether it is regarding to internship supervision, scope of practice, relationship boundaries with patients and families, etc., we are here to give our membership a place to inquire about ethical issues and feel empowered to submit an ethics complaint/review, knowing that the ethics committee will respond with compassion and sensitivity, using the code of ethics as a guide.
How can members find out more information about seeking an ethics consult?
Individuals can find more information here.
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The Certification Exam was administered August 15-30 with the following results:
- # of Candidates: 197
- New CCLSs: 156
- Pass Rate: 79%
The CLCC would like to congratulate the following new CCLSs!
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Lilamarie Aguilar
Alexis Albertsen
Nadia Alnassar
Nourah Alqattan
Julia Alvarado
Taylor Armstrong
Jessica Baer
Alexis Baker
Riley Banta
Megan Barnes
Rachel Belk
Sarah Berghoff
Aimee Blair
Samantha Boatright
Vanessa Bonat
Cynthia Boncaldo
Samantha Brenneman
Olivia Brittle
Abigail Caldwell
Kathleen Calves
Alexa Campbell
Sonje Carlson
Megan Caulfield
Erin Champion
Morgan Chirinos
Elizabeth Christopher
Grace Coley
Shelby Collins
Caroline Coomer
Madeleine Coppersmith
Cassidy Crabb
Alexandrea Cuellar
Rachel Curl
Julia D'Agostino
Esther De La Cruz
Shelby Deakyne
Adrienne Dean
Hannah Dee
Allegra Deley
Angelina DiLullo
Kaleigh DiSalvo
Danielle Dix
Dorothy Drouilhet
Emily Eichholtz
Destiny England
Grace Fairfax
Katherine Falcone
Samantha Fedor
Chloe Feld
Corey Ford
Catherine Freund
Avery Friedmann
Akari Fujino
Julia Funderburg
Logan Furcolow
Sarah Gentil
Samantha Gilberg
Ethan Gindt
Jacqueline Glenn
Jennifer Goodman
Hannah Graefe
Hannah Haas
Samantha Haight
Hollan Hall
Erin Halman
Caverna Headley
Amanda Hoffman
Cathleen Hoffman
Sarah Honeycutt
Olivia Horn
Kennedy Hubbard
Erin Hyatt
Brianna Jeanjaquet
Haley Johnson
Faith Jones
Lauren Kayser
Maggie Keller
Mya King
Meredith Krewson
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Chloe Krieg
Robyn Langdon
Allison Lavelle
Morgan Lee
Kristen Lerma
Morgan Linneen
Jordan Logelin
Erin Lombardi
Alyssa Lombardo
Astrid Lopez
Cristina Lozano
Lyna Mai
Amber Marinero
Jeanne Marquette
Isabella Massuchetto
Madison Matthews
Ryan McKee
Allison McManus
Meghan Mehan
Amanda Merkley
Valbona Mullai
Olivia Nassos
Tatum Newsome
Jessie Nicholls
Maya Nizinski
Margaret Nohrenberg
Ona Nwachie
Erin Onderko
Melanie Orama
Samantha Orlando
Mackenzie Owens
Judy Panella
Kinsley Parrott
Mackenzi Patterson
Hannah Patton
Allison Pennington
Casey Plank
Allison Poythress
Danna Ramirez Gomez
Quinn Regner
Betsy Rennells
Eric Rickles
Emily Roach
Anna Roane
Julia Rose
Isabel Santamaria
Kristen Santasier
Emma Schuff
Jane Searfoss
Olivia Serra
Avery Siebert
Abbey Steele
Melanie Storey
Jennifer Sullivan
Hannah Suuberg
Priscilla Yan Ying Tan
Catherine Thomas
Caitlin Thompson
Sarah Towne
Cressa Vidad
Isabel Walker
Anne Walsh
Sara Webb
Shawna West
Brookelynn Wetzel
Megan Wiebe
Kylee Wiemer
Katy Williams
Hannah Windhorn
Kristin Wismer
Alyssa Wolf
Shealynn Wood
Cassidy Woods
Aspen Woodyard
Liutong Wu
Suraya Ya'akub
McKenna Zink
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Certification Maintenance
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Existing annual maintenance fees for 2023 were due by 1/31/2023; to avoid loss of the CCLS credential, reinstatement is due by 12/31/2023.
Roughly 98% of CCLSs who owed this fee have made their payment. Thank you for maintaining your certification!
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The deadline to recertify through Professional Development Units is October 31!
CCLSs who are due to recertify in 2023 also have the option to recertify by exam. The exam will be administered from November 1 -15; the deadline to register for this testing window is October 27.
Number of CCLSs due to recertify in 2023: 1,338
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Important Dates to Remember
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CCLSs by Geographic Regions
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Countries
Australia 4
Canada 382
China 1
Georgia 2
Germany 1
Hong Kong 9
India 1
Ireland 1
Japan 62
Kenya 2
Korea 1
Kuwait 1
Luxembourg 1
Mexico 3
New Zealand 3
Norway 1
Puerto Rico 2
Philippines 4
Qatar 6
Romania 2
Saudi Arabia 1
Singapore 5
South Africa 1
Spain 2
Switzerland 3
Taiwan 4
Turkey 1
United Kingdom 9
United States 6076
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U.S. States
AK 11
AL 84
AR 42
AZ 139
CA 615
CO 125
CT 48
DC 19
DE 25
FL 268
GA 175
HI 7
IA 91
ID 19
IL 266
IN 100
KS 46
KY 52
LA 66
MA 267
MD 115
ME 17
MI 193
MN 174
MO 191
MS 24
MT 6
NC 239
ND 12
NE 45
NH 33
NJ 183
NM 19
NV 18
NY 293
OH 320
OK 42
OR 44
PA 228
RI 19
SC 93
SD 16
TN 159
TX 591
UT 86
VA 105
VT 19
WA 128
WI 121
WV 9
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Thank you CLCC Communications Committee
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CLCC would like to recognize the team of volunteers who serve on the CLCC Communications Committee and make this newsletter possible! Thank you!
Chair, Sarah Framarin Chair-Elect, Katie Walker
Members: Bindy Sweett, Sandy Dietrich, Melissa Racioppa, Jessica Hotchkiss, and Karyn Positano
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Association of Child Life Professionals
7600 Leesburg Pike Suite 200 West | Falls Church, VA 22043
(571) 483-4500 | 800-252-4515
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