Child Life Therapy
Child Life Therapy
Phone: (03) 8572 3003
To support the Child Life Therapy Department at
Monash Children’s Hospital:
Child Life Therapy aims to minimise the stress and anxiety that children, young people and their families may encounter through their healthcare experience.
Child life therapists specialise in child development to support and empower children, young people and their families by helping them understand their hospital treatment. Child life therapists provide information and support for medical procedures, and opportunities for normalised play experiences.
The Child Life Therapy service at Monash Children’s Hospital also provides regular education and in-servicing to staff and are available for consultation regarding procedural pain support and preparing children for medical procedures.
Expertise and Services
Child Life Therapy staff are trained specialists in child development, with a background in education. Child life therapists focus on strength-based practice within family- centred care, to support the psychosocial, developmental and emotional wellbeing needs of patients and their families.
Monash Children’s Hospital provides a Child Life Therapy service across all areas of paediatrics, including paediatric emergency, diagnostic imaging and acute inpatients.
Child life therapists receive referrals for patients who may need support with:
- Procedural pain (education and techniques for management and coping).
- Distraction during procedures
- Opportunities for positive hospital experiences includes developmentally appropriate play sessions.
- Medical procedure education and preparation.
- Anxiety and pain management strategies.
Clinics
Child life therapists are available to support the following areas:
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Pathology
- Emergency Department
- Botox Clinic
- Medical Therapy Unit
- Same Day Unit
Acute Referrals
Eligibility Criteria
Monash Children’s Hospital Acute Child Life Therapy Service only accepts referrals from within Monash Health.
Internal inpatient referrals can be made directly to Child Life Therapy from Monash Health medical and Allied Health staff via EMR.
