Child Life Specialist Assistant - Associate in Arts

This program has been discontinued or temporarily suspended. Currently enrolled students may complete their program of study, but new students will not be admitted.

Program Info

Year Established
2019
Program Code
CHILDLSA.AA
Degree Type
Associate in Arts
Office Contact
School of Health and Human Services: 313-845-9877, hhsinfo@hfcc.edu, Health Careers Education Ctr, Room: G-132

Program Description

Description

Provides students with an experiential approach to learning about the child life field. Students in this program learn about child life services from an integrated client- and family-centered model of support care. Students in this program are part of the team responsible for supporting children and families through health care experiences and helping them cope by using developmental play and normalized activities in their environment. Evidence-based decision-making is explored as an integration of clinical experience, the best available research, and patient/family preference/needs. Each student in the program will complete an internship in a social services agency or medical facility. Students in this program are able to work in the medical field, social service agencies, companies supplying families with positive behavior support, and schools.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:

  1. Engage with people from cultures, ethnic groups, and socioeconomic status (SES) different from their own.
  2. Explain the impact socioeconomic status (SES), disability and other human factors have on family life.
  3. Describe individual and family case studies.
  4. Explain the different types of early childhood exceptionalities.
  5. Compare and contrast different special education laws and policies.
  6. Compare and contrast the different types of behavior modification.
  7. Use different behavior modification techniques for different types of childhood disorders.
  8. Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in a professional health care and school setting.
  9. Reflect on their child life specialist assistant co-op experience.
Career Opportunities

Students will be able to work as a Registered Behavior Technician, child life specialist assistant, behavioral specialist assistant, peer support specialist, senior youth specialist, psychiatric care support specialist.


Occupational Exposure/Risk

Applicants who consider a career as a child life specialist assistant should be aware that during the course of their education and subsequent employment they are likely to work in situations where exposure to infectious diseases is possible. This is an occupational risk in all health care areas. Proper education and strict adherence to well established infection-control guidelines can reduce the risk to a minimum.

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements and Eligibility

Pass a criminal background check (CBC) completed through HFC. Must be 18 years or older. Must have completed a high school diploma or GED.

General Education

Category 3: Mathematics
Complete any one course from the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) list.
Category 5: Humanities and Fine Arts
Complete any two, from different disciplines, from the MTA list.
Category 6: Natural Sciences
Complete any one, from a different discipline (not BIO), from the MTA list.
Credit Hours
13.00

See General Education for Transfer Degrees for details.

Degree-Specific Requirements

Credit Hours
2.00
Requirements are subject to change. The information represented here is effective starting Fall 2023 and applies to the current catalog year. If you were admitted prior to this year, please check your requirements under the My Progress section of HFC Self Service.