BRIEFCASE: Child Life Specialist joins the Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart
- April 2, 2015
- / Staff Reports
- / economy
Erin Contreras has joined The Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart as a child life specialist.
As experts in child development, child life specialists work to ensure that life remains as normal as possible for children in healthcare settings by promoting effective coping through play, self-expression activities and age-appropriate medical education. Child life specialists are advocates of family-centered care, working in partnership with doctors, nurses, social workers and other healthcare professionals to meet the unique emotional, developmental and cultural needs of each child and family.
The Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart currently has four child life specialists on staff, with one at the Pediatric Infusion Center and two in the Pediatric Emergency Department. Contreras will serve on the inpatient floors of The Children’s Hospital.
“My favorite part of my work is being an advocate for and helping to educate our youngest patients,” said Contreras. “I love knowing that I am making a difference in how children perceive the hospital environment and that I am helping to make their experience better.”
Contreras graduated with her Bachelor of Science in child development from Florida State University in Tallahassee and completed her internship and fellowship in child life development at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. Prior to joining The Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart, Contreras worked as a lactation consultant and a child life specialist at Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas, Texas.
Contreras is a certified child life specialist, international board-certified lactation consultant, Lamaze breastfeeding support specialist, Lamaze labor support specialist, breastfeeding educator, infant massage instructor and child passenger safety technician and instructor. She is an active member of the Child Life Council, Safe Kids Worldwide, the International Lactation Consultant Association, Lamaze International, DONA International and the International Loving Touch Foundation. She has delivered presentations for professional groups including the Child Life Conference on Professional Issues and the Infant Mental Health Advocacy Conference and The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.
A former graduate of Crestview High School, Contreras returns to the community now with her husband and 11-month-old son.
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