The online application process for the 2022 Mentorship Program is closed. Thank you to everyone who applied. Accepted participants will be notified no later than December 31, 2021. Information about the 2023 Mentorship Program will become available in August 2022. Please reach out to mentorship@childlife.org with any questions!
The ACLP Mentor Program is a structured six-month program, beginning in January and running through the month of June, designed to support the career development and growth of child life specialists. The program includes: partnership with one-to-one, and/or small group driven mentorship pairings, monthly webinars (earning participants 6 PDUs by programs end) relating to current topics in the healthcare world, and access to committee liaisons to support these new and exciting connections and networking experiences.
Whether working in a clinical, academic, or informal leadership role, every child life specialist is a leader, with something to teach. Child life specialists of all stages of their career can benefit from being mentored. And child life specialists with different amounts, and types of experiences have the ability to mentor, regardless of shared experiences or expertise. We all have the power to support and impact change!
Interested in becoming a mentor, or looking for guidance, supervision and curious about applying as a mentee? See the following definitions of roles and answers to the most asked questions below to learn more!
Mentors are defined as Certified Child Life Specialists, who are willing to share their knowledge, skills and abilities to foster connection, growth and confidence in mentees.
Mentor Requirements:
· Hold the Certified Child Life Specialist credential and be employed as a child life specialist for at least three years when the program begins in January.
· Be a professional member of the Association of Child Life Professionals throughout the entire program.
· Complete all elements of the application process by the outlined date.
Mentees are defined as Certified Child Life Specialists, who are in search of enhancing an aspect of their clinical practice, as well as seeking direction and comradery in a particular professional area.
Mentee Requirements:
· Hold the Certified Child Life Specialist credential and be employed as a child life specialist when the program begins in January.
The Mentor Program Committee will work to match applicants based on general of specific interests outlined in the application, while also keeping in mind that mentors can use their experiences to provide varied support for mentees throughout the program. The committee will work to match all applicants
and will work to communicate if a match is not able to be made. Notifications will be made in December prior to the program beginning in January.
The Mentor Program recognizes that everyone is a leader in some way, shape or form. As a Mentor, you can still help provide opportunities for growth, problem solving, and support without having something specific in common. This might even support your own professional growth in the process! “Sometimes having someone to look at things from an entirely unfamiliar perspective and viewpoint helps you gain the most clarity” (Prossack, 2018).
Prossack, Ashira. (2018). 4 Things to Look for in a Mentor [blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashiraprossack1/2018/04/27/4-things-to-look-for-in-a-mentor/#a6d1b552d47f.