Child Life Connection's CCLS TEAM
Dr Belinda Hammond, EdD, CCLS, CIMI, Founder, Director of Academic Programming, Development & Outreach
Belinda has been a Certified Child Life Specialist since 1999 and is current faculty at Eastern Washington University and Sonoma State University, providing academic instruction and advising for students in both graduate and undergraduate Child Life academic programs. With her doctorate in Educational Leadership and a specialization in Social Justice, Belinda has long been an advocate for students and has been involved in the creation of multiple academic and clinical programs, including the Child Life Community Practicum (hybrid) since 2020 and the Child Life Connection: Student Forum on Facebook to provide continuing supports for students, a page that has grown to include students from around the globe.
As the founder of Child Life Connection, Belinda has overseen the development of child-friendly spaces in large part thanks to Pepsi Refresh for funding 24 original murals, and to the Oscar Litwak Foundation for their mobile playroom donations. In more recent years, Belinda has transitioned her focus to supporting the creation of academic programs within Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic Servicing Institutions (HSIs) to support the need for representation in medical care, and to expanding internship offerings to see more CCLS jobs filled and to explore closer-to-home opportunities for students.
Sandie (Sandra) Sternberg, M.Ed, CCLS, CPE, Director of Student Engagement & Outreach
With nearly four decades in the child life profession, Sandie brings extensive clinical, leadership, and educational experience to her work with students and emerging professionals. Throughout her career, she has combined leadership responsibilities with ongoing clinical practice, giving her a unique perspective on both the realities of healthcare and the development of the professionals who serve children and families.
Sandie’s clinical experience spans inpatient and outpatient pediatrics, trauma, emergency and intensive care, grief support, and supporting children whose parents are receiving medical care. She has also served as Executive Director of a children’s grief support center, as well as in clinical leadership and supervisory roles. Across these experiences, her work has centered on psychosocial care, therapeutic relationships, family-centered care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and helping children and families navigate challenging healthcare experiences.
A lifelong learner and educator, Sandie holds a Multidisciplinary Certificate in Pediatric Palliative Care from the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute and earned her Master of Education in 2023 to further strengthen her work in teaching and professional development. She has served as a lecturer at California State University, Northridge, and as a clinical supervisor for Child Life United’s Virtual Practicum.
Today, Sandie is passionate about bridging theory with lived clinical experience and preparing the next generation of child life professionals. She helps students develop not only clinical knowledge and skills, but also the critical thinking, communication, ethical awareness, and professional confidence needed to navigate the human realities of healthcare. She brings high standards and steady support to her work, encouraging learners to understand not only what child life professionals do, but why it matters.
At Child Life Connection, Sandie finds deep fulfillment in helping students develop into thoughtful, capable professionals who recognize that psychosocial care is an essential part of quality, patient- and family-centered healthcare.
Suzan J. Watkinson, MA, CCLS, CPMT, RWWP, Director of Clinical Partnerships & Field Experiences
Suzan holds a Master’s degree in Human Services Counseling and a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development & Family Studies, whose career spans three decades of education, clinical practice, and human services across multiple professional settings. She completed her first Child Life internship at Morristown Memorial Hospital in 1992 and received Provisional Child Life Certification from the Child Life Certification Commission (CLCC) in 1993, remaining active through 1997, after which she pursued recertification. She returned to formal Child Life coursework in 2014, completed a practicum at Children’s National in 2015, and completed a second Child Life Internship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in 2017, where she was honored to receive the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) Child Life Intern Diversity Scholarship. In 2018, she earned her Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) credential, which she has held continuously since. Her career encompasses direct clinical work with hospitalized children and their families, including pediatric hospice and palliative care, leadership roles, and the development of new Child Life programming including a staff education project during her international practicum supervision in Cape Town, South Africa. Suzan currently serves as Adjunct Instructor of Child Life at UCSB PaCE. She also served for three years as Adjunct Professor of Child Life and Academic Internship Supervisor for Child Life interns at Azusa Pacific University. Working both domestically and internationally, she has provided Child Life teaching to students overseas, served as a Child Life practicum preceptor, and provided psychosocial support globally with Operation Smile. As a Registered Wonders & Worries and WonderFund provider, she supports families navigating serious parental illness or injury, and has completed three deployments with Child Life Disaster Relief. With Child Life Connection, Suzan serves as an educator, dedicated to training the next generation of Child Life professionals.
Kristin Heath-Buchheit, MA, CCLS, CTRS, Director of Clinical Programming & Innovation
Kristin obtained her master's degree in Child Life and holds dual certification in both Child Life and Recreation Therapy. With a broad and dynamic background in both inpatient and outpatient pediatric healthcare, her expertise and heart lie with pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant patients. She has also rebuilt and developed a Child Life program at a large adult hospital and now works in pediatric mental health - helping children and families with anxiety/OCD build resilience through evidence-based care.
Kristin has presented at national and regional conferences, helped develop an innovative practicum model to enhance student equity, and mentored future child life professionals across various clinical and educational settings. By leading with authenticity, Kristin strives to share practical insights, nurture community, and advance inclusive, compassionate care for children, families, and students alike.