Bereavement Services Specialist

Hospice of San Joaquin  is the oldest not-for-profit hospice of 40 years. We serve all of  San Joaquin  and  Stanislaus  Counties.  We are committed to continue to be the leader in ensuring quality of the journey, from serious illness through end of life and to honor our mission by honoring life by ensuring patients and their Caregivers are the focus of everything we do. We are seeking a Dynamic, self-motivated  Bereavement Services Specialist,  who thrives in a fast-paced environment and to support our mission .   This is a Full-Time position reporting to the Bereavement Manager.

JOB SUMMARY: Provides grief support and counsel to families of hospice patients, as well as to the community at large.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Adult and Children Bereavement Support Services – Provides supportive bereavement counseling and/or appropriate referrals to meet client’s bereavement needs.

- Assesses Hospice families and develops a bereavement plan of care using assessment information from the IDT, 3-4 weeks after death of the patient.

- In collaboration with the IDT, manages the bereavement plan of care for hospice families.

- Provides ongoing bereavement support via phone or in person with hospice families after death of a patient for up to a year.

- Assesses and provides support for community clients at the time of referral and develops a plan for internal or off-site support.

- Provides goal-directed grief support and/or appropriate referrals to bereaved clients.

- Identifies and coordinates referral resources required to support bereavement plan for clients as needed.

- Facilitates regularly scheduled adult bereavement support groups, as assigned.

- Facilitates regularly scheduled adult workshops, including web-based, as assigned.

- Facilitates off-site community-based grief support, as assigned.

- Ensures the patient’s/family's right to confidentiality in all communications and follows generally accepted ethical standards in all interactions with clients.

- Documents all services rendered per Hospice of San Joaquin Policies and Procedures.

- Consults with Bereavement Manager or Director of Social Services when complicated bereavement is suspected.

- In collaboration with IDT, manages the bereavement plan of care for bereaved children of hospice families and/or community members.

- Coordinates and plans Camp Caterpillar.

- Attends bereavement team meetings and actively participates in discussions related to patient/family care and grief and bereavement issues.

- Documents interdisciplinary team meeting notes in patient’s record as appropriate.

INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION :  Stays apprised of ongoing family dynamics before the death of a patient and assists members of the IDT to understand issues of grief and loss.  Ensures continuity of bereavement services.

- Review MSW’s pre-bereavement assessment and social work notes; discuss any concerns with the social worker.

ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES:

- Processes registration forms for Adult and Children’s Bereavement support groups, workshops, and special events

-   Processes patient deaths on a daily basis including updating medical record plan of care, reviewing assessments, and gathering patient caregiver demographic information.

- Creates weekly bereavement reports of initial deaths, one year anniversary deaths, and Kaiser patient deaths.

- Creates weekly condolence and closing letters to bereaved families.

Qualifications

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

1.    A BA/BS degree in a Human Services field, or an AA degree plus 1 year of work experience in a Human Services or Bereavement field is required.
2.    Knowledge and understanding of individual, child, and family development, human behavior, communication, and the influence of culture and values in bereavement support.
3.    Knowledge of group process and peer counseling.
4.    Fluency in Spanish preferred.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS:

- TB Screening

-  Background Check

- Reference Check

- Pre-employment Physical and Drug Screening

- Copy of a valid driver's license

- Copy of a valid auto insurance card

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

- Vehicle – Ability, and willingness to drive your own vehicle, have a valid California driver’s license, and have automobile insurance, which meets State standards. This is necessary to be covered by the agency’s non-owned auto policy.

- Some evenings and weekends are required.

- Able to sit for long periods.

- Able to maneuver throughout the community.

- Visual/hearing ability sufficient to comprehend written/verbal communication.

- Manual dexterity for computers, filing, and telephones.

- Ability to carry and move training items and materials for workshops and support groups.

We offer a great benefit package to our staff such as:

- Competitive hospice industry compensation

- Benefits package with multiple plan offerings and generous employer contribution

- 401(k) Retirement plan with employer match

- AFLAC insurance plans

- Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

- Fitness Center membership discount

- Employee Assistance Programs (ESP)

- Supportive work culture which encourages work life balance

- Paid Time Off (PTO)

- Monthly mileage reimbursement

- Employee Referral Program

If you are interested in being part of a dynamic team and to help us continue to be the leader in ensuring quality of the journey, from serious illness through end of life and to honor our mission by honoring life by ensuring patients and their Caregivers are the focus of everything we do, we encourage you to apply.  To learn more about Hospice of San Joaquin, please visit our website at:  www.hospiceofsanjoaquin.org