Family Hospice Bereavement & Education Specialist

UPMC Family Hospice is hiring a full-time Bereavement and Education Specialist to work with hospice families as well as community members who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Monday-Friday 8:00 am- 4:30 pm, occasionally working evenings, weekend events, and meetings that may need to be covered In this position, you would attend grief support groups within our communities Collaborate with the team to develop and provide a memorial service for hospice families within the Susquehanna service areas Support and develop bereavement programs with Family Hospice to provide grief support to hospice families for 13 months Join and collaborate within the interdisciplinary hospice team at team meetings The hospice team is an excellent example of health care collaboration and compassion for members of our communities. This family-like environment allows individuals to express thoughts openly and encourages thought-changing ideas for the betterment of the program. We participate in and sponsor a yearly Butterfly release as well as other unique opportunities for grieving families.

Purpose

Responsible for providing direct counseling and peer support to the active and bereaved patient/family units with a focus on children's bereavement. Provide support and training for volunteer programs throughout the Heartworks program.

Responsibilities

Coordinates education for children and teens related to grief. Coordinates the recruitment of volunteers and provides on-site training. Develops and coordinates special programs related to grief support. Develops and coordinates educational programs and public speaking engagements for the community related to grief support and healthy coping skills. Develops and coordinates an adult program related to healthy coping skills. Works directly with school counselors to provide age-appropriate education on grief support and coping skills. Maintains and coordinates the public-school book bag program, supplying educational resources for counselors and students. Coordinates the inpatient hospice children's resource/playroom to promote therapeutic play and educational resources. Referring individuals to community resources as appropriate, including clergy and community hospice agencies. Develops interdisciplinary tools for educational assessment and support. Accepts different cultural and religious values and lifestyles. Supports patients and families' self-determination. Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings with the palliative care consultation team. Participate on hospital Ethics Committee.

• A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college/university and 2 years of relevant experience, with additiona lexperience from a medical, education, or service agency required.