Bereavement Care Provider II

HEALTH FEDERATION OF PHILADELPHIA•Philadelphia, PA

11d

About The Position

The Bereavement Care Provider is responsible for providing emotional support to both children and adolescents as well as adults that have been affected by substance use in the family, especially related to overdose loss. This position will be based out of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Division of Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction (SUPHR)’s Bereavement Care Team but will also be expected to collaborate with other teams in the division such as Harm Reduction, Community Outreach, and Philly LIFTs (Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Intervention). The Bereavement Care Provider will provide telephonic and in-person crisis intervention, grief counseling, and other support as needed primarily to individuals affected by drug-related deaths. This position requires a high level of clinical responsibility, integrity, and initiative. Individuals who are native Philadelphians, Black, Brown and LGBTQIA+ are strongly encouraged to apply! Evidence shows that those from marginalized groups will refrain from applying unless they meet every requirement of the job. However, we believe that there are many ways to qualify for this position, be it academic, professional and/or lived experience. If you are passionate about working with child and youth as well as adults affected by loss and substance use, and your experience and knowledge can reflect that, please apply.

Requirements

Master of Social Work (or equivalent, i.e. MFT, LPC candidates, M.S. or M.A in clinical mental health counseling) degree from an accredited college or university.
Prior experience working with: Bereaved and/or trauma-impacted children and teens Individuals with substance use disorders Diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds Active engagement in cultural humility; knowledge of social and cultural factors contributing to behaviors related to trauma, grief, and substance use.
Direct experience working with children and adolescents through a variety of modalities (art, play, talk therapy), and comfortability tailoring approach to client’s needs/environment.
Be able to incorporate elements of positive identity formation into the therapeutic space.
Intimate knowledge of human growth and development across the lifespan, as well as ways grief and trauma may present differently depending on emotional and cognitive developmental level.
Have thoughtful and trauma-informed assessment and crisis intervention skills for children/youth and caregivers who are experiencing traumatic stress from both interpersonal experiences and on-going traumatic stress environments.
Hold a strong grasp on community supports that people can access within Philadelphia; be able to provide case management beyond therapeutic supports
Ability to function under the direct supervision of a program manager, manage and complete tasks in a timely manner
Ability to collaborate and work well with others; operating within the scope and standards of the provision of trauma-informed care
Sound computer skills and good experience in the use of Microsoft Office Suite
Must have access to personal transportation (cost of gas can be compensated and amount of travel is taken into consideration with the size of assigned caseload).

Responsibilities

Identify any bereavement, health-related or social service needs of grieving families and help connect them to the proper community resources and other Medical Examiner’s Office departments (i.e., forensic investigators and pathologists)
Provide telephonic outreach to all assigned cases of children, teens, and adults affected by a drug-related death, as well as telephonic follow-up as needed
Provide appropriate referrals for clients outside of Philly HEALs, depending on needs determined through outreach, assessment, or conclusion of services.
Offer trauma-informed counseling to children and teens ages 5-19 whose loved ones have died from an accidental drug intoxication or who have experienced trauma related to a loved one’s substance use
Mitigate barriers to transportation for clients by providing in-home or in-school counseling to a percentage of your caseload and be able to communicate and schedule these sessions with schools, caregivers (and Free Library or other community locations when needed).
After performing initial outreach and assessment, work with child and family to develop age-appropriate goals and treatment plan. Adjust as necessary over treatment period and keep family informed of progress.
Perform periodic calls to caregivers to provide emotional support, psychoeducation about developmental grief, and assess for positive or negative changes in child, as perceived by the caregiver
Manage a caseload of adult clients seeking short-term counseling for people who lost a loved one from a drug-related loss.
Start up and facilitate at least one peer-support group for grieving children and adolescents and/or adults who have suffered a drug-related death
Develop and facilitate at least 2 psychoeducational workshops a year on a topic related to grief following the loss of a loved one to substance use
Develop and nurture connections with internal and external providers (such as school admin and counselors, outpatient community mental health agencies, etc.) to support effective treatment for clients.
Offer clinical insight and support to continue to build a program that provides effective, accessible services that accurately meet the needs of the Philadelphia community.
Assist other team members with community events or projects as needed.
Enter all case notes into the database in a timely fashion and complete all assigned tasks; including related duties not specified here.
Closely collaborate with other SUPHR teams for outreach, such as Community Engagement, Harm Reduction, Environmental Services, and Philly LIFTS (NAS Intervention)
Closely collaborate with Bereavement Support Staff at the Medical Examiner’s Office to bridge services and combine resources