Family Hospice Bereavement & Education Specialist

UPMC•Williamsport, PA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

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. This role involves attending grief support groups, collaborating with the team to develop memorial services, and supporting bereavement programs for hospice families for 13 months. The position is part of an interdisciplinary hospice team that fosters collaboration and compassion, encouraging open expression of thoughts and innovative ideas. The team also participates in and sponsors events like the yearly Butterfly release for grieving families. The purpose of this role is to provide direct counseling and peer support to active and bereaved patient/family units, with a specific focus on children's bereavement. It also involves providing support and training for volunteer programs within the Heartworks program.

Requirements

A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college/university.
2 years of relevant experience.
Additional experience from a medical, education, or service agency.
Documented experience dealing with grief education.
Valid computer skills.
Valid verbal communication skills.
Valid listening skills.
Valid written communication skills.
Excellent human relations skills as demonstrated by previous experience and/or achievements.
Excellent leadership skills as demonstrated by previous experience and/or achievements.
Emotionally mature.
Able to work both as a team member and independently.
Excellent oral communication skills.
Excellent written communication skills.
Excellent interpersonal skills.
Ability to comprehend written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Demonstrate active listening skills.
Automotive Insurance.
Driver's License.

Nice To Haves

A Master's Degree in Social Work, Mental Health, and/or Education preferred.

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.
Refers 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.
Participates in interdisciplinary team meetings with the palliative care consultation team.
Participates on hospital Ethics Committee.
Attends grief support groups within our communities.
Collaborates with the team to develop and provide a memorial service for hospice families within the Susquehanna service areas.
Supports and develops bereavement programs with Family Hospice to provide grief support to hospice families for 13 months.
Joins and collaborates within the interdisciplinary hospice team at team meetings.