Doula Support Associate
LANDIS COMMUNITIES•Manheim Township, PA
•Onsite
About The Position
The Doula Support Associate provides proactive advance planning, companionship, comfort, and guidance to clients experiencing end-of-life illness. The role serves people at Landis Homes, its affiliates, and the greater community, and works flexible hours as needed. The associate provides non-medical support while honoring each client's wishes, relationships, beliefs, and traditions, and collaborates with an interdisciplinary team to coordinate aligned care. The position also requires compliance with confidentiality, HIPAA, client-rights, regulatory, safety, infection-control, and organizational policies.
Requirements
- Must be at least 18 years of age.
- Bachelor's degree in a Human Services field or equivalent experience.
- Completion of a recognized End-of-Life Doula training program is required; candidates willing to obtain the required training will be considered.
- Strong skills in emotional presence, active listening, and non-directive support.
- Knowledge of grief processes and family dynamics at end of life.
- Proficiency using computers and related technology required for the role.
- Good verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills.
- Openness to supporting diverse beliefs and traditions.
Nice To Haves
- At least one year of experience providing direct support in end-of-life, hospice, palliative care, or related settings is preferred.
Responsibilities
- Support clients with end-of-life planning, legacy projects, vigil needs, and closure.
- Engage loved ones and volunteers in supportive activities as desired by the client.
- Refer clients to appropriate services outside the scope of the doula role.
- Respect clergy and chaplain involvement and support family connections as preferred by the client.
- Participate in end-of-life rituals, including the Walk of Honor on the Landis Homes campus and appropriate rituals off campus.
- Provide presence and comfort during vigils and the dying process.
- Offer caregiver education and respite presence, and normalize expected changes in the dying process without providing medical advice.
- Coordinate practical next steps after death, including rituals, space care, and connections with funeral or memorial providers, according to the client's wishes.
- Engage clients early, from diagnosis onward, to identify priorities and prepare for anticipated changes.
- Assess client needs and desires and complete a Service Agreement.
- Maintain non-medical role boundaries and refrain from clinical tasks or medical advice.
- Collaborate proactively with hospice, palliative care, chaplains or clergy, social work, nursing, volunteers, and other interdisciplinary team members.
- Follow confidentiality, HIPAA, resident and client rights, regulatory, organizational, safety, and infection-control requirements.
- Follow the Code of Conduct.
- Attend required in-services and team meetings.
- Document services in accordance with organizational standards.
- Support the organization's mission, vision, and guiding values; respect the dignity, honor, and diversity of all persons; and contribute positively to interdepartmental and intradepartmental relationships.
- Remain flexible and open to learning and adapting as roles and expectations evolve.
- Perform additional duties and responsibilities as assigned.
