Family Support Coordinator

HonorBridge • Chapel Hill, NC

6d

About The Position

The Family Support Coordinator serves as a dual advocate: supporting potential donor families through crisis, loss, and uncertainty while helping create opportunities for life-saving and life-enhancing transplantation. The role works closely with hospital staff, physicians, HonorBridge clinical teams, and donor families to provide emotional support, education, and guidance throughout the donation process. The coordinator helps families understand complex medical situations, navigate end-of-life decisions, and make informed choices while ensuring they feel respected and supported.

This position is suited to professionals with backgrounds such as counseling, ministry, social work, psychology, or bereavement support who are comfortable working independently, building relationships, and assisting people in emotionally sensitive situations. It is an on-call role requiring 16-hour call shifts, onsite response when on call, travel to partner hospitals within and occasionally outside assigned regions, and flexibility to support families through extended donation processes.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree.
• At least two years of professional experience in counseling, ministry, chaplaincy, social work, psychology, grief support, family services, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to support individuals and families during crisis, trauma, loss, or significant life transitions.
• Strong communication, active listening, and relationship-building skills.
• High emotional intelligence, empathy, and compassion.
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities and responsibilities.
• Resilience and ability to cope effectively with stress in emotionally demanding situations.
• Understanding of medical terminology or ability to learn and apply healthcare concepts quickly.
• Availability to provide support throughout extended donation processes.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel to hospitals throughout the service area.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in healthcare, hospice, palliative care, bereavement services, chaplaincy, or hospital-based family support.
• Experience facilitating difficult conversations about serious illness, end-of-life care, or loss.
• Knowledge of organ and tissue donation processes.
• Training in grief counseling, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, or family systems support.

Responsibilities

• Respond to referral notifications and collaborate with the Administrator On Call and clinical teams to assess family support needs.
• Build relationships with hospital staff, physicians, and healthcare teams to coordinate family support services.
• Review available clinical information and work with donation staff to understand case progression and donation potential.
• Serve as the primary support person for potential donor families throughout the donation process.
• Build trusting relationships and provide compassionate emotional support to families during crisis and loss.
• Help families understand complex medical information, including clinical deterioration, brain death testing, and end-of-life processes.
• Facilitate communication between families and healthcare providers so questions are answered and concerns addressed.
• Advocate for families' needs and support their emotional, spiritual, and informational well-being.
• Collaborate with healthcare teams to determine the appropriate timing and approach for donation discussions.
• Participate in collaborative donation conversations and educate families about donation options and opportunities.
• Present donation information compassionately and respectfully, with the goal of achieving informed authorization.
• Support families regardless of their donation decision and ensure they feel respected throughout the process.
• Continue providing care, communication, and support to donor families throughout authorization and donation.
• Connect families with community resources, bereavement support, HonorBridge materials, and Family Services programs as appropriate.
• Maintain accurate documentation and communication related to family interactions and case activity.
• Complete administrative, quality assurance, project-based, and communication responsibilities in a timely manner.
• Participate in ongoing education and professional development related to grief support, family care, donation advocacy, and end-of-life communication.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of HonorBridge's mission.

Benefits

• Company-paid employee medical premiums, with the company covering a significant portion of spouse and family premiums.
• Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) to help reduce medical deductibles and out-of-pocket healthcare costs.
• Company-paid life insurance and long-term disability insurance, plus voluntary short-term disability insurance.
• Up to 8% employer retirement match after one year of employment.
• Paid vacation and sick leave, 10 paid holidays, and 2 floating holidays.
• $500 annual Work-Life Balance Benefit.
• $500 annual Mental Health Benefit.
• Dental insurance.
• Vision insurance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time