PACT Bereavement Coordinator at Westchester Medical Center – Valhalla, New York

Job Summary:

Working in conjunction with the Pediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT), the PACT Bereavement Coordinator will provide compassionate and evidenced-based clinical bereavement support services to grieving families throughout the children’s hospital. The coordinator will also help facilitate the management of palliative care services, including referrals to outside resources if needed.

After a patient death, the coordinator will provide family-centered bereavement support and follow up via phone calls, emails, and greeting cards on significant anniversaries, holidays, and milestones that a family experiences after the death of a child. Additionally, the coordinator will offer bereavement training and support for clinical and ancillary staff, including formal debriefing sessions after a patient death.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate consults for the Pediatric Advanced Care Team.
• Implement bereavement program initiatives, interventions, procedures and services offered for patient families, team members and the community.
• Coordinate the assessment and delivery of grief counseling needs and services to ensure timely and appropriate services are provided to family/caregivers. Provide resources for parents, siblings, grandparents and extended family.
• Collaborate with multiple disciplines and departments, including chaplaincy, social and child life and creative arts therapy, to ensure bereaved families are provided services and resources designed to meet their specific needs.
• Provide follow-up phone calls to bereaved families following a patient death and send letters/cards for first year after loss then yearly.
• Maintain appropriate electronic medical record (EMR) documentation.
• Communicate with primary pediatricians and other providers regarding a patient’s death.
• Act as a resource for staff who work with patients at end of life.
• Coordinate debriefs for team members as needed.
• Provide bereavement training for nurses, physicians and ancillary staff, and education opportunities and support related to palliative and end of life care.
• Maintain a list of bereavement information and referral services in order to service the community and families. Expand and maintain community resource lists as needed.
• Identify learning needs and seek opportunities to meet these needs.
• Coordinate annual memorial service for bereaved families.
• Coordinate annual bereavement service for pediatric staff.

Qualifications:

Experience:

• 5-7 years of experience in the field of bereavement in a hospital, hospice, or related setting, required.
• Experience with pediatric and perinatal death, preferred.
• Experience in grief support, preferred.
• Experience with palliative care, preferred.

Education:

• Bachelors degree in Counseling, Social Work, Theology, Child Life, or related discipline, required
• Master's Degree, preferred
  

Licenses / Certifications:

• Licensed Social Worker, Certified Child Life Specialist, or equivalent, preferred
• Resolve Through Sharing (RTS) Bereavement Counselor/Coordinator training or equivalent, preferred
• Board certified (or equivalent) or board certified, eligible (or equivalent) in appropriate certifying body for professional discipline, if applicable
  

Other:

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to respond appropriately to situations with complex emotional and relational dynamics.