Children's Grief Specialist

Company Information

At Community Hospice & Health Services and its affiliates, Community Hospice & Health Services Foundation, and CHI Management, Inc. (herein referred to collectively as “CHHS”) you will find a family-based and compassionate work environment. Our goal is to provide a wonderful work experience that allows our employees to thrive by feeling engaged and fulfilled each day. CHHS is the largest and oldest nonprofit hospice, palliative care, and support services provider in the Central Valley.

We are proud to indicate that CHHS has been supporting and providing compassionate and quality services to our community since 1979. Our mission is to embrace individuals and families facing life-changing journeys, enhancing quality of life for all. CHHS is accredited by Community Health Accredited Program (CHAP).

REPORTS TO: Director of Strategic Development    Children’s Grief Support Program Coordinator                                                                                       

SUMMARY:  The Child Grief Support Specialist will provide support services to bereaved children, consistent with Community Hospice & Health Services policies and procedures, and be responsible for all aspects of the children’s grief/school program.  This position will lead, observe, and guide the school support groups (Hug, Tweens and TAG), share therapeutic expertise in order to provide the best practices in grief support for children, schedule and coordinate therapy group activities with school counselors, and maintain current and future partnerships with area schools and districts.

The Child Grief Support Specialist provides compassionate, developmentally appropriate grief support services to bereaved children in accordance with Community Hospice & Health Services policies and procedures. This position oversees all aspects of the children's grief and school-based support program, including the planning, coordination, and facilitation of grief support groups and individual grief support sessions.

Key responsibilities include leading, observing, and guiding school-based support groups (HUG, Tweens, and TAG); applying supportive best practices to support children experiencing grief related to a death, coordinating group schedules, individual grief support sessions and activities in collaboration with school counselors; and cultivating and maintaining strong partnerships with local schools and school districts to expand and enhance grief support services.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Visits children/ parents, as needed and/or requested, to meet the current needs of the children. Provides ongoing support including anticipatory grief support; assesses for changing needs. Offers appropriate internal or external resources as needed.
• Documents assessment, treatment plan and all visits and significant phone contacts requiring extended amount of time or clinical intervention. Documentation is completed timely and within departmental guidelines.
• Coordinates with team members to plan and implement the plan of grief counseling. Work in a collaborative manner with grief facilitators and Bereavement Department team members.
• Participates in at least 80% of staff meetings as appropriate, in educational programs for staff, volunteers, etc.
• Participates in at least 80% of workshops, in-services and clinical meetings to promote professional growth and understanding of grief, loss and bereavement.
• Collects appropriate data sufficient to meet both internal and external organizational needs and prepares monthly statistics reports for internal and external stakeholders.
• Performs other duties as assigned, including work in other areas to cover absences or relief to equalize peak work periods or otherwise meet the needs of the organization.
• Follows all Community Hospice policies and procedures including, but not limited to, safety, infection control, privacy and confidentiality.

SCHOOL PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Creates a safe and nurturing environment where children may explore and express their grief.
• Builds positive social and emotional behaviors for children ages 6-17.
• Educates local Stanislaus County students about the effects and characteristics of the grieving process.
• Develops teen appropriate grief support curriculum to introduce to schools in the each academic year.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate age-appropriate grief support curriculum for children and teens.
• Acts as community first responder for trauma/grief related events.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

• Ability to perform effective grief support of a complex nature with children and their families; consistently responds to changing situations in a flexible manner in order to meet current needs, such as reprioritizing work as necessary.
• Ability to develop and maintain cooperative, constructive relationships with children, their families, members of other professional disciplines, and coworkers.
• Ability to provide cultural proficiency in services provided, i.e. conduct ethnographic interviews, create multidimensional treatment plans, which include and utilize appropriate community resources to address individual, family, spiritual, and cultural needs.
• Ability to prepare clear, concise and comprehensive client records, and make sound recommendations on the basis of such information; recognize a potential crisis, handle a fast paced, emotional environment and bizarre behavior, and deliver crisis intervention services.
• Ability to demonstrate sound judgment by taking appropriate actions regarding questionable findings or concerns.  Investigate and follow through on unusual behavior, orders, or requests for service or information.  Follow proper reporting procedures for actual or potential accidents and or/or incidents so follow-up and/or prevention can occur.
• Ability to retain personal objectivity and empathy, when dealing with the grief experience and the problems of the children.
• Ability to handle confidential information and disseminate appropriate information to other agencies per company policy.
• Ability to collect, organize and analyze data at a level sufficient to document regulatory compliance.

• Desired experience will include professional experience in grief counseling / support or child and adolescent psychology, as well as experience conducting support services for children and their families.
• Bilingual in Spanish is preferred.
• Computer data entry and database maintenance skills required.
• Positive professional attitude, with sensitivity to the nature of grief and bereavement counseling.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Valid California Driver’s License and auto insurance, with timely renewal required.
• Possesses and maintains current CPR certification.

Salary : $21 - $25