TITLE: Bereavement Counselor
DEPARTMENT: Bereavement
REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer and Social Worker
FLSA STATUS: Hourly – Full Time
LAST REVISION DATE: 07-29-2026
NATURE AND SCOPE OF POSITION: The Bereavement Counsler is responsible for coordinating, developing, managing, providing, and directing all bereavement care services and activities for patients, families, significant others, and the community at Northland Hospice and Palliative Care. This includes developing and implementing an individualized plan of care for each client and family; overseeing bereavement support groups and individual counseling programs for all clients; planning, and running the annual Memorial Service; tracking and making all bereavement contacts; assisting in the development of grief and bereavement education and support to those in need.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
- Responsible for the provision of bereavement services for patients, family members, and staff to effectively meet their bereavement needs as it relates to grief, loss, and adjustment, in accordance with the CoPs.
- Perform an initial bereavement assessment and plan of care; reflecting the needs and frequency of visits, and reassess/update as needed.
- Determine the level of bereavement and support needed by the patient, family, significant other, and bereaved during all the stages; provide those services and/or make referrals to appropriate community agencies.
- Prepare, coordinate, and implement the Bereavement Plans of Care related to the bereavement needs of families/significant others.
- Develop, plan, implement, and maintain the bereavement program, which includes (but is not limited to):
- Sending out cards and letters (sympathy, birthday, anniversary, etc.)
- Preparing list of monthly Bereavement Care Contacts for weekly Case Conferences
- Making all bereavement contacts for the 13 month
- Providing individual and group bereavement counseling services
- Providing oversight for facilitation of various bereavement support groups including support to groups facilitators as needed
- Providing monthly statistics for all bereavement contacts and support group data
- Maintaining, managing and updating the bereavement database with additions and closed cases
- Orchestrating the annual memorial service and other programs/support groups/services as necessary
- Document all contacts with a progress note in the patient’s chart.
- Assists family to give patient permission to die, to say “goodbye” and to bring reconciliation to family relationships.
- Assist and validate patient and family in his/her expression of emotional needs. Listens actively, supports as appropriate, and refers to support groups, other patients and families with similar conditions, and/or professionals with expertise in this area.
- Establish therapeutic relationships with clients from diverse cultural, religious/spiritual, and socioeconomic backgrounds, while collaborating closely with the Chaplain to address and support the spiritual needs of patients and their families.
- Provide anticipatory grief education and guidance.
- Identify clients at risk for complicated grief, determine and provide necessary level of support.
- Responsible for consultation to, collaboration with, and contribution to the interdisciplinary team on client and family issues related to grief, loss and adjustment.
- Participate in creating and maintaining relationships with professional community committees or organizations supporting the grief-support profession (e.g. ABA-AZ, Bereavement Alliance, AHBA-AZ, the Hospice Bereavement Association, etc.) – If available.
- Maintain the resource library of written material, videos, and referral sources for families and the interdisciplinary team.
- Ensure compliance with Medicare COPS for bereavement counseling services, following all regulatory guidelines associated with the bereavement program, keep abreast of changes and implements them as required.
- Maintain accurate and appropriate bereavement documentation, records and data, as well as monthly statistics of bereavement provided that demonstrates the work and need of bereavement services.
- Leads monthly ritual for memorializing patients served who have died
- Be a resource for staff on issues relating to bereavement.
- Attend meetings and maintain effective communication with team members.
- Assist with social work duties as assigned.
- Provide coverage and visit patients when other chaplains/social workers are on vacation.
- All other duties and tasks as assigned.
EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE
- Bereavement counselor certification or counseling degree.
- Hospice experience and one year of grief and loss counseling preferred.
- Understands the practices and procedures relating to referral of victims of abuse/neglect/ mistreatment/exploitation to the appropriate community agencies.
KEY COMPETENCIES
- Must be able to handle multiple tasks, work in a stressful environment and take appropriate actions as needed.
- Critical thinking, organizational skills, decisive judgment, analytical skills, problem solving skills, communication skills, common sense, and good customer service skills.
- Demonstrates the ability to deal with bereaved families and the strong emotional issues surrounding death and dying as well as to be open, sensitive, flexible and ecumenical.
- Good computer skills
- Superior telephone communication skills
- Professional demeanor
CERTIFICATES/LICENSES/REGISTRATIONS
- Reliable transportation, current driver’s license, and current auto insurance
- Graduate first available Northland Hospice Volunteer Training Program
- Current TB test required and maintained annually
- Current and valid Fingerprint Clearance Card
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hand to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job may include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job the employee may be exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
GENERAL SIGN OFF
The employee is expected to adhere to all agency policies and to act as a role model in the adherence to agency policies. This description is intended to describe the essential job functions, the general supplemental functions and the essential requirements for the performance of this job. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and requirements of a person so classified. Other functions may be assigned and NHPC retains the right to add or change duties at any time.
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
