BUILDING BRIDGES COORDINATOR

The Building Bridges Coordinator/Bereavement Counselor provides quality training to persons requesting to become program volunteers, including the careful screening of potential volunteers, training, and assigning facilitators in a fashion that will be of maximum benefit to both parties. Serves as the coordinator for the Building Bridges sessions (usually two per year) and is responsible for all the mechanics of this endeavor. In addition to the physical arrangement of the training, the Coordinator is responsible for providing emotional support, acknowledgment, and affirmation to the volunteers who give their time.  This person should market the program in a sensitive manner and within appropriate media to agencies, teachers/counselors, HOSA staff, and other entities.  In addition to duties related to the Building Bridges program, the Building Bridges Coordinator also functions as a part of the HOSA Bereavement team.  Duties include providing grief support services to HOSA families and community clients as needed, functioning as part of the HOSA Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) and attending IDT meetings, conducting bereavement assessments, and developing and following plans of care for HOSA bereaved families for 13 months after a patient's death, helping to plan and carry out various bereavement events throughout the year, participating in/leading various bereavement support groups, and providing grief education to the community as requested.

Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Assures quality training to persons serving as Building Bridges facilitators.
• Coordinates all aspects of Building Bridges training.
• Acknowledges and responds to volunteers in a timely manner.
• Markets the Building Bridges program within guidelines.
• Conducts teacher education seminars for the school district.
• Maintains familiarity with the program and all hospice staff.
• Conducts ongoing research into child grief and implements it accordingly.
• Submits articles to the LIFT newsletter and other periodicals as available.
• Provides individualized bereavement needs to both patients and families (adults and children).
• Provide community grief support as needed.
• Complete before and after bereavement assessments and updates as assigned.
• Provide complete and timely documentation.
• Maintains confidentiality of information.
• Exhibits good listening and comprehension.
• Uses negotiation skills to resolve conflicts. Deals effectively with difficult situations.
• Treats patients, families, and staff with respect and compassion.
• No gossip and no harm to others in conversation.
• Performs other responsibilities as assigned.

This position requires endurance to perform tasks over long periods of work hours and the ability to perform essential functions without posing a "direct threat" in the work place.  Must be able to lift 55 pounds and able to assist in a 2-person transfer from chair to mat and/or floor.