Bereavement Care Provider II

Equal Opportunity Employer

The mission of the Health Federation of Philadelphia is to promote health equity for marginalized communities by advancing access to high-quality, integrated, and comprehensive health and human services.  Health equity is at the heart of all our work. We believe in and are firmly committed to equal employment opportunity for employees and applicants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion, disability, sex or gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status.  This commitment applies to all aspects of the Health Federation of Philadelphia’s employment practices, including recruiting, hiring, training, and promotion.

JOB SUMMARY

The Bereavement Care Provider is responsible for providing emotional support to both children and adolescents as well as adults that have been affected by substance use in the family, especially related to overdose loss. This position will be based out of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Division of Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction (SUPHR)’s Bereavement Care Team but will also be expected to collaborate with other teams in the division such as Harm Reduction, Community Outreach, and Philly LIFTs (Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Intervention). The Bereavement Care Provider will provide telephonic and in-person crisis intervention, grief counseling, and other support as needed primarily to individuals affected by drug-related deaths. This position requires a high level of clinical responsibility, integrity, and initiative.

Individuals who are native Philadelphians, Black, Brown and LGBTQIA+ are strongly encouraged to apply! Evidence shows that those from marginalized groups will refrain from applying unless they meet every requirement of the job. However, we believe that there are many ways to qualify for this position, be it academic, professional and/or lived experience. If you are passionate about working with child and youth as well as adults affected by loss and substance use, and your experience and knowledge can reflect that, please apply.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Responsibilities/Duties

• Outreach
  • Provide telephonic outreach to all assigned cases of children, adolescents, and adults affected by a drug-related death, as well as telephonic follow-up as needed;
  • Provide appropriate referrals for clients outside of Philly HEALs, depending on needs determined through outreach, assessment, or conclusion of services.
• Child and Youth Counseling
  • Offer trauma-informed counseling to clients whose loved ones have died from an accidental drug intoxication or who have experienced trauma related to a loved one’s substance use;
  • Mitigate barriers to transportation for clients by providing in-home or in-school counseling to a percentage of your caseload and be able to communicate and schedule these sessions with schools, caregivers (and Free Library or other community locations when needed).
  • After performing initial outreach and assessment, work with child and family to develop age-appropriate goals and treatment plan. Adjust as necessary over treatment period and keep family informed of progress.
  • Perform periodic calls to caregivers to provide emotional support, psychoeducation about developmental grief, and assess for positive or negative changes in child, as perceived by the caregiver;
• Adult Counseling
  • Manage a caseload of adult clients seeking short-term counseling for people who lost a loved one from a drug-related loss.
• Start up and facilitate at least one peer-support group for grieving children and adolescents and/or adults who have suffered a drug-related death;
• Develop and facilitate at least one psychoeducational workshop on a topic related to grief following the loss of a loved one to substance use;
• Case Management/Resources/Referrals
  • Develop and nurture connections with internal and external providers (such as school admin and counselors, outpatient community mental health agencies, etc.) to support effective treatment for clients.
• Offer clinical insight and support to continue to build a program that provides effective, accessible services that accurately meet the needs of the Philadelphia community.
• Assist other team members with community events or projects as needed.
• Enter all case notes into the database in a timely fashion and complete all assigned tasks; including related duties not specified here.
• Closely collaborate with other SUPHR teams for outreach, such as Community Engagement, Harm Reduction, Environmental Services, and Philly LIFTS (NAS Intervention)
• Closely collaborate with Bereavement Support Staff at the Medical Examiner’s Office to bridge services and combine resources

Education

Master of Social Work (or equivalent, i.e. MFT, LPC candidates, M.S. or M.A in clinical mental health counseling) degree from an accredited college or university.

Skills/Experience

• Necessary prior experience working with:
  • Bereaved and/or trauma-impacted children and adolescents
  • Individuals with substance use disorders
  • Diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds
• Active engagement in cultural humility; knowledge of social and cultural factors contributing to behaviors related to trauma, grief, and substance use.
• Direct experience working with children and adolescents through a variety of modalities (art, play, talk therapy), and comfortability tailoring approach to client’s needs/environment. Be able to incorporate elements of positive identity formation into the therapeutic space. 
• Intimate knowledge of human growth and development across the lifespan, as well as ways grief and trauma may present differently depending on emotional and cognitive developmental level.
• Have thoughtful and trauma-informed assessment and crisis intervention skills for children/youth and caregivers who are experiencing traumatic stress from both interpersonal experiences and on-going traumatic stress environments.
• Hold a strong grasp on community supports that people can access within Philadelphia; be able to provide case management beyond therapeutic supports;
• Ability to function under the direct supervision of a program manager, manage and complete tasks in a timely manner
• Ability to collaborate and work well with others; operating within the scope and standards of the provision of trauma-informed care;
• Sound computer skills and good experience in the use of Microsoft Office Suite;

Work Environment:   A percentage of counseling caseload is expected to be done in the community (at schools, in homes, or at other community locations.)  Mileage reimbursement is available.

Position Type:  Full time position

Work Schedule:  Mostly business hours; must be able to work one to two evenings per week to accommodate client schedules.

Travel:  Must have personal transportation and be comfortable with daily travel within the Philadelphia County region. Mileage reimbursement is available.

Physical Demands:  This job may require mild physical effort including lifting materials and equipment of less than 25 pounds. 

Salary and Benefits:  $63,855, with a comprehensive benefits package that can include:

• Medical with vision benefits
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Life, AD&D and long-term care insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• 403(b) Retirement Plan, with a company contribution
• Paid time off including vacation, sick, personal and holiday
• Employee Assistance Program

Eligibility and participation is handled consistent with the plan documents and HFP policy. 

For consideration, please submit a resume and cover letter.

DISCLAIMER

The Health Federation reserves the right to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the Company desires. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by an employee assigned to this position. This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, responsibilities and/or skills to be performed by the employee occupying this position. This job description is not an employment contract, implied, or otherwise. The employment relationship remains “at will.” The aforementioned job requirements are subject to change to reasonably accommodate qualified disabled individuals.