Bereavement Coordinator

**Company** : IWK Health**:
**Req ID**:150872
**Department/Program**:Palliative Care, Children's Health Program
**Location**: Halifax
**Type of Employment**:Temporary Hourly PT long-assignment (50% FTE) x 1 position(s)
**Start Date**: ASAP
**Union Status**: NSGEU Hlthcare, Healthcare Bargaining Unit
**Compensation**: $36.5855**:

- **$49.7783 /hour
**Closing Date**: February 28, 2023 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)

IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia. People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.

**The Opportunity**:
Reporting to the Manager for the Pediatric Palliative Care Service, the Bereavement Coordinator works collaboratively as part of an inter-disciplinary Pediatric Advance Care Team (PACT). PACT is dedicated to enhancing the wellbeing and comfort of children and youth in the Maritimes experiencing life limiting or life-threatening conditions. The Bereavement Coordinator is responsible to coordinate, support, and develop bereavement programs, education, and standards for IWK Health. They will oversee the policy development, care processes, staff education, and standardization of bereavement services provided IWK Health. The Bereavement Coordinator will also oversee the maintenance of the bereavement database, work to identify unmet needs related to grief in order to identify opportunities for additional programs, education, or services, and participate on both internal and external committees as needed. The Bereavement Coordinator will act as a resource, consultant and advocate for pediatric/ perinatal palliative and end-of-life care within the IWK and more broadly to the Maritimes. They will build relationships and act as a liaison with community partners, agencies, and NSH to coordinate support for bereaved children and families. The Bereavement Coordinator takes a lead in developing and providing education for inter-disciplinary team members throughout the IWK and Maritimes on topics related to end of life care, bereavement and psychosocial support for the child, family and caregivers as well as developing information and communication for the public to increase knowledge of anticipatory and post death grief in the context of normal and healthy response to loss. The Bereavement Coordinator pursues excellence in care, teaching and research through a spirit of inquiry, discovery and innovation, leveraging our reputation and influence to advocate for health. The Bereavement Coordinator practices according to his/her professional standards and code of ethics, specialty standards as applicable and the policies and procedures of the IWK. The Bereavement Coordinator applies current theory and research in the delivery of family-centred patient care consistent with the philosophy, objectives, vision and mission of the IWK Health Centre.

**Hours of Work**:
Monday - Friday, 7.5 hour shifts, consistent days and hours needed but specific time TBD.

**Your Qualifications**:

- Masters degree in Social Work. Other degrees with appropriate related experience in bereavement and grief will be considered.
- Registered or eligible to be registered with the appropriate NS professional licensing body required.
- One (1) years experience in pediatric/ neonatal palliative and bereavement care required.
- Previous experience in patient/ staff education preferred.
- Demonstrated advanced communication skills (verbal and written) required.
- Demonstrated ability to establish effective partnerships with other health, social services and educational agencies required.
- Demonstrated leadership, communication and interpersonal skills, with an ability to interact not only with interdisciplinary team members but also with community partners in health required.
- Demonstrated ability to function in and manage multiple priorities within complex systems required.
- Demonstrated skills in leading and facilitating groups.
- Working knowledge of databases preferred, or willingness to attend training to learn database management required.
- Demonstrated flexibility with proven, excellent organizational skills.
- Demonstrated knowledge of family-centred care required.
- Current successful completion of a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Basic Life Support (BLS) Program within the last 12 months or successful completion of a BLS Renewal Ch