Job Description

Director of Grief and Bereavement Services

Overview: 

Reporting to Family Centers’ Senior Director of Behavioral Health, the incumbent is responsible for overseeing several day-to-day outpatient mental health programs including the Center for Hope, the Den for Grieving Kids, Trauma Response, and the Worklife Solutions EAP program. Duties include supporting clinical practice protocols, operations, compliance, and QA/QI. Collaboration with other service areas and providers is a vital component for the Director, especially within the primary care settings where care is coordinated between medical and behavioral.

The Center for HOPE has been one of the area’s most respected and trusted resources for bereavement and critical illness support. The Center for HOPE provides comprehensive services for adults and children living with an illness, grieving a loss or coping with a life-altering circumstance. Services include individual, group and family counseling, support groups and community education programs

The Den For Grieving Kids provides a safe, caring place for children, teens and families to explore their feelings about the loss of a parent, sibling or other family member and begin the journey toward healing. Children and their families participate in groups led by professionals and trained volunteer facilitators.  The Den also offers support groups at area elementary, middle and high schools.

Trauma Response Our team of trauma response specialists provides on-site counseling and crisis debriefing services to schools, organizations or businesses to assist with traumatic or crisis situations, for example, suicide, homicide, employee or student deaths/accidents or workplace violence or terrorism.

WorkLife Solutions’ Employee Assistance Program (EAP) give employees confidential, 24-hour daily access to behavioral health professionals and community resources that help employees take care of their personal concerns so they can reduce stress and focus on their work.

The Role: 

• Lead and manage clinical staff through recruitment, credentialing, retention, mentoring, coaching, performance management, and supervision ensuring staff engagement to meet organizational and department clinical goals and objectives.
• Provide leadership to address and monitor any corrective action plans related to direct reports, and support staff in their supervision of staff.
• Participate in Leadership trainings/meetings, monthly Program Staff meetings, and other staff meetings as convened.
• Commitment to and participation in continuing education and trainings.
• Assure timely, professional, and accurate completion of all clinical reporting requirement including client records, billing, and statistical information.

• Maintain metrics for designated program areas (attendance information, demographics, and information), ensures that all rosters are routinely updated, and keeps accurate statistical records of daily activities, outreach and new contacts.
• Assess and provide treatment to adults, children and families in need of counseling and psychotherapy. Services will be provided, as needed, using individual, family, couples, and group modalities, as well as case management involving community resources and client advocacy.
• Manage program budgets and engage in fundraising activities, researching and writing grant proposals, and researching/managing additional revenue opportunities.
• Participate in community networking activities and presentations in various communities served to stay informed of requirements, community resources, new programs and related supportive trainings. Keep staff informed of updates.
• Ensure full compliance with program contractual deliverables of the licensing authorities, accreditation authorities, billing authorities and local regulations, etc.
• Support all agency licensing and accreditation processes and direct implementation of clinical behavioral health policies and procedures that support this process as well as the Patient Centered Healthcare Home.
• Participate Quality Assurance/Improvement Program and assure that program staff are knowledgeable of required QA activities and participates in improvement monitoring specific to clinical performance.
• Other duties to support the organization’s mission as assigned

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Social Work or Counseling and at least 4 years of related experience in the field of mental health or community program development
• Active License in Connecticut as LCSW, LPC or LMFT.
• Demonstrated work experience in grief, bereavement, and trauma.
• Experience working with underserved populations.
• Ability to manage administration of multiple mental health programs and sites assuring efficiency in service delivery and program communication.
• Knowledge of program planning concepts, principles and practices with a focus on building and maintaining a system of integrated care that supports patient/client needs.
• Ability to provide clinical advice, guidance, and support to professional staff.
• Demonstrated skills in written and verbal communication. 
• Proficient with computer-based applications such as MS Office, Adobe, electronic health records, and telehealth.
• Experience working with national accrediting bodies such as Joint Commission preferred

About Family Centers:

Family Centers is a private, nonprofit organization offering health, education and human service program to children, adults and families in Fairfield County. More than 250 professionals and 1,200 trained volunteers collaborate to provide our communities with a wide range of responsive and innovative services. Through our comprehensive network of services, more than 22,000 children, adults, families and communities receive the care, encouragement and resources needed to realize their potential.

Rewards:

Salary commensurate with experience. A suite of benefits including generous paid time off, medical, dental, vision, tax-free spending accounts, disability, life and AD&D insurance. Additional benefits include an employee assistance plan, pet insurance, critical accident and illness, wellness services, tuition reimbursement, and retirement savings.  The opportunity to work for an employer consistently rated one of the Top Workplaces in Western Connecticut by Hearst Connecticut Media and a perfect 100 Encompass rating by Charity Navigator 10.

For staff working in our FCHC program:  Eligibility for Student Loan Repayment Program through the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program (LRP), which offers primary medical, dental, and mental and behavioral health care clinicians the opportunity to have their student loans repaid, while earning a competitive salary, in exchange for providing health care in urban, rural, or tribal communities with limited access to care.

Family Centers is a United Way, Community Fund of Darien and New Canaan Community Foundation partner agency, and is a member of the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies and the Alliance for Children and Families.  The agency is also accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), The Joint Commission, licensed by the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health, and is a Department of Children and Families-licensed child psychology center.

Special Note:  As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our community and beyond, it is Family Centers’ commitment to the safety of employees, contractors, volunteers, patients, clients, and student interns, by requiring proof of vaccinations for COVID-19 (or have an approved medical or religious exemption on file).

Family Centers is an Equal Opportunity Employer and offers a competitive salary, training, and generous benefits package.