Bereavement Outreach Volunteer - Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care : Job Details

Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care empowers the community by providing reassurance and comfort through the grief process, offering community resources. Bereavement Volunteers work with the Grief &Loss Services team to provide practical and emotional support to the newly bereaved and clients for up to thirteen months after their loved one's death. These volunteers establish personal contact with bereavedindividuals to help peoplework through their grief. Responsibilities may include:

• Assists bereavement staff by providing scheduled phone follow-up with bereaved clients, may also provide in-person support with bereaved.
• Provides information on bereavement support groups to the bereaved.
• Participates in monthly bereavement volunteer meetings.
• Maintains open communication, reporting regularly to the volunteer coordinator.
• Documents volunteer time and activity in an accurate, timely and objective manner.
• Maintains confidentiality at all times.
• Adheres to Rainbow Hospice policies and procedures.
• Completes the mandatory annual education.
• Meets all health requirements set by Rainbow Hospice.
• Participates in volunteer support and educational in-services.
• Assists in training of new volunteers as appropriate.

Skills & Requirements Day(s) Needed:WeekdayTime(s) Needed:Calls are made at the mutual convenience of volunteers and newly bereaved families,Attend a 90-minute monthly meetingRequirements:

• Comfortable discussing personal loss
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Successful adjustment to personal losses and no personal loss within past 12 months.
• Successful completion of volunteer training program.
• Clearance from appropriate health screenings and background check.
• Agree to mandatory policy statements.
• Minimum commitment of 1 year of service.
• Supportive of Hospice concept, and willing to serve others in a volunteer capacity.
• Comfortable working with families with different cultural and religious values.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Independent means of transportation.
• Previous volunteer experience preferred.
• Social Work or other related experience or education preferred.

Rainbow Hospice and Palliative CareRainbow Hospice is a nonprofit organization serving terminally ill patients and their families in Chicago and surrounding counties. Rainbow Hospice enables people to live with dignity and hope while coping with loss and the end of life. Rainbow Hospice offers extensive bereavement services, including the Good Mourning program for bereaved children, teens and their families as well as a Community Speakers Bureau, the Rainbow Hospice LIFE Institute for Learning and the award winning Rainbow Hospice Ark, an Inpatient Unit.