Bereavement Care Provider (SUPHR)

SUBSTANSE USE PREVENTION AND HARM REDUCITION DIVISION OVERVIEW

Many cities have been impacted by the overdose crisis, but Philadelphia has been hit especially hard. The City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health has responded by creating the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction (SUPHR), a team focused on improving the health and well-being of people who use drugs in Philadelphia.  SUPHR has 10 teams: Bereavement (Philly HEALs), Communications, Community Engagement, Environmental Services, Epidemiology, Harm Reduction, Medical, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (Philly LIFTS), Operations, and Overdose Fatality Review (OD Stat). The team's mission is to prevent overdoses and other health issues by offering services and shaping policies to promote the dignity, autonomy, and health of people who use drugs. To name just a few things, SUPHR offers overdose prevention trainings, support to families with babies born with NAS, and same day pay program focused on creating job opportunities while cleaning communities. Since so many Philadelphians have been touched by the overdose crisis, SUPHR also provides counseling to children and adults who have lost someone in their life to an overdose. Behind the scenes, SUPHR works with other City agencies, hospitals, and community groups to ensure that everyone is working together to combat stigma and encourage harm reduction efforts. SUPHR recognizes that many communities have been dealing with substance use for a long time, and SUPHR is invested in giving communities the tools they need to keep people who use drugs, their loved ones, and the larger community healthy and safe.

JOB SUMMARY

The Bereavement Care Provider (BCP) is responsible for providing bereavement support to grieving individuals whose loved one has died from an accidental drug intoxication. This position will collaborate with the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO) to reach clients following the identification of a drug-related death. This position will work within the Bereavement Care Program (PhillyHEALS) of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Division of Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction (SUPHR) to help coordinate and improve the provision of bereavement care for those individuals affected by a drug-related death. This position requires a high level of clinical responsibility, integrity, and initiative.

Ideal candidates will include clinicians and practitioners who have practice experience and expertise in bereavement topics. Clinicians and practitioners of color, LGBTQIA+ people, those with disabilities, and others with lived experiences being part of marginalized communities, are encouraged to apply. *Proof of Covid-19 vaccination required.*

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

               Responsibilities/Duties

• Provide telephonic outreach to all assigned cases of drug-related deaths, as well as telephonic follow-up as needed;
• Assist families with connecting to other Medical Examiner’s Office departments (i.e., forensic investigators and pathologists);
• Identify any bereavement, health-related or social service needs of grieving families and help connect them to the proper community resources;
• Offer bereavement support and counseling to grieving individuals whose loved one has died from an accidental drug intoxication;
• Start up and facilitate at least one peer-support group for grieving individuals who have suffered a drug-related death;
• Start up and facilitate at least one peer-support group for individuals working in the field of substance use;
• Develop and facilitate at least one psychoeducational workshop on a topic related to grief following the loss of a loved one to substance use;
• Provide support to the OD Stat (drug overdose death) review team through the use of family interviews for all reviewed cases, as well as identification of trends and themes in fatal overdoses in Philadelphia;
• Spread awareness through formal and informal networking about the services the team offers;
• Assist with quarterly community outreach and engagement events;
• Closely collaborate with SUPHR and MEO staff;
• Enter all case notes into the MEO database in a timely fashion;
• Complete all tasks as assigned, including related duties not specified above.

Education

Master of Social Work (or equivalent) degree at an accredited college or university or

Bachelor of Social Work degree with at least five years of work experience

Skills/Experience

• Fluency in Spanish highly preferred;
• Experience working directly with individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds;
• Experience working with individuals with substance use disorders (or with their loved ones) is highly preferred;
• Experience providing grief counseling or crisis intervention services to bereaved and/or traumatized individuals is highly preferred;
• Ability to flex clinical style/approach to multiple cultural environments and client landscape;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and ability to present to diverse audiences, specifically racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse communities;
• Social and cultural factors that contribute to attitudes and behaviors common to trauma and grief;
• Social and cultural factors that contribute to attitudes and behaviors common to having a loved with a substance use disorder;
• Principles, practices and techniques related to working with bereaved individuals;
• Ability to observe, recognize, analyze and report on individual’s and families’ behavioral, attitudinal, emotional and social problems, and to help provide useful information and links for future support;
• Ability to function under the direct supervision of a program manager and within the scope and standards of the provision of bereavement care;
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and manage project timelines with a high degree of organizational skill;
• Sound computer skills and good experience in the use of Microsoft Office Suite;

Work Environment:

Hybrid role. The majority of the work may be completed from home, but there will be a couple of times a month that work will be in person for meetings, support groups, events, and more. When in an office, it will be a standard office setting with extended periods at work station and periodic use of office equipment. There is a possibility City policy may change regarding the Covid-19 stay at home order and there will be a full return to the office, but plenty of notice will be given.

Position Type:  Full time, grant-funded position; continuation of the position depends on continued availability of funds.

Work Schedule:  Mostly business hours; must be able to work one evening per week in order to host peer-support sessions.

Travel:  Most in person work will be conducted on-site at SUPHR office locations (Center City and Kensington).

Physical Demands:  None apart from standard office work

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

• Reimbursement for LCSW/LPC clinical supervision
• 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