Sr Family Advoc Patient Family Centered Care NES

Sr. Family Advocate

Under the supervision of the Manager of Patient and Family Centered Care, the Sr. Family Advocate serves as a member of the Patient and Family Centered Care team. Functions as a family advocate for patients and families, promoting Patient & Family Centered Care across the continuum of care. Provides support and advocacy for patients and their families, throughout the entire treatment cycle in all inpatient and outpatient areas. Serves as a liaison between department staff and families and may facilitate programs to enhance Patient and Family Centered care. Participates in quality initiatives throughout the hospital system. Brown University Health employees are expected to successfully role model the organization's values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence as these values guide our everyday actions with patients, customers and one another. In addition to our values, all employees are expected to demonstrate the core Success Factors which tell us how we work together and how we get things done. The core Success Factors include: Instill Trust and Value Differences Patient and Community Focus and Collaborate.

Responsibilities:

• Provides direct services such as providing support, resources and education to patients and families.
• Provides initial consultation with and orientation for specific pediatric populations and their families.
• Provides support in assisting families in coping with the stress of treatment and care necessary for patients.
• Educates parents regarding their role on the health care team.
• Functions as a Sr. Family Advocate within role as a member of pediatric team.
• Promotes and facilitates communication between hospital staff and families.
• Participates and communicates with the interdisciplinary team as appropriate.
• Provides ongoing education/resources within the hospital regarding the needs and stresses of hospitalized/outpatient children.
• Provides insight on helping the child/family function and shares patient/parent perspectives.
• Assesses and identifies family centered needs on individual and systems levels.
• Works with staff/faculty and families to resolve issues.
• Coordinate special functions and events for patients such as monthly peer-to-peer support meetings with parents.
• May assist in coordinating programs to provide orientation and training of new volunteers.
• Participates in ongoing quality assurance activities.
• Serves on assigned Hospital-based Committees, Hospital Sub-Committees, or Task Forces to represent parents' viewpoint, emphasizing importance of parental involvement in care of children.
• Serves as the co-chair of the Hasbro Family Advisory Council including coordination of council members serving on hospital-based committees.
• Assists Department Leadership with special projects that are needed to improve operations or implement new initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree preferred or the equivalent of life and work experience.
• Life experience as parent of child with life-threatening illness or developmental disability or inpatient hospitalization required.
• High level of interpersonal skills to function as a member of an interdisciplinary team and to effectively interact independently with patients, families, and others within and outside the hospital.
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to patients 0-21 years of age with consideration of aging process, human development stages and cultural patterns in each step of the care process.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills required.
• Strong organizational, problem solving and negotiation skills.
• Ability to function independently as a Family Advocate.
• Maintain confidentiality of all patients and family members.
• Two years' experience of working as a family advocate in an outpatient or inpatient setting providing support and education to children and their families.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements:

• Normal office environment with some exposure to infectious diseases. Hazards are minimized by adherence to established safety precautions.
• Considerable walking to meet with patients and families at various locations within the department as well as throughout the hospital setting.

Supervisory Responsibility:

None