Youth Counselor

Job Description

Job Description

Grief Support Counselors provide anticipatory and bereavement counseling to children, teens, adults, and families. Services include needs assessment, short-term individual and group counseling, treatment planning, community education, and crisis response. Counselors also support memorial events and serve as liaisons to community partners.

Key Responsibilities:

Counseling & Client Support

• Provide short-term grief counseling (individual and family), averaging 4–5 sessions per day.
• Conduct intake assessments to determine eligibility for bereavement services.
• Develop care plans and provide culturally sensitive, evidence-based interventions.
• Establish therapeutic relationships with clients from diverse backgrounds.
• Provide emotional and psychosocial support for grief/loss and adjustment to illness.

Program Development & Facilitation

• Facilitate in-person and/or virtual support groups, workshops, and grief programs.
• Develop and maintain group curriculum and holiday workshops.
• Assist in planning and implementing special memorial events (e.g., Camp Good Grief, Tree of Life).

Community Outreach & Education

• Provide grief education and crisis response to schools, businesses, and faith communities.
• Promote bereavement services in schools and other community settings.
• Represent the organization at community events and fundraising activities.

Collaboration & Documentation

• Collaborate with Hospice Interdisciplinary Team to assess patient and family grief support needs.
• Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation.
• Support grant proposal writing and funder site visits by providing data and program updates.

Professional Development & Compliance

• Stay current with research and best practices in grief and bereavement care.
• Attend agency and departmental meetings, trainings, and continuing education.
• Comply with Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) reporting requirements.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the hospice philosophy of compassionate, holistic care.

Qualifications:

• Licensure: LCSW or Registered Clinical Social Work Intern (required).
• Education: Master’s Degree in Social Work from a CSWE-accredited program.
• Experience: Minimum of 2 years working with children, adults, and families in a behavioral health setting (preferred).
• Other Requirements:
  • Valid Florida driver’s license and current auto liability insurance.
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.

OSHA Category

Position will be categorized as category I (involves routine exposure to blood and body fluids/tissues).

Working Conditions

• Standing
• Sitting
• Walking
• Lifting (raising or lower without mechanical aids) 50 lbs.
• Pushing or pulling
• Carrying objects
• Climbing (ascending or descending stairs or ladders)
• Crouching (bending at the knees)
• Kneeling (resting on bended knees)
• Crawling (moving about on hands and knees)
• Stooping (bending at the waist)
• Reaching (extending hands and arms in any direction)
• Handling (seizing, holding, grasping or turning objects)
• Typing, picking, pinching or otherwise working with fingertips
• Using arm muscles frequently
• Using leg muscles frequently or for extended periods
• Transferring patients: transfer from bed to chair, transfer from chair to bed and transfer from chair to toilet

Additional Information

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 
• Incumbent may be required to perform emergency duty before, during and/or beyond normal work hours or days in the event of an emergency, crisis situation or disaster (man-made or natural) including evacuation sites. The person in the position will work in a smoke-free location, and is expected to adhere to all smoking restrictions

EEO/Drug Free Workplace