Bereavement Volunteer for Hospice Patients

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Our Bereavement Department is committed to providing bereavement services, not only to the families of our patients but to our entire community. We offer traditional group & individual counseling as well as innovative programs for children, teens and adults which address the wide range of bereavement experiences.
We support our patient families, via phone calls and mail, for a period of 13 months after their loved one’s death. Last year, over 1,000 letters, cards, flyers and invitations were sent to bereaved individuals. Another 400 calls were made to bereaved families; over 100 people participated in support groups and another 59 in individual counseling sessions.

Most of our bereavement volunteers are already administrative and patient support volunteers and have previously attended an 8-hour general agency orientation and at least 16 hours of patient volunteer training, perhaps more depending on how long they have been a volunteer. Next they attend a general 8-hour bereavement training, and another 6-8 hours depending on the program they choose.

Our unique program also supports grieving children and teens and requires a volunteer commitment of two hours per month over a period of ten months. If the volunteer is a co-facilitator in one of our many support groups, they must be available weekly for up to four months. Telephone volunteers make their calls quarterly for 13 months and those that do the in-home visitations must be available as long as their services are needed.

Not only do we support our families, but we recognize the need to support our volunteers as well. Professional counseling services are available for any volunteers in need of extra support. Monthly debriefing meetings also ensure that our bereavement volunteers are receiving the respect and appreciation they deserve!