Pediatric Palliative Care Family Support Specialist

TK Mission Statement

To compassionately care for children, families, and communities significantly impacted by illness or loss on their sacred journey of love, triumph, exasperation, and grief through education, advocacy, and adventure.

To compassionately care for children, families, and communities significantly impacted by illness or loss on their sacred journey of love, triumph, exasperation, and grief through education, advocacy, and adventure.

Integrative & Holistic, Creativity & Innovation, Accountability & Advancement, Engagement & Collaboration, and Wonder & Whimsy

This is a full-time professional position. This position is part of the Transitions Kids (TK) interdisciplinary team and is responsible for developing and implementing appropriate care plans and interventions based on the goals of the patient and family, and in coordination with the patient’s care team. This position includes after-hours coverage and/or visits to patients’ homes to provide symptom relief and/or support at the time of a patient’s death during any assigned after-hours shifts.

All work will be performed in a manner consistent with agency, discipline, and regulatory standards and regulations.

The schedule for this position is Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm; weekends and holidays PRN.

• Provide assessments of patients and families to identify emotional, social, cultural, financial and environmental strengths and problems related to their diagnosis, illness, treatment, and life situation.
• Support patient/family’s individual spiritual/cultural beliefs by assessing for cultural issues; developing culturally sensitive care plan and collaborating with interdisciplinary team in provision of culturally sensitive care.
• Provide emotional support for families across the continuum of care, including during times of crisis.
• Collaborate with the Interdisciplinary Group (IDG) to assess, establish, and support the achievement of patient/family-centered care goals; to determine the patient’s level of care; and to coordinate the appropriate utilization of services.
• Provide immediate and long-term assessment and documentation of the needs of patients and families enrolled in the TK program.
• Plan, provide, supervise, and document safe, competent, and compassionate care for patients in accordance with physician orders and established policies and procedures.
• Use professional judgment, in collaboration with the IDG, to individualize the plan of care based on the interdisciplinary team’s assessment of the patient and family’s unique needs and response to care.
• Identify and make referrals to appropriate organizations in the community.
• Provide and document interventions to patients and families, to include the full range of sacraments and rituals of the patient and/or family’s spiritual/religious community if applicable to discipline.
• Participate in the creation and implementation of grief and bereavement services for TK patients and families in conjunction with other TK Pediatric Palliative Care Specialists – FS.
• Provide and document provision of appropriate and relevant end of life information and education to facility staff, patients and their families in compliance with current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation (CoPs).
• Participate in the identification of clinical or operational performance improvement opportunities and in performance improvement activities.
• Maintain current training and knowledge of applicable discipline.
• Participate in own professional development by maintaining required competencies, identifying learning needs, and seeking appropriate assistance or educational offerings.
• Responsible for professionally managing time, people and technology.
• Actively participate in the orientation and training of new employees and students in all disciplines.
• Provide coverage of after-hours phone calls from patients and families and/or after-hours visits to patient homes when needed and as arranged with supervisor.
• Participate in Transitions Kids team meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned by Transitions Kids Director and/or Team…