Bereavement Counselor Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a bereavement counselor. Feel free to use our bereavement counselor job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a bereavement counselor.
Who is a Bereavement Counselor?
A bereavement counselor provides support and counseling to people who are grieving the loss of a person. This person may be a psychologist, a clinical social worker, or a psychiatrist in some cases. However, some grief counselors are clergy. Some people seek counseling in bereavement after a loss. Others may need help later on. A person may seek bereavement counseling if a close friend or relative is near death.
Many mental health professionals choose to concentrate their practice on one or two areas. Counselors can help clients manage grief and loss, develop coping skills, and adjust to the changes in the lives of those who have survived.
Bereavement counselors may be certified in several ways. He will usually be licensed to provide counseling or psychotherapy within the local jurisdiction where he works. Although clergy persons may offer grief counseling, this is usually done in an informal arrangement between them and the members of the religious group she serves. Sometimes, a bereavement counselor may be a layperson offering peer counseling under supervision or a bereavement support group.
A bereavement counselor will usually assess the client’s mental state and ability to function during his sessions with him. She will create a safe environment for clients to express their grief, anger, or loss.
Bereavement Counselor Job Description
Below are the bereavement counselor job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a bereavement counselor job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a bereavement counselor include the following:
- Keeping track of clinical observations and updating client files.
- Assessing the intervention needs of clients and creating treatment plans.
- Facilitating group and individual therapy sessions.
- Monitoring clients’ progress and adapting treatment plans to allow them to live fulfilled lives.
- Collaborating with medical specialists to address medication needs when necessary
- Including other professionals, community support groups, as well as relevant resources, in your recovery plans.
- Facilitating sessions for caregivers and family members to help them better understand the stages.
- Offering specialist counseling for clients with complex pasts and bereavement needs.
- Ensuring that counseling interventions are tailored to the individual client’s needs.
- Performing personalized risk assessments on clients where there is a risk to minimize risk for both
- Taking a proactive approach to protecting yourself by identifying and raising safeguarding concerns.
- Interacting with clients and team members using good communication skills
- Conducting assessments of newly referred clients to the Bereavement Service to determine their needs.
- Prioritizing the needs of each client based on their complexity and priority
- Admitting clients to a bereavement counselor or other appropriate person when necessary
- Using outcome measures and qualitative feedback for counseling effectiveness evaluations.
- Leading the bereavement group program to ensure that groups are well coordinated.
- Recognizing clients’ holistic needs, and working with/referring professionals both internally and externally.
- Providing support and expertise to bereavement support students/volunteers, and occasionally
- Keeping accurate and current counseling records
- Assisting in grief and bereavement liaison to the community
- Initiating a safety plan by following and completing suicide lethality assessments.
- Assisting in the development and execution of bereavement duties by providing clinical expertise and supervision. This includes conducting assessments of grieving families and designing camp activities that meet the complex needs of grieving kids at all developmental levels.
- Helping the hospice team meet the needs of hospice patients and their families when they are affected by a loss.
- Performing psychosocial assessments and developing care plans based on the assessed risk
The following are other important tasks:
- Let Emotional Expressions Be Permitted
Many people feel numbness or shock following a loss. They may find it difficult to express their emotions. Your primary responsibility is to help clients identify and express their emotions constructively and healthily. This can look different for everyone. Your clients can’t be forced to grieve or express their emotions in a certain way. Your job is to provide a supportive and safe environment for clients to express their feelings. This is essential for healing, as unresolved grief can have long-lasting consequences like drug abuse and depression.
- Assist with the Process
Your job is to assist clients in deciding the best way for them to mourn. As a facilitator, you help clients find meaningful ways to cope with their grief. You may help them decide on funeral arrangements when to take time off work, how to handle other family members, and what to write in a death announcement. You can offer suggestions but you will be more of a companion than a guide during the process.
- Push for Acceptance
You’ll be seeing grieving people daily. They will experience withdrawal, anger, and fear as well as attempts to avoid further losses. While you cannot rush clients to acceptance, it is possible to be honest and firm with them to help them accept their loss. It is possible to help clients reflect on their loved ones’ lives and how they were affected by the death. It is not your job to make them feel guilty or to resentfully judge their loss. Instead, you must help them understand the meaning of it and how it fits into their reality.
- Show how to move on
Bereavement counseling is about helping clients to find a new normal. This will allow them to see the loss from a different perspective, but not dominate it. It is possible to move on by creating a normal routine following the loss. Your clients can be shown how to adjust. Sometimes, the bereaved may have to assume new responsibilities that they didn’t have before. Others might just need to carry on with their daily routines while taking time to remember loved ones. Your job is to aid the bereaved in integrating into a new world.
Qualifications
You must have the following qualifications to work as a bereavement counselor
To become a grief counselor you must first become a counselor. A bachelor’s degree is the first step to becoming a professional counselor. Then, you will need to earn a master’s in a specific field. After that, you will need to get practical experience and be licensed or certified. You will need to follow the specific requirements of each state.
Undergraduate Education
To be eligible for a master’s program in counseling, you must have a bachelor’s degree. However, you don’t need to have a counseling concentration in your undergraduate studies. Counselors are drawn to areas such as psychology, sociology, and social work.
Master’s degree in Counseling
To work as a counselor, you must have a master’s degree. You may need to select a program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs depending on your state’s requirements for counselor licensure. Even if you don’t have to be a counselor in your state, you should choose a program that has this credential. This will allow you maximum flexibility and enable you to work wherever you want. Most master’s programs in counseling require:
- Full-time graduate study for two to three years
- 60 hours of credit beyond a bachelor’s Degree
- Graduation requirements: Minimum 3.0 GPA in graduate studies
- 700 hours of supervised clinical time (via practicums and/or internships)
You can choose electives that deal with death, bereavement, and/or dying to enhance your grief counseling skills. Internships with hospice providers or other bereavement-focused services are a great idea.
State licensure for professional counselors
To work as a professional counselor in the United States, you must be licensed by your state. The licensure process is overseen by a board in each state. You will need to read the specific rules for your state as they may vary from one state to another. You can find information on how to reach the appropriate state agency at the American Association of State Counseling Board (AASCB) website. These are some of the most common requirements:
- Fulfillment of the educational requirements listed above
- Pass a specific comprehensive exam such as the National Counselor Examination.
- Pass a test that focuses on state regulations for counselors (commonly known as a “jurisprudence” exam).
- Pre-licensure certification is required to gain experience as a counselor.
- Accumulate between 2,000 and 3,000 hours of additional supervised experience (a full-time year is 2,080 hours).
After you have met the state licensure requirements, you can become a professional counselor and be allowed to start work with the license you have earned. While the most popular credential is Licensed Personal Counselor (LPC), it’s possible to also become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, or Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
Essential Skills
- Evocative language
Counselors can use difficult words to invoke language (e.g. It is possible to say “your son died” or “you lost your son”. This language can help the client to understand the loss and stimulate the emotions that are needed. It is also possible to speak of the deceased in the past tense.
- Use of symbols
Counselors can ask clients to bring photos of the deceased to counseling sessions. This gives clients a feeling of immediate contact with the deceased and allows them to focus on the person rather than just talking about them. You can use letters written by the deceased as well as audio/videotapes. You can also use articles of clothing and jewelry. Counselors should be sensitive to clients’ cultural preferences and work with clients who are comfortable with their choices.
- Writing
A counselor may ask the client to send a letter to the deceased, expressing his or her thoughts and feelings. It can be a way to take care of any unfinished business and express your feelings to the deceased. Writing poetry or keeping a journal can help you express your grief and give meaning to the loss experience.
- Drawing
Counselors can ask clients to draw pictures that reflect their feelings and those of the deceased. This is a great tool for children but it can also be used to help adults.
- Role-playing
Counselors can help bereaved people to play out situations they are afraid of or embarrassed about. This is a way to learn coping skills. Counselors can either facilitate or model new behaviors for clients by entering into role-playing.
- Cognitive restructuring
The cognitive restructuring technique assumes that thoughts influence feelings. This includes thoughts that are hidden and self-talking thoughts. Counselors can assist clients in identifying these thoughts and realizing if they are accurate or misleading. This will help reduce the distressing feelings that may be triggered by irrational thoughts like “no one will ever fall in love with me again.”
- Memory book
A memory book is one activity that a grieving family can do together. You can include photos, poems, and drawings from family members. This activity is a great way for the family to reminisce about the deceased and to eventually mourn a more realistic picture. Children can also revisit the memory book to help them integrate the loss into their changing lives.
How to Become a Bereavement Counselor
Step 1: Get a bachelor’s degree in psychology, behavioral science, or another field.
A bachelor’s degree is required for anyone pursuing a career in psychology, human services, or a related field.
Step 2: Get a master’s in counseling, psychology, or social work.
A master’s degree in bereavement counseling is not necessary. However, counselors can come from many backgrounds, including education and human resources. A master’s degree can help you get a job as a bereavement counselor if you don’t have a bachelor’s in human services. A master’s degree in human services and development may lead to specialized studies into counseling theories, multicultural counseling, and the psychology of human development.
Step 3: Complete graduate and postgraduate internship experience for certification/licensure requirements.
A crucial part of any master’s degree in counseling is graduate supervision counseling experience. This allows students to explore their potential role as licensed professional counselors.
Step 4: Take the required certification exams and apply for licensure.
Some states and/or master’s programs require the passing of a recognized examination for graduation or certification/licensure such as the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and/or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). The National Board of Certified Counselors can help you find the required licenses and examinations that are available for counselors in your state.
Step 5: Apply to and get additional certifications
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals offers certification for bereavement counseling to help clients who are grieving.
Step 6: Keep learning and keep up-to-date on the latest trends in grief and mental health counseling.
Counselors who specialize in bereavement counseling need to meet the requirements of their licensing states. They also need to continue education for any additional certifications such as that issued by the AIHCP.
Where to Work
Many bereavement counselors work in hospitals, hospices, funeral homes, churches, or other social service agencies where death is common. They are responsible for providing individual psychotherapy and leading support groups to help individuals through the grieving process.
Bereavement Counselor Salary Scale
An early career Bereavement counselor with 1-4 years experience is paid an average total compensation of $41,291 which includes tips, bonuses, and overtime.
A career bereavement counselor with 5-9 years of experience is paid an average total of $50,065 An experienced bereavement counselor earns an average total salary of $53,458.