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Perinatal Bereavement Coordinator - IMFH - Fetal Care Center

Nemours Children's Health
2 hours ago
Full-time
On-site
Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Bachelor's

Within the Institute for Maternal Fetal Health (IMFH), the Nemours Fetal Care Center (NFCC) and Advanced Delivery Unit are expanding the scope of service to include comprehensive prenatal, obstetrical and postpartum care for women whose unborn child has been diagnosed with a birth defect or complex medical condition that will require immediate multidisciplinary pediatric care in the neonatal period. In addition to currently available prenatal imaging to diagnose these conditions, IMFH is also expanding to offer invasive diagnostics and fetal intervention procedures from minimally invasive ultrasound guided procedures to open maternal-fetal surgeries. Care counseling in this setting also includes complex care consultation/planning, including but not limited to the option of perinatal palliative care in cases of life-limiting fetal/neonatal conditions. The IMFH Psychosocial Support Program is being built to support mental health and wellness in expectant parents and families where there is significant risk of trauma, mood disorders and challenges in coping with ongoing stress in the setting of a fetal diagnosis.

The IMFH Perinatal Bereavement Coordinator is a key member of the Psychosocial Support Program within the Nemours Institute for Maternal Fetal Health (IMFH). Serving in both the outpatient Fetal Care Center (FCC) and inpatient Advanced Delivery Unit (ADU), this role is primarily responsible for supporting the development, implementation, coordination, and ongoing enhancement of perinatal bereavement services for families experiencing or anticipating perinatal loss. Working in collaboration with program leadership and interdisciplinary care teams, this role provides advanced support to bereaved families and helps ensure the delivery of compassionate, family-centered care. Responsibilities include providing emotional support, coordinating memory-making activities, maintaining bereavement resources, developing and maintaining community partnerships, and contributing to initiatives that strengthen and expand bereavement services within IMFH. Additionally, this position supports staff caring for bereaved families through peer-to-peer education and staff support services as appropriate.

Furthermore, this role serves as a Certified Child Life Specialist for siblings and other children visiting the Fetal Care Center (FCC) and Advanced Delivery Unit (ADU). This role provides developmentally appropriate assessment, education, and coping support to help children understand and adapt to complex fetal diagnoses, parental and sibling hospitalization, perinatal loss, and changes within the family system. In accordance with the Child Life Competencies established by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP), the role delivers evidence-based interventions that promote healthy coping and family adjustment, while collaborating with the interdisciplinary team to support family-centered care. 

Additional responsibilities include supporting perinatal bereavement and/or child life education through precepting experiences and supervision of volunteers and learners, etc. as appropriate.

Main Responsibilities: 

  1. Provides advanced bereavement coordination, psychosocial support, and resource navigation for families experiencing or anticipating perinatal loss across prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum settings in both the inpatient and outpatient spaces.

  2. Supports the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of innovative perinatal bereavement services in collaboration with program leadership and interdisciplinary team members.

  3. In the care of expectant families facing a life-limiting fetal diagnosis or perinatal loss, the IMFH Perinatal Bereavement Coordinator collaborates with the Psychosocial Support team to provide comprehensive psychosocial support. The IMFH Perinatal Bereavement Coordinator serves as the primary resource for anticipatory grief support, bereavement education, memory making, legacy-building activities, emotional support, and guidance throughout the perinatal loss journey. The Bereavement Coordinator partners the Psychosocial Support team and IMFH Social Worker who ensures that families receive coordinated support related to financial and disposition planning needs.

  4. Coordinates and facilitates family-centered memory-making activities, legacy-building opportunities, and bereavement interventions for families affected by loss or life-limiting fetal and neonatal diagnoses.

  5. Supports staff through peer-to-peer education, competency development, and debriefing related to perinatal loss, bereavement care, and compassionate communication.

  6. Partners with internal departments and community organizations to enhance bereavement resources, ensure continuity of care, and promote fiscally responsible stewardship of bereavement program resources.

  7. Demonstrates high competence in Child Life philosophy and practice in accordance with the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) standards and departmental mission.

  8. Provides developmentally appropriate assessment, education, preparation, and coping support for children visiting the Fetal Care Center and Advanced Delivery Unit.

  9. Delivers evidence-based Child Life interventions that promote healthy coping, emotional expression, and adaptation in the setting of parental/familial hospitalization, complex fetal diagnoses, and perinatal loss.

  10. Actively participate in interdisciplinary planning and patient care meetings, including (but not limited to) IMFH fetal list reviews and Psychosocial Support Program rounds, meetings, trainings, and quality initiatives as assigned

  11. Maintain accurate, timely, and compliant documentation within the patient’s medical record and in all required research-related documentation, in accordance with IMFH standards.
  12. Respond accurately and promptly to all communications (e.g., email, secure chat, phone, text) related to IMFH operations and patient care, in alignment with hospital policies and standards.

  13. May facilitate patient/caregiver peer-support groups or other group-based educational programming with leadership approval.

  14. Establish and maintain effective working relationships across disciplines. Assist in facilitating recommendations resultant of team meetings.

 

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree required 
  • Certified Child Life Specialist and/or Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist required 
  • 3 years full-time work experience required 

  • Perinatal Bereavement and Grief Certification; Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) preferred 


Nemours Children's Health is an internationally recognized pediatric health system serving more than 1.7 million patient encounters each year. We deliver care across six states through two freestanding children’s hospitals — Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware and Nemours Children's Hospital, Florida — along with a network of more than 80 primary, urgent, and specialty care practices and more than 40 hospital partnerships.
Backed by the Nemours Foundation and Alfred I. duPont Trust, our $1.7B nonprofit system is dedicated to improving children's health through clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention. Our Whole Child Health approach focuses equally on prevention and treatment, partnering with communities to help every child thrive.
Inclusion and belonging guide our strategy and growth. We are committed to culturally relevant care, reducing health disparities, and fostering an environment where every associate, patient, and family feels supported and valued.
Learn more at Nemours.org.