JOB SUMMARY

The Family Services Coordinator (FSC) is responsible for championing Life Connection of Ohio’s mission and values by being an advocate for organ, eye, and tissue donation, ensuring that the wishes of patients and their families are honored while saving lives in our communities.

The Family Services Coordinator is responsible for working with families to provide information regarding donation opportunities, obtaining authorization, conducting a comprehensive medical and social history, and serving as a trusted guide for families and hospital staff during the donation process. The FSC must be able to work outside normal business hours and flex time according to the needs of cases and hospital activity.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Essential Duty or Function

1. Donation Advocacy and Family Guidance

   1. Support the life-saving mission of Life Connection of Ohio by facilitating informed authorization for organ, eye, and tissue donation.

   2. Proactively plan family discussions and address potential barriers using available resources. Collaborate with hospital staff beforehand to assess family dynamics and patient prognosis, ensuring the authorization process is timely, effective, and compliant. 

   3. Guide families through donation by explaining its life-saving impact, the meaningful legacy it creates, and providing clear information on paperwork, regulations, and policies.

   4. Prepare and support donor families during DCD (Donation after Circulatory Death) or other organ recovery procedures as needed.

   5. Provide emotional support, clear information, and guidance to families throughout the donation process, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

   6. Follow up with donor families to provide updates and ensure ongoing support after donation.

2. Honor Patient Wishes

   1. Represent the mission and values of organ, eye, and tissue donation with professionalism, helping families understand the lasting legacy of donation.

3. Team Support and Peer Encouragement

   1. Support fellow team members by contributing to a positive, emotionally supportive work environment. Offer encouragement and assistance to colleagues, especially during emotionally intense or complex cases.

4. Collaborate with Hospital Partners

   1. Build strong, respectful relationships with hospital staff, promoting trust, inclusion, and shared commitment to saving lives.

5. Document and Communicate Accurately

   1. Maintain thorough, timely documentation of family interactions and donor information, ensuring seamless coordination with Organ Recovery Coordinators and other partners. 

      1. Ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations and organizational policies.

6. Continuous Improvement

   1. Participate in process review and team initiatives to enhance the donation experience for families, hospital partners, and the community. 

   2. May perform other duties as required.

Education Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree is preferred or equivalent work experience in the related field. Other professional certifications will be considered.

Experience Requirements

Previous counseling, social work, work in crisis management or bereavement support experience is preferred. 

Skills and Abilities

1. Must be able to work outside regular business hours.

2. Requires valid driver’s license and access to an insured automobile or the ability to arrive and depart from work and work-related functions at expected times.

3. This position requires on-call responsibilities and travel is essential to this position.

4. Advanced level of sensitivity and advocacy in providing support to grieving families in the hospital setting.

5. Ability to assess family dynamics as the basis for a support plan.

6. Able to work well with all levels of personnel in hospital settings and within the guidelines of each institution.

7. Must be highly accountable and able to work autonomously. Must possess a high level of self-motivation and well-developed time management, organizational, and problem-solving skills. 

8. Strong communication (verbal and written) and organizational skills.

9. Basic computer and data entry skills, including Windows applications (e.g., Word, Excel & PowerPoint) required.

10. Strong interpersonal skills are required to develop close working relationships with hospital and healthcare-related personnel involved in organ donation and transplantation.

11. Sensitivity and the ability to ensure absolute confidentiality are required.

Licenses or Certificates
N/A

Supervision

Reports directly to the Director of Family Services 

Supervision Exercised

N/A

Working Environment

Work environment varies from within following settings:

1. Office 

2. Home 

3. Clinical practice areas include Intensive Care Units and Operating Rooms within hospital

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

• Ability to work outside normal business hours
• Ability to work 24-hour on-call shifts
• Ability to respond to dispatches in a timely manner and arrive to work sites as assigned
• Ability to function in an office environment and all hospital clinical practice areas
• Ability to lift 50 pounds

ADDITIONAL PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

ADA

This job description is a general description of essential job functions. It is not intended as an employment contract, nor is it intended to describe all duties someone in this position may perform. All employees of Life Connection of Ohio are expected to perform tasks as assigned by Life Connection of Ohio supervisory personnel, regardless of job title or routine job duties.