Bereavement Professional

Hello,

 This is what we utilize

• Bereavement Risk levels:
  • High: any pt who died within 3 days of admission of hospice program or who were not seen by a SW are classified as high risk, as they have experienced a short length of stay on the program.

Any family member with extensive and or complicated grief are also deemed to be at high risk.

• Medium: Bereaved who may be emotionally adjusting to one or more of the following: experienced a rapid decline and death of a loved one, have minimal support systems, impaired coping skills, have witnesses a death, who have a history of psychosocial dysfunction or mental illness, are deemed to be at Medium risk
• Low: bereaved who have become emotionally prepared to the prospective loss, have a solid support system and /or who prefer to utilize their own supports – rather than the agency's are deemed to be at low risk.
• Kim Warner  LCSW, ACHP – SW
• Director of Social Work & Bereavement
• Hospice of Orange & Sullivan
• 800 Stony Brook Court
• Newburgh NY. 12550
• kimwar@hospiceoforange.com
• 845-561-6111 x117
• 

We too are moving away from risk levels and have a system now in which we consider a "service" level that considers risk as well as the preferences of the bereaved. Here are our three, each of which have specific templates for care plans and interventions to shape initial outreach and anticipated services over time, but these templates are modified according to bereaved expressed preference and need upon subsequent assessments over time:

LOW  - "Normal" grief with natural supports satisfactory to the bereaved.

MEDIUM  - Normal to complicated grief, wherein the bereaved is interested in support,

or the IDG feels bereaved would benefit from an offer of formal supports, such as counseling

or support group participation.

HIGH  - Immediate mental health intervention is needed, due to suicidal risk or ideation,

for example. Grief is likely to be acute, intense and/or complicated.  The IDG may or

may not believe that the bereaved would be open to or benefit from formal supports, such as

counseling or support group participation.

Joelle Osterhaus, MSW, LCSW, LICSW, ACHP-SW (she/her)
Hospice, Palliative Care and Continuing Care Psychosocial Services Manager

Kaiser Permanente Northwest
Continuing Care Services
2701 NW Vaughn St., Ste. 140
Portland, OR 97210-5344

Cell Phone: (503) 312-0819
Hospice, Palliative Care, and Home Health / Main Office Reception: (503) 499-5200

Primary Care at Home / Main Office Reception: (503) 499-5608

Fax: (503) 499-5535

CCS Social Work Sharepoint Site (internal use): https://sp-cloud.kp.org/sites/NWCCSSocialWork/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx

CCS Bereavement Program Sharepoint Site (internal use): https://sites.sp.kp.org/teams/nwreg/NWAmbulatoryCare/CCS/Hospice/SitePages/BS.aspx

CCS Dept Sharepoint Site (internal use): https://sites.sp.kp.org/teams/nwreg/NWAmbulatoryCare/CCS/SitePages/Home.aspx

Hospice Volunteer Website: : https://www.kpnwvolunteer.org/hospice

kp.org/thrive

          07BB0AF4DFEF22D48f9e8a93df@domino.kp.org">           

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