Aftercare Coordinator

Department Overview

The duties of this position are in support of the mission and goals of Cascade Life Alliance (CLA). This dual-focused role ensures bereavement support to families navigating the loss of a loved one and fosters a supportive environment for OPO staff needing to process the emotional impact of donation cases. The Aftercare Coordinator is critical to supporting the holistic well-being of donor families and OPO staff ensuring that all involved in the donation process feel valued, supported and equipped to navigate the complexities of loss.

This position ensures consistent and timely outreach to newly bereaved families of CLA organ donors by providing compassionate, comprehensive support. This includes but is not limited to customized outcome resources, referrals to aftercare support/bereavement groups, ongoing communication, education and information sharing, and organizing memorial events, support groups, and recognition ceremonies. Additionally, this position also provides compassionate care and resources to OPO staff needing to debrief and process the emotional impact of specific donation cases. This role requires the ability to build rapport quickly, navigate sensitive situations, and balance organizational priorities while maintaining professionalism and clear boundaries.

By serving as a vital link for donor families in their continuum of care after donation and fostering emotional resilience among OPO staff, the Aftercare Coordinator ensures outstanding support for families while promoting the self-care essential to preventing staff burnout.

Function/Duties of Position

Donor Family Connection and Outreach

• Develop and maintain individualized aftercare plans for donor families regardless of donation outcome, including initial contact following conclusion of organ donation case with outcome information and the positive impact of donation, post-donation care packages, follow-up calls/correspondence, and referrals to grief or local support resources
• Grief Support: Offer emotional support to families via phone or written communication, address any concerns, and provide direction to resources for navigating the grieving process
• Request, track, document, and follow recipient transplant outcome details for all CLA donor patients
• Create and distribute personalized correspondence such as anniversary mailings, donor recognition materials, family newsletters, feedback surveys, etc.
• Facilitate, track, and distribute all correspondence between donor families and recipients, including providing updates about the impact of a loved one’s donation as requested while preserving confidentiality and regulatory requirements
• Organize and facilitate all remembrance events and family support initiatives for honoring donors and their families.
• Monitor donor family social media groups, engage with content, and support families in sharing their stories
• Develop and maintain donor family volunteer program to serve and support CLA donor family projects and CLA community outreach team.

OPO Staff Support and Debriefing

• Facilitate debriefing with OPO staff involved in challenging donation cases including somatic processing to resolve symptoms of stress
• Provide education to staff regarding trauma, vicarious trauma and vicarious resilience
• Collaborate with OHSU to develop workshops and mental health resources for staff
• Promote culture of self-care within the organization by encouraging open dialogue and peer support
• Act as a confidential resource for team members experiencing distress following donation cases

Administrative and Program Development

• In collaboration with donation partners, develop and implement standardized calendar of family support events throughout the year
• May include but is not limited to: Family zoom meetings, family coffee talks, writing to recipient workshops, family volunteer events, family picnics, specific events to hold space for grief during the holidays,
• Develop and implement the monitoring of key aftercare processes (including those that can be automated): tracking system for recipient follow up, management of pending correspondence, outcome letter drafting/editing system
• Data collection and process improvement
• Maintain in-depth knowledge and understanding of best practices in grief support, trauma-informed care, and wellness programming to enhance the effectiveness of aftercare initiatives
• Develop connections to increase recipient engagement: transplant center collaboration, writing workshops etc.

Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree in social services or equivalent (Licensed