How to hire a bereavement counselor

How to hire a bereavement counselor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step bereavement counselor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a bereavement counselor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new bereavement counselor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your bereavement counselor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a bereavement counselor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a bereavement counselor to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a bereavement counselor that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of bereavement counselors.

   Type of Bereavement Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Bereavement Counselor	Mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists help people manage and overcome mental and emotional disorders and problems with family and other relationships. They listen to clients and ask questions to help the clients understand their problems and develop strategies to improve their lives.	$24-37
   Graduate Clinician	A Graduate Clinician provides speech and language therapy for students. They develop transitional programs for students in preparation for post-graduation.	$20-41
   Behavioral Health Professional	Behavioral health professionals are responsible for providing direction and counsel to individuals who are dealing with behavioral health challenges such as mental illness, addiction, and physical limitations. They often work with a team of other specialists in providing recommendations for a patient's behavioral and emotional care... Show more	$12-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Patients
   • Mental Health
   • Community Resources
   • Medicare
   • Bereavement Services
   • Family Therapy
   • Spiritual Care
   • Loss Issues
   • Emotional Support
   • Clinical Supervision
   • Community Organizations
   • Memorial Services
   • Group Therapy

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a caseload of individuals in programs design to provide vocational rehabilitation and other services to the developmentally disable.
   • Provide individual/family/group counseling and psycho-educational programs for a diverse population of hospice patients, families and couples.
   • Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of health care professionals to provide counseling support for terminally ill patients and their families.
   • Provide individual assessments, treatment planning and psychotherapy services to culturally diverse adult female population in need of rehabilitation services.
   • Collaborate with peers in leadership capacity at recreational summer camp leading, coordinating and organizing daily activities and weekly field trips.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your bereavement counselor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A bereavement counselor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, bereavement counselors' average salary in florida is 29% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level bereavement counselors 35% less than senior-level bereavement counselors.
   • Certifications. A bereavement counselor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a bereavement counselor's salary.

   Average bereavement counselor salary

   $64,298yearly

   $30.91 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level bereavement counselor salary

   $51,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 30, 2025

4. Writing a bereavement counselor job description

   A bereavement counselor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a bereavement counselor job description:

   Bereavement counselor job description example

   Job Details:
   
   The Perinatal Bereavement Counselor provides supportive services to families suffering from a perinatal loss as well as training and support for maternity staff.
   
   RESPONSIBILITIES:
   
   * Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to bereaved parents and family members of any age within the hospital or in the community.
   * Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development of the life span, possesses the ability to assess status of grieving patient and/or family, ability to work with patient or patient's family in identifying needs in order to provide the necessary bereavement support and care.
   * Provides follow up bereavement support services to patients or families who have suffered a perinatal loss including bedside visits, phone support, support group facilitation, and special events.
   * Plans, coordinates and conducts special bereavement support events such as the annual Walk to Remember and the annual Candlelight Memorial Service.
   * Educates staff, physicians, and members of the community about the impact of perinatal loss.
   * Functions as a role model for staff, emphasizing the value of an interdisciplinary approach in supporting bereaved families.
   
   QUALIFICATIONS / REQUIREMENTS:
   
   Experience with grieving families and group facilitation preferred. Resolve Through Sharing (RTS) Bereavement Counselor/Coordinator training or equivalent.
   
   EDUCATION:
   
   Degree in social work, nursing or related field. Other degrees considered with appropriate experience.
   
   OTHER:
   
   If applicable, the individual performing this job may reasonably anticipate coming into contact with human blood and other potentially infectious materials. Individuals in this position are required to exercise universal precautions, use personal protective equipment and devices, and learn the policies concerning infection control.
   
   About Us:
   
   Good Samaritan Hospital
   
   Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, NY, is a 286-bed hospital providing emergency, medical, surgical, obstetrical/gynecological and acute-care services to residents of Rockland and southern Orange counties in New York; and northern Bergen County, NJ. The hospital is home to a recognized cardiovascular program, comprehensive cancer-treatment services, the area's leading Wound and Hyperbaric Institute and outstanding maternal/child services that includes a Children's Diagnostic Center. Good Samaritan Hospital also provides social, psychiatric and substance-abuse services and its certified home-care agency supports residents of the Hudson Valley and beyond.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right bereavement counselor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your bereavement counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit bereavement counselor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit bereavement counselors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new bereavement counselor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the bereavement counselor position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new bereavement counselor first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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