A hospice bereavement program a surveyor can see on day one
The Hospice Bereavement Orientation & Operations Manual, Accreditation Ready Edition, gives your Bereavement Coordinator a 90 day orientation, a daily operating structure, forms, and family letters. It is written so a manager with no bereavement background can still lead the program.
Most bereavement coordinators learn the job alone
Over my years in hospice, I have seen many bereavement coordinators step into the role with a caseload and very little orientation. Often their supervisor had not led a bereavement program before either, and both were learning as they went. The families still needed calls, mailings, and a plan, and surveyors still expected documentation.
I wrote this manual for that gap. It tells a new coordinator what to do in week one, what to bring to supervision, and what a surveyor will ask to see.
The goal is a program you can explain, document, and defend, even if you are new to grief work.
Four federal bereavement requirements, and each one needs proof on paper
- Organized programThe hospice has an organized program of bereavement services, supervised by a qualified professional with education or experience in grief or loss counseling. 42 CFR 418.64(d)(1)(i)
- Up to one yearServices are available to the family and other people named in the bereavement plan of care for up to one year after the patient's death, including residents of a facility where the patient lived when appropriate. 42 CFR 418.64(d)(1)(ii)
- Needs basedBereavement services reflect the needs of the bereaved. 42 CFR 418.64(d)(1)(iii)
- Plan of careA bereavement plan of care notes the kind of services to be offered and how often they are delivered. 42 CFR 418.64(d)(1)(iv)
The manual walks through each requirement and shows what compliant documentation looks like.
More than 100 pages, ready for your agency name
Every place your agency needs to add a name, contact, or policy is marked as a fillable field. You deliver it to your coordinator as an editable Word file.
90 day orientation
Fifteen self directed modules, ending with a safety module on suicide risk and when to escalate.
Guided callouts
Each module uses four prompts: Do this now, Survey readiness, Ask your supervisor, and What the evidence says.
Ongoing operations
Monthly and annual calendars, caseload math, quality metrics, and how bereavement fits into QAPI.
Survey readiness
A survey binder checklist and mock survey questions your team can practice with.
Competency validation
Sign off checkpoints at 30, 60, and 90 days, plus a volunteer competency checklist.
Forms A through L
Assessment, risk screening, plan of care, contact log, 13 month tracker, safety escalation, chart audit, monthly report, and more.
Nine family letters
Condolence, anniversary, holiday, and closure letters you can edit and send.
Reference list
Regulatory citations and peer reviewed literature in APA format, so you can show your sources.
Look inside before you buy
Three views of how the manual is built. Each one ties the work to a requirement and to the record a surveyor will ask for.
Four callouts in every module
Each of the fifteen modules ends with the same four prompts, so the coordinator and supervisor always know what comes next.
- Do this now. The task to finish before moving on.
- Survey readiness. The record a surveyor will ask to see.
- Ask your supervisor. The question to bring to the next check in.
- What the evidence says. The research behind the practice.
Orientation. Fifteen self directed modules.
Screen first, then match support to need
The manual screens every family first and matches the level of contact to the level of need.
| Risk group | Share of bereaved family members |
|---|---|
| Low risk | Most |
| Moderate risk | A smaller group |
| High risk | Roughly one in ten |
Aoun et al. (2015), PLOS ONE
Form B is an agency screening tool built from published risk factors. It is labeled as not being a validated instrument.
Tiered support. Built on Aoun et al. (2015) and Currier et al. (2008).
The records behind the program
Every requirement has a form that proves it was met.
- Bereavement assessment
- Risk screening
- Bereavement plan of care
- Contact log
- 13 month tracker
- Safety escalation
- Chart audit
- Monthly program report
Forms. Plus nine family letters you can edit and send.
Every statement checked against its source
| Source | How the manual uses it |
|---|---|
| Federal | Every regulatory statement was checked against the current eCFR text of 42 CFR Part 418, including sections 418.3, 418.54, 418.56, 418.64, 418.78, 418.100, 418.112, and 418.204 |
| Research | Aoun and colleagues (2015) surveyed bereaved family members of hospice patients and found most fell into a low risk group, a smaller group had moderate risk, and roughly one in ten had high risk |
| Research | Currier, Neimeyer, and Berman (2008) reviewed grief intervention studies and found that support aimed at people showing real distress did more good than support offered the same way to everyone |
| Accreditation | Survey binder checklist and mock survey questions for agencies preparing for a CMS, ACHC, CHAP, or Joint Commission survey |
A clear path from day one to sign off
Each phase ends with a supervisor review, so leadership can verify progress before the next step.
Learn the role
- Complete the Agency Customization Page
- Read Modules 1 through 9
- Shadow an IDG meeting
- Five supervised initial assessments and ten supervised support calls
Build the program
- Complete Modules 10 through 13
- Build the 13 month calendar for every active family
- Train or meet bereavement volunteers
Run it and prove it
- Complete Modules 14 and 15
- Run the first monthly program report
- Complete the first chart audit
Take the manual on your own, or with me beside you
The manual is $295. Ask about implementation support.
- Hospices hiring or promoting a new bereavement coordinator
- Clinical or psychosocial managers now responsible for bereavement
- Agencies preparing for a CMS, ACHC, CHAP, or Joint Commission survey
- Growing hospices that need a repeatable program across locations
- It is not legal advice. State rules, your accreditor, and agency policy may add requirements, and the stricter rule applies.
- It does not teach psychotherapy. It teaches screening, support, and referral.
- The 13 month timeline is a common agency choice. The federal rule requires availability for up to one year.
Frequently asked questions
Who is this manual written for?
New bereavement coordinators and the managers who supervise them, including managers who have never run a bereavement program.
Can we put our agency name on it?
Yes. Every place your agency needs to add its name, contacts, or policies is marked as a fillable field.
What format is it delivered in?
One editable Microsoft Word file of more than 100 pages.
Does this replace our policies or legal review?
No. The manual reflects federal rules as of October 2026. State licensure rules, your accrediting body, and your own policies may add requirements, and the stricter rule applies.
Does it teach coordinators to provide therapy?
No. It teaches screening, support, and referral. Coordinators who are not licensed mental health professionals do not diagnose or treat mental illness.
Give your coordinator a real orientation
One editable Word file of more than 100 pages, with your agency name on every page, for $295.
This manual is an educational and operational template. It is not legal advice and does not guarantee an accreditation decision. Agencies should review the final program against their own state rules and accreditor before adoption.
References: Aoun, S. M., Breen, L. J., Howting, D. A., Rumbold, B., McNamara, B., & Hegney, D. (2015). Who needs bereavement support? A population based survey of bereavement risk and support need. PLOS ONE, 10(3), e0121101. Currier, J. M., Neimeyer, R. A., & Berman, J. S. (2008). The effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions for bereaved persons: A comprehensive quantitative review. Psychological Bulletin, 134(5), 648 to 661. Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Hospice Conditions of Participation, 42 C.F.R. Part 418.
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