Hospice Bereavement Program Manual
Orientation, daily operations, forms, and family letters for the bereavement coordinator who was handed the role with very little training. Written so a manager with no bereavement background can still lead it.
Get the manual See what is insideMost 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.
What Medicare expects from your bereavement program
Under the Hospice Conditions of Participation at 42 CFR 418.64(d), a hospice must have an organized program of bereavement services. It must be supervised by a qualified professional with education or experience in grief or loss counseling. Services must be available to the family and other persons named in the bereavement plan of care for up to one year after the patient's death.
The rule also asks for a bereavement plan of care that reflects family needs, and it extends support to staff and residents of a facility where the patient lived when appropriate. The manual walks through each of these pieces and shows what compliant documentation looks like.
More than 75 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.
A clear path from day one to sign off
| Timeframe | Coordinator work | Supervisor check in |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Complete the Agency Customization Page. Read Modules 1 through 4. Shadow an IDG meeting. | Review the customization page together. |
| Weeks 2 to 4 | Modules 5 through 9. Five supervised initial assessments and ten supervised support calls. | Day 30 competency review. |
| Weeks 5 to 8 | Modules 10 through 13. Build the 13 month calendar for every active family. Train or meet bereavement volunteers. | Day 60 competency review. |
| Weeks 9 to 12 | Modules 14 and 15. Run the first monthly program report and first chart audit. | Day 90 review and sign off. |
Grounded in regulation and research
Every regulatory statement in the manual 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.
The tiered support model draws on two well known studies. Aoun and colleagues (2015) surveyed bereaved family members of hospice patients in Australia and found that most fell into a low risk group, a smaller group had moderate risk, and roughly one in ten had high risk. 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.
That is why the manual screens first and matches the level of contact to the level of need. The risk screen in Form B is an agency screening tool built from published risk factors. It is clearly labeled as not being a validated instrument.
A good fit if you are
- A hospice hiring or promoting a new bereavement coordinator
- A clinical or psychosocial manager now responsible for bereavement
- An agency preparing for a CMS, ACHC, CHAP, or Joint Commission survey
- A growing hospice that needs a repeatable program across locations
Please know
- 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?
An editable Microsoft Word file of about 70 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
$[PRICE]
One editable Word file. Your agency name on every page.
Purchase the manual Ask about implementation supportReferences: 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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