Job Title: Family Services Counselor

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: FAMILY SERVICES COUNSELOR

FLSA Status: Supervisor: Family Services Manager

Employee Name:

SUMMARY:

Primary cemetery contact with our families. This individual will respectfully and compassionately guide a family through the process of making final arrangements. They will also perform post burial follow-up with the family. This position requires an individual who is caring and understands how to counsel, console, sell, and advise a family on how to complete this important life mission.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Includes the following. Other duties may be assigned.

·  Maintain a high standard of satisfactory service consistent with the Mission of Syracuse Catholic Cemeteries.

·  Perform office administrative duties including answering the phone, filing, ordering supplies, securing insurance certificates from vendors doing business in our cemeteries.

·  Guide and assist families with the selection of burial options, pricing, memorialization, monuments, foundations, floral program. Educate the family regarding our cemetery regulations and guidelines. Notify Operations personnel as necessary.

·  Accompany families to the lot and mausoleum locations.

·  Prepare and explain the sales contract with the family. Secure their signature, deposit and secure payment options in accordance with the administrative office requirements.

·  Develop a cooperative and mutually helpful relationships with our stakeholders including the Funeral Directors, Monument dealers and others. Become aware of each other’s needs and how we can improve to work together more productively.

·  Coordinate arrangements with the Funeral Director and Cemetery Operations personnel. Prepare all necessary forms, and record information for the cemetery and Bureau of Vital Statistics. Secure proper authorization for burials from the surviving family members. Prepare and mail out follow-up letters and mass cards to the families of the deceased. Obtain necessary authorization for welfare and other special consideration burials. Complete and file Medicaid letters as necessary.

·  Resolve family complaints and engage other cemetery personnel as necessary to assist. Documents complaints and writes up work orders for Operations personnel.

·  Responsible for accuracy of sales and cemetery inventory records.

·  Abide by the cemetery rules and regulations to optimally serve family needs in a consistent manner.

·  Support Genealogy requests in a professional and courteous manner.

·  Recommend ideas for continuous improvement of the overall sales and office procedures and actively participate in staff meetings.

·  Provides administrative and marketing support.

·  The employee must have flexibility to work Saturdays on a rotational basis.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with qualified disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act to perform the essential functions of this position.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

Associate's degree (A. A. / A. S.) or equivalent from two-year college or technical school; and two to four years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITES:

Not applicable.

SPECIALIZED TRAINING:

Not applicable.

LANGUAGE ABILITY:

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups including families or fellow employees.

MATH ABILITY:

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

COMPUTER SKILLS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of word processing software, spreadsheet software, inventory software, internet software, order processing systems, and database software.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES:

Valid driver's license

EQUIPMENT:

·  Not applicable

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND OTHER ABILITIES:

·  Excellent verbal and written communications skills including use of telephone, e-mail, memorandums, reports, and personal thank you letter

·  Attention to detail

·  Understanding and compassion for grief, anger, and other human emotions related to death of a loved one

·  Proficient in use of computers including a wide range of standard and specialty software

·  Physical ability to move about uneven and weather impacted cemetery grounds as well as to climb stairs

·  Ability to operate and maneuver in and out of company vehicles

·  Ability to deal professionally with stressful and emotional situations

·  Professionalism and the ability to effectively interact with the public

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, ability to adjust focus; and ability to see color.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to outdoor weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to work near moving mechanical parts and fumes or airborne particles.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Ability to work with clergy, pastoral ministers and lay people in a confidential manner. Ability to innovate and adapt.

Approved:

Employee Date

Supervisor Date