The Nemours Fetal Care Center (NFCC) and Advanced Delivery Unit are expanding the scope of service to include comprehensive prenatal, obstetrical and postpartum care for women whose unborn child has been diagnosed with a birth defect or complex medical condition that will require immediate multidisciplinary pediatric care in the neonatal period. In addition to currently available prenatal imaging to diagnose these conditions, we are also expanding invasive diagnostics and fetal intervention procedures from minimally invasive ultrasound guided procedures to open maternal-fetal surgeries. 

Complex care counseling in this setting also includes complex care consultation/planning, including but not limited to the option of perinatal palliative care in cases of life-limiting fetal/neonatal conditions. The Psychosocial Support Program is being built to support mental health and wellness in expectant parents and families during and after these unique pregnancies where there is significant risk of trauma, mood disorders and challenges in coping with ongoing stress in the setting of a fetal diagnosis. 

The Psychosocial Support Program Manager plays a key leadership role within the NFCC overseeing the strategic development and operational delivery of programs that support the emotional, psychological, and psychosocial care experience of patients and families navigating complex fetal diagnoses. This individual is responsible for integrating psychosocial support services including social work, psychology, psychiatry, music and art therapy, spiritual support, bereavement care, and child life services into the patient and family experience, ensuring that each family receives compassionate, culturally sensitive, trauma-informed and individualized care throughout their pregnancy and transitional postpartum journey.  This position serves as a vital link between clinical care teams, support staff, patients and families. 

Essential Functions: 

• Along with NFCC leadership, will help to recruit, on board and co-lead a team of psychosocial professionals, including but not limited to: clinical social workers, counselors, psychologists, child life specialists, spiritual support providers, music/art therapists and other psychosocial/well-being providers.
• Collaborate closely with the clinical teams to ensure holistic, patient-centered care in the outpatient and inpatient setting
• Develop and implement standards, protocols, and staff training related to trauma-informed care, grief support, and culturally responsive service.

• Provide clinical support services to patients and families (as per certification) that focuses on supporting conversations with older children about the fetal diagnosis, plans for delivery, and bereavement birth planning if needed. 

• Prepare and design specific planning for families transitioning to the neonatal environment following delivery – this may include: tours of the ICU, infant care in the hospital and family/baby bonding in the hospital and warm hand-offs to the NICU/CICU/pediatric palliative care teams for ongoing support and care

• Participate in the development of perinatal and postpartum support resource protocols for various pathways of care based on fetal diagnosis and/or treatment, including bereavement and perinatal palliative care when applicable

• Serve as a champion for family-centered care principles and patient advocacy.

• Assist in the development and maintenance of processes that address the psychosocial needs of patients, including mental health screening protocols, crisis intervention, and community resource linkage.
• Assist in the development, implementation and maintenance of a multidisciplinary complex care team which provides consultation and ongoing support/planning to families with a life threatening or life limiting fetal diagnosis, including the option of perinatal palliative care when planned. 
• Assist in the development and facilitation of staff education initiatives related to perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, mental health screening, patient communication, emotional support, perinatal wellness, bereavement, and perinatal palliative care for NFCC team members. 
• Collaborate on research papers, conference presentations, and journal articles that represent the innovative work being done throughout the Psychosocial Support Program.
• Recruit, train, supervise, and mentor psychosocial services staff.

• Assure all professional practice is in accordance with applicable professional and licensing body standards

• Follow all NCH policies and procedures regarding clinical and administrative activity associated with providing direct patient care

• Works in autonomous manner, sets priorities, makes independent decisions and troubleshoots complex situations. 
• Partake in special assignments per the discretion of NFCC leadership.

Job Requirements: 

Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW), Psychology, Counseling, Public Health, or related field required.

Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) Required or to be completed in first 6 months of hire*; Licensure (LCSW, LPC, CCLS) preferred, as applicable.

5 plus years of job related experience required. 

Prior experience in a fetal diagnosis and intervention center preferred

Nemours Children’s Health is an internationally recognized children’s health system. With more than 1.7 million patient encounters annually, we provide medical care in five states through two freestanding state-of-the-art children’s hospitals — Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware and Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida. Our pediatric network includes 80 primary-urgent-and specialty care practices and more than 40 hospitalists serving 19 affiliated hospitals. We generate annual revenues of more than $1.7 billion derived from patient services, contributions from the Alfred I. DuPont Trust, as well as other income.

As one of the nation's premier pediatric health systems, we’re on a journey to discover better ways of approaching children’s health. Putting as much focus on prevention as cures and working hand in hand with the community to make every child’s world a place to thrive. It’s a journey that extends beyond our nationally recognized clinical treatment to an entire integrated spectrum of research, advocacy, education, and prevention, leading to the healthiest generations of children ever.

Inclusion and belonging guide our growth and strategy. We are looking for individuals who are passionate about, and committed to, leading efforts to provide culturally relevant care, reducing health disparities, and helping build an inclusive and supportive environment. All of our associates are expected to ensure that these philosophies are embedded in their day-to-day work with colleagues, patients and families.

To learn more about Nemours Children’s and how we go well beyond medicine, visit us at www.nemours.org.