Mary Cross

Program Manager and School Support

Valerie's House

03.2018 - Current

Managed and supervised administrative duties for grief support programs at Valerie's House and Collier County Schools.
Established and maintained strong relationships with community partners, demonstrating a commitment to providing grief resources for children and families in Collier County.
Fostered a positive environment through the supervision of staff, interns, and volunteers.
Stayed updated with the latest training and education in grief and bereavement. Assisted with speaking engagements, met with donors, participated in events, and pursued all networking opportunities.
Oversaw client intakes and coordinated enrollment while maintaining a comprehensive database for all children and families, ensuring a high level of organization and efficiency.
Communicated with families to provide care and support, assessing their ongoing needs in the grief support group.
Coordinated, planned, and oversaw workshops and additional activities offered to families.
Developed and implemented grief groups in participating schools. Served as the main contact for school personnel to both train and gauge the success of groups.
Proficient in technology, reports, data entry, and ability to learn new and multiple computer programs.
Assisted clients in moving through the grief process with tailored support strategies and resources.
Developed educational materials on grief management, enhancing participants'' understanding of the mourning process.
Increased community awareness about grief and bereavement services by delivering informative presentations at local events.
Contributed to ongoing professional development by attending seminars, workshops, and conferences on grief counseling methodologies.
Developed a volunteer program that recruited, trained, and supervised volunteers to assist in delivering bereavement services.
Established strong relationships with community organizations to broaden available resources for grieving families.
Participated in relevant professional development opportunities to stay current on best practices in grief counseling and service delivery techniques.
Planned, coordinated and facilitated bereavement groups and delivered ongoing compassionate support to bereaved.
Completed initial intakes and follow-up assessments and coordinated resources and referrals based on assessment.
Managed the organization''s budget for bereavement-related expenses, ensuring responsible allocation of funds toward necessary resources and activities.