This paper describes the Portage County, Ohio community hospice program, emphasizing the linkages between family life specialists, health professionals, volunteers, and students. Hospice service is defined as a specialized, home-based program for the management of pain and other symptoms of terminal illness, with the family as the unit of care. The goals of the Ohio program, i.e., home-based care, education, support, and low cost, are discussed, and background information on the program, including its history, organization, staffing patterns, and services, is provided. The role of the family life specialist is described, emphasizing the psychological and social needs of the family. Training and interdisciplinary leadership responsibilities are discussed. The components of the program's 9-week hospice education and training session, including learning objectives focusing on the hospice concept, death and dying, roles of hospice members, and community resources, are discussed. An outline of the training program by weeks is given in Table 1. The paper concludes with comments and short case vignettes to illustrate the value and unique features of hospice care to the terminally ill and their families. (BL)