Chaplain

To cultivate spiritual and emotional support to patients, families/caregivers to ensure each have a voice to explore spiritual concerns, ask crucial questions, comprehend the importance of their lives and discover peace as they approach death.

Requirements

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assess the spiritual needs of patient/family with patient/family consent
• Provide spiritual care and support for patient/family/caregivers as needed or requested
• Develop a plan of care with the interdisciplinary team meeting the spiritual/emotional needs of the patient/family caregivers and update the plan of care every 14 days
• Utilize spiritual resources to meet needs of patient and family
• Consult and provide education to interdisciplinary team about spirituality and spiritual care
• Provide ethical consultation for staff regarding end-of-life issues and how faith impacts choices
• Contact patient/family’s minister and other religious caregivers, as appropriate and as requested by patient/family
• Serve palliative care patients as assigned
• Be available to attend receivings or funerals for patients on weekdays
• Facilitate or assist with funerals/memorial services, as requested
• Plan and lead occasional worship services for patients/family members, staff and facilities
• Coordinate memorial services with long-term care staff, as directed by facility
• Provide spiritual care and support for bereaved family members upon request
• Maintain hospice bereavement family caseload as requested
• Complete initial bereavement assignment for patient families served as requested
• Develop appropriate bereavement plan of care and update quarterly as requested
• Participate in the planning and facilitating of grief support groups/presentation, as needed, in the community in collaboration with grief support specialist
• Assist with the annual memorial service with grief services director
• Facilitate (if trained) Walking the Mourner’s Path program and Limit of Our Sight
• Rotate chaplain on call responsibilities, minimum 2x a year or as requested/needed
• Collaborate with on-call weekend social worker and nurse regarding patient family needs
• Attend funeral/receiving scheduled on weekends when on-call
• Serve as a resource to community clergy and religious caregivers about hospice, death, dying and grief issues
• Provide education and consultation to community clergy and groups to enhance their sensitivity to the spiritual concerns of patient and caregivers experiencing illness and loss
• Support community clergy/congregations through the process of caring for the hospice patient/family
• Participate in volunteer/staff orientation/training, as requested
• Assist with training volunteer chaplains, as needed
• Complete all Relias trainings and attend additional mandatory trainings
• Other duties as assigned

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Ability to identify and respect the spiritual needs of the patient/families/caregivers as they differ according to social status, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, race, age and their emotional, physical and intellectual capabilities

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Master of Divinity degree or equivalent graduate degree that includes theological studies from an accredited seminary or divinity school
• Minimum of two units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) completed or equivalent clinical training and experience
• Endorsed by and in good standing with the denomination of ordination

Experience

• Minimum two years of experience working with individuals, groups and families in crisis, preferably dealing with issues involved in death, dying and grief

Licensures & Certifications: (if applicable):

• Certified or progressing toward certification by a cognate group recognized by the Coalition on Ministry in Specialized Setting (COMISS)