Chaplain II - Mercy STL - PRN

Find your calling at Mercy!

Responding to the healing mission of Jesus and the tradition of Catherine McAuley to serve the poor and sick person, we participate in meeting the health needs of the community. Pastoral Services assists the patient, family, and personnel in meeting their spiritual, social, and emotional needs during a time of illness, injury or stress and will minister to all persons, regardless of their belief system. Performs duties and responsibilities in a manner consistent with our mission, values, and Mercy Service Standards.

Position Details

Chaplain II

Position Summary

Responding to the healing mission of Jesus and the tradition of Catherine McAuley, the Chaplain II provides spiritual, emotional, and pastoral care to patients, families, caregivers, and staff during times of illness, injury, crisis, grief, and stress. This role ministers to individuals of all faith traditions and backgrounds, helping address spiritual needs as an integral component of holistic healthcare. The Chaplain II functions as a collaborative member of the interdisciplinary care team and performs all duties in a manner consistent with Mercy's mission, values, and service standards.

Essential Responsibilities

Spiritual Care & Pastoral Ministry

• Assess and respond to the spiritual, emotional, and existential needs of patients, families, and caregivers.
• Provide compassionate pastoral care, spiritual counseling, prayer, ritual support, and emotional support to individuals of all faith traditions and beliefs.
• Respond to crisis, trauma, end-of-life situations, critical care needs, and complex patient cases across all age groups.
• Assist patients and families in coping with illness, loss, grief, ethical concerns, and life transitions.
• Support and collaborate with visiting clergy and faith community representatives.
• Plan, coordinate, and facilitate religious observances, memorial services, spiritual programs, and special events that strengthen connections between healthcare and faith communities.
• Develop and provide specialized pastoral services within designated areas of responsibility or specialty practice.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

• Maintain effective communication with patients, families, physicians, nursing staff, leaders, and other members of the healthcare team.
• Participate in interdisciplinary rounds, patient care conferences, and departmental meetings as appropriate.
• Serve as a spiritual care resource to clinical teams and contribute to patient-centered care planning.
• Partner with colleagues and community organizations to enhance spiritual care services and patient support.

Staff Support & Education

• Provide emotional and spiritual support to coworkers and clinical staff following difficult events, patient deaths, or critical incidents.
• Facilitate debriefings and offer resilience-building support when needed.
• Educate staff, patients, and families regarding spirituality, spiritual distress, and the relationship between spiritual well-being and health outcomes.
• Promote awareness of available pastoral care services throughout the organization.

Documentation & Quality Improvement

• Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential records of pastoral care encounters within established documentation standards.
• Monitor trends and emerging spiritual care needs to support service development and quality improvement initiatives.
• Participate in departmental, organizational, and ministry-wide quality improvement efforts.
• Ensure compliance with applicable policies, procedures, ethics standards, and accreditation requirements.

Professional Practice

• Foster an environment of religious freedom, inclusivity, cultural sensitivity, and respect for diverse faith traditions.
• Demonstrate professionalism, sound judgment, and accountability in all interactions.
• Prioritize responsibilities effectively while managing multiple demands in a fast-paced healthcare environment.
• Pursue continuing education, spiritual formation, and professional development activities to maintain competency and board certification requirements.
• Maintain flexibility in scheduling to meet patient care and departmental needs.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Education

• Master's degree or equivalent graduate-level work in Theology, Divinity, Ministry, Counseling, Pastoral Care, or a related field.
• Completion of four (4) units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).

Required Experience

• Minimum of one (1) year of healthcare chaplaincy experience, which may include Clinical Pastoral Education residency experience.

Required Certification

• Eligible for certification or actively pursuing Board Certification through an approved professional chaplaincy organization.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Experience

• Three (3) or more years of chaplaincy experience.
• Experience serving within a healthcare specialty area.
• Experience presenting or educating physicians, clinicians, or healthcare teams.

Preferred Certification

• Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) through the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), or equivalent certifying body.

Preferred Skills & Knowledge

• Knowledge of pastoral theology, spirituality, medical ethics, grief and bereavement, crisis intervention, and end-of-life care.
• Experience working with diverse cultural, religious, and spiritual populations.
• Additional language proficiency relevant to patient populations served.
• Strong public speaking, teaching, and group facilitation abilities.

Key Competencies

• Compassion and respect for the dignity of every individual.
• Exceptional listening, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to provide spiritual care in emotionally challenging and high-stress situations.
• Strong crisis intervention and trauma response skills.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with interdisciplinary teams.
• Sound ethical decision-making and advocacy skills.
• Proficiency with electronic documentation systems, communication technology, and standard office software.
• Self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and commitment to personal and professional growth.

Physical & Working Conditions

• Ability to respond to patient care needs throughout a healthcare facility.
• Frequent interaction with individuals experiencing emotional distress, trauma, grief, or crisis.
• Exposure to healthcare environments requiring adherence to infection prevention and safety protocols.
• Must wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when required and comply with all Mercy safety, attendance, confidentiality, and professional appearance standards.

This position plays a vital role in delivering holistic care by addressing the spiritual, emotional, and existential needs of patients, families, and coworkers while supporting Mercy's mission of compassionate healing and service.

Why Mercy?

From day one, Mercy offers outstanding benefits - including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, tuition support, and matched retirement plans for team members working 32+ hours per pay period.

Join a caring, collaborative team where your voice matters. At Mercy, you'll help shape the future of healthcare through innovation, technology, and compassion. As we grow, you'll grow with us.