Staff Chaplain (Palliative Care)

• 1. Responsible for direct ministry to patients and families and support for staff on particular services and in-patient units or for a portion of the patient population such as a faith group, including assuming periodic on-call coverage for the entire hospital.
• 2. Provide for all aspects of ministry including: spiritual assessment and the provision of pastoral care, administration of the sacraments, pastoral visitation and counseling on own initiative and in response to referrals, with particular attention to ministry to persons in crisis, with life-threatening illness, near end-of-life and at the time of death, and to their families and friends.
• 3. Carry out duties in collaboration with other hospital staff and participate in interdisciplinary communication and coordination of care by attending team meetings and patient/family care conferences, and through appropriate verbal and written reports on patient care.
• 4. Document spiritual assessments, goals and interventions in the Medical Record (electronic and/or hard copy) and contribute to department record-keeping in terms of responses to referrals, on-call encounters, baptisms, etc.
• 5. Provide, assist, and/or arrange for hospital-wide worship services on Sundays, holidays and for special occasions, and provide for service or unit level memorial and other services for staff on request.
• 6. Assist in hospital educational programs, including those within the department such as orientation programs, clinical conferences, pastoral care institutes, or sessions involving religious and health matters (ie faith group practices, age-specific spiritual needs, clinical ethics, etc.)
• 7. Mentor Clinical Pastoral Education students and supervise volunteers, trainees or staff, who are assisting in the provision of pastoral care in particular patient care areas,
• 8. Assist in developing policies and procedures, with particular attention to the assigned section of the Hospital or to that faith group, that will foster high quality patient and family care, good interdisciplinary team relationships and religious community relationships.
• 9. Maintain ecclesiastical and professional cognate group relationships and maintain professional competence by participating in continuing education programs and peer review.
• 10. As required, perform other pastoral and administrative duties necessary to provide religious guidance relating to total patient care and staff support.

EDUCATION

Position requires a Bachelor's Degree and a Masters of Divinity degree or its equivalent; if a Masters of Divinity is not held, the candidate must have met the educational requirements (equivalency) to become a Board Certified Chaplain in APC, NACC, or NAJC and be currently board certified with 2,000 hours post four units of ACPE CPE. Chaplain has official recognition of ministry, such as ordination, acceptable to Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), National Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC), or comparable national chaplain certification agencies; also endorsement for institutional ministry by ecclesiastical authority; also at least four (4) units (1600 hours) of ACPE, Inc. accredited Clinical Pastoral Education. Board Certification requires graduate theological education, formal clinical pastoral and conceptual competence.

EXPERIENCE

Two (2) to three (3) years of pastoral experience, including work in a secular institution within a multi-faith framework and where relationship with patients and their families is an on-going activity.

LICENSURE

See above in Education.

SPECIAL SKILLS

Demonstrated emotional and spiritual maturity sufficient to work in a crisis setting, and demonstrated skills in pastoral care in an institutional setting.