Job Summary:
To directly provide and coordinate the provision of chaplain services for hospice and palliative care patients and families consistent with the hospice and palliative care regulations and standards of practice. To integrate spiritual care/support in the work of the interdisciplinary team. To ensure hospice and palliative care patients and families receive spiritual support, comfort and guidance while facing serious and terminal illnesses, consistent with their spiritual traditions, preferences and values.
Essential Responsibilities:
- Directly provide spiritual support and counseling services through home visits, long-term care facility visits, hospital visits, clinic visits, telephone calls, and virtual visits performing both individual and group counseling.
- Assure the assessment of the spiritual needs, issues, concerns of hospice and palliative care patients and families. Assure assessments are clearly documented, appropriate interventions planned, implemented and evaluated for effectiveness.
- Participates with the interdisciplinary team in a manner that results in effective, collaborative care planning.
- Coordinate the provision of spiritual care to seriously and terminally ill patients and their families utilizing personal, community and volunteer resources.
- Assure staff and volunteer competency in the role of spiritual care within the interdisciplinary team and how to perform spiritual screening of patients and families. Provide and facilitate the training and education of staff and volunteers through their own, departmental and community resources.
- Oversee the development and coordination of spiritual care resources including but not limited to literature, support groups, mentors/consultants, community resources, educational presentations, rituals, program events including memorial services, and alternative care.
- Measure and monitor the quantity and quality of spiritual care services provided including but not limited to patient and family satisfaction, outcomes, and utilization of services. Develop and implement performance improvement measures to meet patient and program goals.
- May provide bereavement support to surviving bereaved after a patient dies; including phone support, in-home or care facility visitations, bereavement support groups and assisting with memorial or funeral services when requested by family as scheduling allows.
- Assure professional competency through maintaining working knowledge of current regulations and standards of practice related to hospice, palliative care, and chaplaincy in a medical setting.
- Perform other duties as requested.
Basic Qualifications:
Experience
- Minimum two (2) years of experience providing spiritual care services in a health care setting.
- Minimum one (1) year of professional experience providing services to patients with serious or terminal illnesses.
Education
- Masters degree in theology, divinity, pastoral care, philosophy or related discipline.
- Completion of at least four units of Clinical Pastoral Education Program (CPE).
License, Certification, Registration
- Basic Life Support required at hire
Additional Requirements:
- Completion of at least four units of Clinical Pastoral Education Program (CPE).
- Thorough knowledge of the spiritual, emotional and general care needs of patents and their families at the end of life.
- Proficiency in the delivery of emotional, spiritual, grief counseling and support group services with individuals and groups at the end of life and in the grief process.
- Demonstrates customer-focused service skills.
- Demonstrates skill in leading groups and teams.
- Demonstrates skill in public speaking.
- Ability to participate collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team.
- Well-developed peer mentoring and development skills. Ability to assist and mentor clinicians and volunteers in the provision of emotional/spiritual support in their daily practice.
- Excellent listening and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to document assessments, care delivered; and to coordinate both clearly and concisely using a laptop computer.
- Ability to provide quality counseling services for patients/families at end of life with respect and sensitivity to individual beliefs, coping mechanisms, goals, etc.
- Excellent time management skills.
- Ability to meet department visit productivity requirements.
- Ability to document clinical care clearly and concisely in an electronic medical record.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Minimum three (3) years of service within a health care setting as a chaplain, especially within a hospice or palliative care setting.
- Minimum two (2) years of working as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
- Board certified Pastoral Counselor.
Notes:
- Shifts/hours/working days may vary
