Certified Clinical Chaplain FBM

Full-time, exempt position within the ACE Associates bargaining unit. 7.5-hour shifts Monday through Friday with on-call, weekend, and holiday rotation.

About the role

Certified Clinical Chaplains provide crisis intervention, grief counseling, spiritual care, and emotional and psychosocial support to patients, families, and healthcare staff. They mediate between patients and medical teams, help families understand complex medical information, and address holistic needs to promote overall well-being and healing. Chaplains integrate psychology, religion, spirituality, and theology to meet diverse needs and are active members of interdisciplinary teams (IDT), contributing to patient assessments, plans, interventions, and goal setting.

They serve as consultants to clinical teams, service lines, and departments, participating in program development and quality improvement. Chaplains educate students, residents, nurses, fellows, and interns in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) about spiritual assessment and care, particularly for palliative care patients and families. They lead quality care initiatives through Complex Care Committees, Schwartz Rounds, Ethics Committees, and more, and are integral to the Palliative Care Service.

Responsibilities include emotional and spiritual assessments, crisis intervention, consultation, education, community linkages, and supportive services for patients, families, and staff. Chaplains coordinate resources to address spiritual and emotional needs, facilitate Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD), and conduct age-appropriate assessments and interventions. They document all patient encounters in the electronic medical record and serve diverse populations regardless of race, gender, religion, or cultural background. Primary areas of responsibility include Home Care, long-term care facilities (sub-acute and palliative care), the LIFE program, and Adult Day Care.

Responsibilities

• Provide crisis intervention, grief counseling, and spiritual and emotional support to patients, families, and staff.
• Mediate between patients and medical teams, helping families understand complex medical information.
• Serve as an active member of interdisciplinary teams, contributing to patient assessments, plans, interventions, and goal setting.
• Consult with clinical teams, service lines, and departments on spiritual care and program development.
• Educate students, residents, nurses, fellows, and interns in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) about spiritual assessment and care, with a focus on palliative care.
• Lead and participate in quality care initiatives, including Complex Care Committees, Schwartz Rounds, and Ethics Committees.
• Conduct emotional and spiritual assessments, crisis intervention, and supportive services for patients, families, and staff.
• Coordinate resources to address individual spiritual and emotional needs.
• Facilitate Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) for individuals affected by traumatic events.
• Perform age-appropriate assessments, interventions, and data collection for spiritual and emotional care plans.
• Document all patient encounters in the electronic medical record.
• Serve diverse populations regardless of race, gender, religion, cultural beliefs, or medical condition.

Requirements

For Chaplains Hired After 6/01/2025:

• Master’s level degree in theological, pastoral ministry/pastoral care/religious studies or a related field.
• Current certification by a professional national certifying agency for chaplaincy.
• Ecclesiastical endorsements.
• Four (4) units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) credits.
• Palliative Care Certification obtained within two (2) years through a national certifying organization (e.g., BCCI - BCC-PCHAC, SCA - APBCC-HPC, or California State University Shiley Institute for Palliative Care).

For Chaplains Hired After 12/20/09:

• Ecclesiastical endorsement.
• Good standing as a professional chaplain according to the code of ethics for spiritual care professionals and standards of practice.
• If representing a religious clergy, must maintain good standing within that clergy or order while employed at Catholic Health.
• Ten (10) years of experience in healthcare ministry recommended.
• Twenty (20) Continuing Education Units (CEU) annually.

Skills

• High level of interpersonal, facilitative, and communication skills.
• Advanced theological reflection and conflict resolution skills.
• Knowledge of current research in spiritual care and medical ethics.
• Ability to facilitate ethical discernment processes and commitment to Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.
• Understanding of diverse theologies and ecclesiologies.
• Strong pastoral identity, emotional and spiritual maturity.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and comply with HIPAA regulations.
• Flexibility in work hours, programs, services, and sites.
• Strong teamwork skills within interdisciplinary settings.
• Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and teaching skills.
• Ability to lead and coordinate prayer services.
• Experience training, educating, mentoring, and supervising students.
• Group facilitation and critical incident stress management skills.
• Knowledge of Advanced Directives policy and ability to facilitate discussions with patients and families.
• Ability to develop and implement Spiritual Care Plans.
• Advanced computer skills for charting, research, email, and department programming.
• Valid driver’s license.

Work Environment

Normal office-like conditions with safe working environments. Work settings include resident/client homes, outpatient facilities, long-term care facilities, and other healthcare sites. May encounter pets in resident/client homes.