Chaplain Resident

Employment Type: Full time • Shift: Day Shift

About the role

Trinity Health Southeast Michigan offers a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Residency Program accredited by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. This one-year program begins August 31, 2026 and provides an annual stipend of $47,507. Three CPE Units are included, each with a tuition cost of $400 per unit.

Purpose

Under Clinical Pastoral Education and Pastoral Care Services supervision, participates with the patient care team to support and facilitate healing of body, mind, and spirit by providing direct spiritual care to patients, visitors, and staff.

Responsibilities

• Provides assessment of spiritual needs, pastoral interventions, and care planning that facilitates patients' ability to integrate their beliefs, values, relationships, religion, and/or spirituality with their healing process.
• Cooperates with faith community clergy to facilitate their appropriate involvement in patient/visitor spiritual care, with patient permission.
• Provides spiritual care to hospital/health system associates/staff, particularly during highly stressful situations.
• Serves as a "Bereavement Guide" to families/significant others/visitors of deceased patients.
• May provide communal and occasional private religious services for staff and patients/families.
• Participates in 24-hour, seven-day/week on-site staffing for Pastoral Care.
• Assists with spiritual and ethical matters for staff and management associates as required.
• Maintains confidentiality of patient, visitor, and staff information.
• Understands diverse religious beliefs and practices and assists staff in responding sensitively to religious and cultural diversity.
• Documents pastoral interventions in patient records and internal chaplain logs.
• May perform specific religious functions in keeping with one's ecclesiastical authorization (e.g., sacramental ministries for Roman Catholic priests).
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Academic preparation for ministry, typically including a master's-level degree from an Association of Theological Schools (ATS) approved seminary or divinity school, or equivalent as judged by professional chaplaincy certifying organizations (e.g., APC, NACC, NAJC, CAPPE).
• At least one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) from an ACPE-accredited center.
• Endorsement as a chaplain by one's faith group or ability to obtain such endorsement.

Benefits

• Full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, PTO, life insurance, and disability.
• Retirement savings plan.
• Opportunities for growth and advancement within SJMHS and Trinity Health.

Pay

Annual stipend of $47,507.