Hospice Chaplain

About the role

The Hospice Chaplain provides spiritual care services to patients and families/caregivers, either directly or by coordinating with other spiritual counselors.

Responsibilities

• Performs spiritual assessments of patients and families/caregivers and ensures timely delivery of appropriate services.
• Participates in the comprehensive assessment to develop individualized plans of care addressing spiritual needs.
• Delivers direct spiritual care to patients and families/caregivers.
• Acts as a liaison and support to community chaplains and spiritual counselors.
• Maintains records of spiritual care services, utilization, and related activities for quality assurance, program development, and policy review.
• Documents direct services and ongoing communication with community chaplains and spiritual counselors.
• Attends patient care conferences and interdisciplinary group meetings as a member of the team.
• Provides consultation, education, and support to the interdisciplinary group on spiritual care.
• Recruits community chaplains, spiritual counselors, and volunteers to meet patient and family needs by developing community contacts and educating congregations about hospice care.
• Facilitates funeral or memorial services for patients as requested and plans periodic memorial services for personnel, volunteers, and community clergy.
• Assists in supervising spiritual care volunteers when assigned to patients or families.
• Completes, maintains, and submits accurate clinical notes regarding patient condition and care, recording changes and outcomes as appropriate.
• Communicates with physicians during IDG meetings about patient needs and reports changes in condition.
• Coordinates care plans with community spiritual counselors and serves as a liaison between patients, families, and community agencies.
• Maintains collaborative relationships with organization personnel to support patient care.
• As a mandatory reporter, reports compliance failures to the Department of Health within 14 days and reports suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation immediately.
• Works with the interdisciplinary group to ensure continuity of care and meets the spiritual needs of patients and families.
• Participates in on-call duties as defined by policy.
• Engages in personal growth and professional development, maintaining and upgrading knowledge through continuing education, in-service classes, and CPE.
• Fulfills assigned case responsibilities and participates in quality assessment and performance improvement activities.
• Performs other delegated duties as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in religious studies or a related field and a master’s degree in theology, divinity, or pastoral studies (72 semester hours, typically a three-year program, may include an internship or one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)).
• One unit of CPE is defined as 400 hours of supervised meetings with persons in crisis, including ministry and peer evaluation.
• Certification is preferred; requirements vary but generally include ordination or commissioning, a letter of endorsement from a recognized faith group, an M.A. in Theology or related field, and four units of CPE. Maintenance of certification typically requires continuing education, peer evaluation, and an updated endorsement letter.
• Ongoing commitment to professional development through education and CPE.
• Experience in hospice care is preferred.
• Comfort working in an interfaith setting with diverse lifestyles, cultures, beliefs, and values.
• Ability to network with community clergy and congregations.
• Knowledge of and commitment to hospice philosophy of care.
• Strong verbal, written communication, and organizational skills.

Requirements

• Must pass satisfactory references and criminal background checks as required by regulation.
• Ability to stand or walk for prolonged periods and possess visual and hearing acuity to perform chaplain skills.
• Must be a licensed driver with an insured, well-maintained automobile.
• Must maintain CPR certification (not internet-based unless skills demonstration was hands-on and observed by a certified trainer).