PRN Chaplain/Grief Counselor - Florence / Sumter SC

About the role

VIA Health Partners is an industry leader and top-10 nationally ranked provider of end-of-life care. We are a community-based, not-for-profit hospice & palliative care provider with deep community roots and decades of experience serving ALL patients' and families' needs regardless of their ability to pay or medical complexity. We are a people-first organization where funds support our mission.

Essential Functions

• Absorbs responsibility for the provision of spiritual care for patients/caregivers
• Encourages the enhancement of the patient/caregiver's spiritual awareness, clarifying life's meaning, and strengthening wellbeing
• Invites patients and families to share and explore their beliefs and practices, respecting each person's unique religious and/or spiritual views and practices
• Provides prayer, sacraments, religious rites, scripture, and other religious literature, funeral planning, education, referrals, and requested ceremonies such as funerals and memorial services, and other activities that may be implemented as interventions
• Develops, implements, and evaluates a plan of care for patients/caregivers incorporating therapeutic, preventive, and palliative spiritual care
• Evaluates and updates the plan of care as goals and objectives are achieved or change
• Maintains a liaison relationship with community spiritual care resources to effectively coordinate multidisciplinary care
• Consults with the patient, caregivers, physicians, facility staff, and interdisciplinary team when initiating care and when significant changes in care needs occur
• Reliably communicates pertinent information to appropriate members of the interdisciplinary team
• Provides information to enhance continuity to grief care services after the death of a patient
• Participates in interdisciplinary team conferences (IDT) and special case conferences
• Provides anticipatory grief services according to the plan of care and consults as needed with the grief care team regarding anticipatory grief interventions or need for early intervention referral to the grief care department
• Maintains caseload and productivity according to current VIA Health Partners standards
• Assumes responsibility for the effective and professional delivery of health services
• Schedules visits in advance based on prioritized judgment of case load needs
• Prepares for visits, anticipates care needs, reviews the plan of care and patient information, and obtains needed materials and educational resources for patients/caregivers
• Makes visits to provide needed care, following the established plan of care, evaluating patient/caregiver responses to determine progress toward goals, and revising the plan of care as necessary
• Identifies new problems or needs when they occur
• Facilitates patient and caregiver independence to the extent possible
• Plans work day to respond to priorities and minimize travel time
• Actively participates in discipline-specific meetings and works to increase knowledge of evidence-based spiritual care, evolving role of spiritual care provider, diagnosis and treatment of spiritual pain, and other educational topics presented in these meetings
• Consistently strives to provide care that meets VIA Health Partners's Exceptional Care/Exceptional Experience standards
• Maintains accurate, complete, and timely clinical documentation in accordance with VIA Health Partners guidelines
• Keeps clinical records current by transferring laptop information daily. Completes and submits all clinical documentation per VIA Health Partners clinical documentation guidelines
• Records time/mileage report logs accurately. Submits activity logs in accordance with VIA Health Partners policy
• Assumes responsibility for establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with interdisciplinary teams and interdepartmental staff
• Attends and participates in meetings as assigned
• Participates actively in process improvement
• Maintains open lines of communication with supervisor. Keeps supervisor apprised of any complex patient/caregiver issues
• If assigned to a HART team, may provide memorial services on behalf of assisted living or nursing home staff and/or residents
• Assumes responsibility for related duties as required or assigned
• Ensures that VIA Health Partners professional reputation is maintained and projected
• Assumes responsibility for professional development and staying abreast of current trends in the pastoral counseling field. Incorporates new information and methods into practice
• If assigned to the Kids Path team, assists as needed with Chameleon’s Journey and other activities
• Maintains current professional licensure if applicable
• If in dual role of chaplain/grief care, provides grief care services for survivors after the death of a loved one in accordance with the provisions of the grief counselor job description
• May perform other duties as required

Qualifications

• A Master’s Degree in Divinity from an accredited seminary and at least two units of Basic Clinical Pastoral Education required, with additional units preferred
• Clinical experience in the area of death and dying required, preferably in Clinical Pastoral Education, with a thorough understanding of Hospice care
• A minimum of two years related experience and ordination or specific endorsement by a recognized religious body is required
• Three years of experience in a community of faith or health care chaplaincy position and board certification/eligibility preferred
• Basic computer skills, using Microsoft Office