Provide comprehensive spiritual care services across hospital, hospice, and palliative care settings. Assess and address the spiritual and emotional needs of patients, families, and care providers. Integrate spiritual care into interdisciplinary care planning and support individuals through serious illness, end-of-life transitions, hospitalization, and crisis events.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
Minimum Education
· BA or BS. A Liberal Arts or Bible Studies degree is preferred.
· Prefer a Masters in Divinity or its equivalent from an accredited seminary.
· Palliative Care Training (CAPSA) preferred.
Minimum Work Experience
· Prefer ordained minister with previous ministerial and chaplain work in hospital, hospice, or palliative care settings.
· Prefer previous Clinical Pastoral Education experience to qualify as a Board Certified chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains.
· Previous experience or training in End of Life Care.
Required Skills
· Thorough knowledge of the role of the chaplain in healthcare, hospice, and palliative care settings.
· Demonstrates skills in pastoral ministry, crisis intervention, teaching, teamwork, worship leadership and pastoral conversation.
· Ability to be flexible in working with departments, interdisciplinary teams, committees, and staff as a professional colleague.
· Maintains relationships with area clergy in the spirit of ecumenical ministry and education.
· Must be able to cope appropriately with a wide range of emotions and circumstances.
· Some direct contact with patients with communicable disease - using accepted universal precautions.
· Spend substantial time with staff, patients, families and care providers requiring high degree of emotional energy and mental alertness.
· Demonstrates skills in End of Life Care, grief support, and crisis response.
· Training as appropriate.
FUNCTIONAL DEMANDS
Physical Requirements
Sitting - 16-31%
Walking - 16-31%
Standing - 16-31%
Bending/Squatting - 1-15%
Climbing/Kneeling - 1-15%
Twisting - 1-15%
Visual and Hearing Requirements
Must be able to see with corrective eye wear if needed.
Must be able to hear clearly with assistance if needed.
Physical/Environmental Requirements
Lifting - 0-50 lbs, 50 or more with assistance
Carrying - 0-50 lbs, 50 or more with assistance
Pulling - Up to 100 lbs
Pushing - Up to 100 lbs
LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES
Mission, Service, and Values
Supports the hospital Mission, Service and Values.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Hospice Care Responsibilities
· Conducts spiritual assessments as part of the comprehensive hospice assessment.
· Provides spiritual counseling based on patient preferences and beliefs.
· Performs pastoral visitation to patients and families in home or inpatient settings.
· Offers prayer, scripture, sacramental services, or other rituals as requested.
· Supports anticipatory grief and end-of-life spiritual needs.
· Participates in Hospice Interdisciplinary Group (IDG) meetings.
· Integrates spiritual care needs into the hospice plan of care.
· Collaborates with interdisciplinary team and care conferences.
· Offers comfort measures and spiritual support to hospice patients and families.
· Provides bereavement support including assessment, follow-up, and participation in bereavement services.
Palliative Care Responsibilities
· Supports patients with serious illness and complex medical conditions.
· Assists with goals-of-care discussions and advance care planning.
· Addresses existential distress, meaning, hope, and coping.
· Functions as a member of the palliative care consultative team.
· Participates in interdisciplinary rounds and care conferences.
· Provides spiritual counseling during illness transitions.
Hospital Services Responsibilities
· Responds to spiritual care consults including ICU, trauma, crisis, and end-of-life situations.
· Provides crisis spiritual support during acute events.
· Supports families during hospitalization and decision-making.
· Facilitates clergy visits and community faith support.
· Provides staff support, debriefing, and resilience interventions.
· Identifies cultural, spiritual, and religious needs and makes appropriate referrals.
Core Spiritual Care Functions
· Offers consultation, care, comfort and support regarding the spiritual and emotional wellbeing of patients, families and care providers.
· Initiates appropriate pastoral intervention and prioritizes spiritual care needs through policy, process, and daily activity.
· Performs and documents spiritual assessments using structured tools.
· Documents spiritual care interventions and patient responses in the medical record.
· Provides advocacy and education regarding spiritual palliative care, advance directives, hospice, and end-of-life issues.
· Maintains pastoral care reports, statistics, and activity documentation.
· Coordinates with community clergy and faith-based resources.
· Oversees and manages pastoral care volunteer ministries including orientation, training and scheduling.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
· Works with nursing, social work, physicians, and case management.
· Participates in care conferences and interdisciplinary planning.
· Communicates spiritual needs impacting patient care.
· Makes referrals to additional supportive resources when appropriate.
Documentation & Compliance
· Documents assessments, interventions, and outcomes in the patient record.
· Ensures spiritual care is integrated into the plan of care.
· Maintains compliance with CMS and Joint Commission standards.
· Tracks pastoral care activities and service utilization.
NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Maintains a positive relationship with all departments, staff, physicians, and community.
CORE COMPETENCIES
WORK ENVIRONMENT & DEMANDS
T.J. Regional Health, the parent system of T.J. Samson Community Hospital and T.J. Health Columbia is accredited by The Joint Commission and is the healthcare destination in southcentral Kentucky. In addition to two hospitals, the growing organization owns and operates the T.J. Health Pavilion, the Family Medicine Center and Residency Program, the Shanti Niketan Hospice Home and Home Care Services, T.J. Orthopedics, Rural Health Clinics in Cave City, Columbia, Edmonton, Greensburg, Russell Springs, Scottsville, and Tompkinsville as well as R+ Med Spa in Glasgow. For more information about the services offered at T.J. Regional Health, please visit www.tjregionalhealth.org.
