Home-Based Palliative Care Chaplain - Physician Practice

Home-based Palliative Care Chaplain – Physician Practice

Requisition #:
• Shift: Day
• Status:
Full Time with Benefits

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better. At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives and support each other in a culture rooted in connection and collaboration. The Chaplain provides compassionate pastoral ministry to all patients, families, loved ones, and team members, supporting them during crisis, anxiety, grief, and suffering. The Chaplain collaborates with the Palliative Care Team, works with community clergy, and maintains knowledge of diverse religious practices to ensure respect for patients’ beliefs and traditions.

• Supports spiritual and emotional needs based on initial and ongoing spiritual assessments and documents actions taken and plan of care in the patient's medical record.
• Develops patient spiritual care plans and collaborates with the care team by notating in the patient's chart. Conducts in-services for medical team members on issues relating to assessing and meeting spiritual care needs.
• Acts as a liaison between family and clinical team during crisis by supporting and comforting family members.
• Provides intensive and extensive pastoral care and spiritual counseling to patients, families and team members during and after critical events.
• Collaborates with Palliative Care Team and attends palliative care team meetings to provide optimal care and support during each phase of the patient's end of life process.
• Conducts patient rounds to assess and support spiritual needs of patients and collaborates with the care team on patient care planning.
• Visits patients and families who request pastoral care services.
• Participates in family conferences to support the patient, family, physicians and team members.
• Coordinates the use of local clergy and ministers from various faiths and denominations when appropriate.
• Provides the theological framework to assure spiritual care can be delivered through the coordinated efforts of the volunteer clergy network.
• Collaborates with volunteer service leaders on screening and training pastoral care volunteers.
• Participates in committee meetings to offer expertise, guidance and education in pastoral care matters concerning religion, culture and theology.
• Initiates and or leads team in emotional reflection at interdisciplinary team meetings.
• Provides liturgical/sacramental ministry of prayer, communion, emergency baptisms, memorial services, hospital celebrations, ceremonies and services.
• Proactively coordinate and lead didactics or educational training relating to pastoral care for all patient care teams.
• Make full use of one's own religious heritage, theological understanding, and knowledge of the behavioral sciences in pastoral ministry to persons and groups.
• Follows the highest standards of ethical conduct as outlined by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Educators.
• Maintains medical records, reports and data as necessary for regulatory reporting and continuous quality improvement.
• May be required to work weekends or as needed and carry a beeper or similar communication device.
• Identifies the needs of the patient population served and modifies and delivers care that is specific to those needs (i.e., age, culture, language, hearing and/or visually impaired, etc.). This process includes communicating with the patient, spouse, parent, and/or primary caregiver(s) at their level (developmental/age, educational, literacy, etc.).
• Adheres to the standards identified in the Medical Center's Organizational Competencies.
• Adheres to standards of competency in accordance with best practices of accrediting agencies (i.e., ACPE, CPSP, NACC) and professional certification standards.

• Successfully completed two units of Clinical Pastoral Education from a nationally recognized and accredited organization.
• Commit to participate in professional training towards certification(s) within 12 months of date of hire (i.e., board certified clinical chaplain, supervisor in training).
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in pastoral studies/theology/religious studies or related to congregational…