Chaplain - 32hrs/week

Compassus•Wausau, WI

About The Position

The Chaplain is a hospice-trained individual who provides spiritual support to patients and their families. The Chaplain may be a priest, minister, rabbi, or another person with experience in spiritual support. The role complements, rather than replaces, the patient’s own clergy. The Chaplain models Compassus values and promotes its philosophy, upholds the Code of Ethical Conduct, and fosters positive working relationships across the company and with external stakeholders. The Chaplain explains hospice services and Medicare benefits, supports patients and families in accordance with their beliefs, and helps them through death, grief, and bereavement. As a member of the interdisciplinary team (IDT), the Chaplain contributes to care planning, communicates patient and family needs, coordinates spiritual care, and identifies when other IDT members may need to intervene. The role also includes documentation, liaison with the clerical community, and helping recruit clerical volunteers. This position requires a high school diploma or GED and at least one year of experience providing spiritual or pastoral support to individuals or families. Additional qualifications vary by state. The role involves regular standing, walking, and manual dexterity; lifting and moving objects up to 50 pounds; visual demands; and expected exposure to bodily fluids, infectious diseases, and other conditions typical of a healthcare setting. Routine use of standard medical equipment and clinical-care tools is required.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
At least one year of experience providing spiritual or pastoral support to individuals or families.
Ability to perform basic arithmetic, including computing rates, ratios, and percentages.
Ability to read and interpret business, professional, technical, and regulatory materials; write reports and correspondence; and present information and respond to questions.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to understand, read, write, and speak English.
Ability to understand and embrace hospice philosophy.
High integrity, including maintaining the confidentiality of patient records.
Strong counseling skills for terminally ill patients and their families, and a positive, compassionate, and empathetic attitude.
Ability to counsel patients and families and assist local clergy in providing pastoral care.
Physical ability to regularly stand and walk, use manual dexterity, and lift and move objects up to 50 pounds; visual acuity and focus-adjustment capabilities are also required.
Ability to work in a healthcare setting with expected exposure to bodily fluids, infectious diseases, and conditions typical of the field, and to use standard medical equipment and clinical-care tools.
Florida: Meet at least one of the following: a ministry degree from a college, university, or divinity school; documentation of one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) focused on healthcare ministry; or documentation of formal training in the applicant’s religious or belief system qualifying them to perform pastoral services.
Georgia: Documentation of ordination or commission by a recognized faith group and completion of at least one unit of clinical pastoral education from a nationally recognized provider.
Louisiana: Meet at least one of the following: a Bachelor of Divinity, Master of Divinity, or equivalent theological degree or training; equivalent training from an accredited university; or equivalent experience with training and supervision in spiritual counseling from an individual with the required education.
Missouri: Education in counseling or a related field, such as mental health, psychology, addiction, comparative religions and spiritual practices, or thanatology; bachelor’s degree preferred. Complete employer-provided additional training within 90 days of hire, covering death and dying, belief systems, spiritual assessment skills, and other relevant areas.
Mississippi: Bachelor of Divinity, Master of Divinity, or equivalent theological degree or training.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Divinity, Social Sciences, or another related field, unless required by state regulation.
Completion of at least one unit of CPE, unless required by state regulation.
At least one year of experience providing pastoral support related to loss, grief, bereavement, or trauma.

Responsibilities

Explain hospice services and Medicare benefits to patients and families, and obtain Informed Consent and Election of Benefits documents as requested.
Submit appropriate documentation and paperwork to facilities after patient visits, in a timely manner and according to company policy.
Articulate the federal and applicable state regulatory framework governing the Spiritual Counselor role.
Participate as a member of the IDT, including in developing and implementing the plan of care.
Provide spiritual care to patients and families and support involvement of community clergy at their request.
Help identify when intervention from other IDT members is needed.
Communicate patient and family needs effectively to the IDT.
Collaborate with the IDT to coordinate appropriate, continuous, and quality spiritual care for patients and families.
Maintain comprehensive, up-to-date care plans reflecting patients’ current problems, goals, and interventions.
Respect families’ environments and belief systems and remain nondiscriminatory regarding personal characteristics and matters.
Provide counseling in accordance with patients’ and families’ beliefs.
Support patients and families as they work through death, grief, and bereavement.
Act as a liaison with the clerical community to interpret hospice patients’ and families’ needs and help recruit clerical volunteers.
Perform other duties as assigned.