Hospice Chaplain

Tufts Medicine•Lowell, MA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role focuses on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of patients and can provide services if necessary. In addition, this role focuses on performing spiritual care duties: Provides spiritual care to patients, provides support for emotional, spiritual, and social needs to patients to ensure personal needs are met, and can refer to religious or non-religious care. May include visitations at home or in hospitals. This role involves offering spiritual and religious assistance to patients and their families in accordance with their individual needs, preferences, and belief systems. Working closely with a multidisciplinary team, this position ensures consistent emotional and spiritual support for patients, families, visitors, and staff members. Serves patients and families from various faith backgrounds and diverse cultural contexts. Engages in personal interactions, provides crisis intervention, and offers solace to patients and families. Facilitates decision-making processes by drawing upon their understanding of religious heritage, theological values, behavioral sciences, and bio-ethical principles. Intervenes during crisis situations.

Requirements

Master of Divinity degree or equivalent from an accredited school or seminary.
Completion of one (1) unit of Clinical Pastoral Education.
Exceptional communication and listening skills.
Knowledge of, and sensitivity to, the spiritual issues expressed by the terminally ill and their families.
Ability to be open and accepting in serving patients/families of differing faiths.
Ability to read/write and communicate in English.
Excellent interpersonal skills.
Ability to function well in very busy situations.
Responsible and reliable.
Good organization skills.
Understands family dynamics and works effectively within various types of family systems.
Knowledgeable about bio-ethical principles and the spiritual and emotional challenges encountered in healthcare settings.

Nice To Haves

Completion of four (4) units of Clinical Pastoral Education.
National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), or College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) certification.
Three (3) years of Chaplaincy experience.
Endorsed standing as a minister, priest, rabbi, or member of a religious order.
Experience in a health care setting or working with end-of-life care.
Knowledge of CQI process.

Responsibilities

Visits with newly admitted patients to assess the need for spiritual/emotional support and completes an initial spiritual assessment as required by Medicare Conditions of Participation guidelines.
Provides spiritual support and interventions in a nonjudgmental manner to patients and families in various life situations and crisis circumstances through follow-up visits when appropriate, based on assessment and patient/family wishes.
Provides crisis intervention to assist patients and their families when dealing with trauma and grief due to loss of life.
Participates in interdisciplinary rounds on all units as an integral partner of the health care team, and in interdisciplinary team conferences to assist in developing and reviewing care plans.
Participates in patient/family meetings to facilitate decision making concerning advance care planning and end-of-life issues.
Provides grief and bereavement support, sacramental ministry, and end-of-life care to patients, families, and staff.
Serves as a liaison with notification and involvement of patient/family's own spiritual community at patient/family's request, and assists with funeral and memorial services when requested.
Communicates relevant patient information with other disciplines through the use of referral systems, chart entries, and other mechanisms in the clinical setting.
Documents all contacts per procedure including visits, telephone calls, assessments, interventions, responses to interventions, and communications.
Maintains professionalism with colleagues, peers, patients, and families, and puts forth a positive agency image.
Serves as a resource to staff and provides in-services to staff and volunteers regarding differing theological points of view, rituals, customs, and beliefs and the role of the chaplain.
Participates in patient care conferences, bereavement meetings, training programs, and other events as appropriate and needed.
Maintains knowledge and understanding of what to report to the CEO or Chief Compliance Officer when concerns of corporate compliance arise.
Adheres to the ethical standards set forth by Hospital policy and chaplaincy professional organizations.
Ensures compliance within guidelines set forth by regulatory agencies (DPH, ERISA etc.) and compliance with policies and procedures.
Practices confidentiality principles set by the agency and federal HIPAA/HITECH guidelines.
Participates in all mandatory in-services.