Spiritual Care Coordinator

When you come to the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, you’re coming to more than simply a beautiful 37-acre, 218-bed suburban Baltimore, Maryland campus. You’re embarking on a professional journey that encourages opportunities, values a team atmosphere, and makes convenience and flexibility a priority. Joining our team of healthcare professionals means you’ll be contributing to a locally and nationally recognized institution. UM St. Joseph has been recognized by The Leapfrog Group as a grade ‘A’ hospital and by U.S. News & World Report as #3 in both the state and Baltimore Metro area, making UM St. Joseph the highest-ranking community hospital in Maryland. In addition, we’ve been consistently recognized as a top employer by Baltimore magazine.

Principal Responsibilities and Tasks

1. Ensures that Spiritual Care is provided to patients, families, and employees in accordance with departmental procedures and accepted pastoral practices.

• Proactively provides Spiritual Care to patients, families/friends and employees, as needed, which respects diversity and religious traditions.
• Responds to requests for Spiritual Care to patients, families and/or employees by accepted forms of communication including but not limited to: EMR consults, Tiger Connect, phone, and verbal referrals.
• Responds to medical emergencies as appropriate and available.
• Supports the Chaplain assigned to collaborate with Palliative Care Team to assess and address the spiritual, religious, and existential dimensions of care.
• Works with all Chaplains to attend to identified end-of-life patients and their families, as needed.
• Documents Spiritual Care interventions in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) according to established departmental policies and procedures.
• Supports all Chaplains who attend multi-disciplinary rounds, as appropriate. Participates in patient/family conferences, as appropriate.
• Formulates and/or utilizes spiritual assessments, interventions, outcomes, and care plans in order to contribute effectively to the well-being of the patient/family receiving Spiritual Care services.

2. Provides Spiritual Care Program development, implementation and integration throughout UM SJMC.

• Incorporates Spiritual Care Services into the ongoing organizational life UM SJMC.
• Implements UM SJMC mission and goals as they relate to Spiritual Care Services.
• Ensures Spiritual Care Services meet all regulatory and policy requirements.
• Identifies and contributes to process improvement initiatives relevant to Spiritual Care Services, as appropriate.
• Oversees the provision of 24/7 Spiritual Care availability.

3. Assists the department director with the staffing, development, evaluation, and education of Spiritual Care Services volunteers and/or per diem/on-call chaplains.

• Develops relationships with regional religious offices, clergy, spiritual leaders and local houses of worship, as appropriate.
• Actively participates in recruiting and retaining local clergy to volunteer their services at UM SJMC.

4. Serves as leader, or arranges for, worship or special events:

• Provides and/or arranges leadership for worship events specific to the spiritual/religious needs of patients, families and staff, as appropriate.
• Provides and/or arranges leadership for special programs such as memorial services and unit/event blessings.
• Identifies need for structured religious and/or spiritual services, designs program in collaboration with appropriate Spiritual Care Services team members; works with Marketing and Communications creative team to create invitation/advertisement; identifies program participants offering guidance, as appropriate; tailors program content to specific need and situation; and recruits and enables others to lead recurring program(s)/services.
• Assists with general oversight of the chapel and any religion-specific spaces.
• Arranges for and maintains religion specific and/or spiritual resources.
• Administers Sacraments as authorized by his/her ecclesiastical body and level of ministerial rank, routinely and/or as dictated by emergent nature of request, and in accordance with policies and procedures of Spiritual Care Services.
• Leads staff debriefings as requested.
• Provides education to the UM SJMC staff relative to Spiritual Care and related topics.
• Supports the provision of educational opportunities in hospital Spiritual Care for area educational institutions and pastoral organizations in accordance with departmental procedures.
• Observes established UM SJMC policies, objectives, safety, environmental and infection prevention standards.
• Successfully completes all required UMMS and UMSJMC annual competencies.
• Functions as a staff chaplain on an as needed basis.

Education and Experience

• Master’s Degree in Divinity or a related theological field, from an accredited college, university or seminary is required.
• Ordination, rostering, or licensing as a religious leader in his/her faith tradition or equivalent designation is required.
• Letter of good standing from his/her faith tradition is required.
• Minimum of four units (Level I & II) of Clinical Pastoral Education from an accredited ACPE (Association for Clinical Pastoral Education) center is required.
• Certification as a Board-Certified Chaplain (BCC) by the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC) or cognate group is required within 5 years of hire.
• Minimum of two years-experience as a professional hospital chaplain and/or parish pastoral experience, with demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience is required. Self-directed; able to independently implement and expand programs.
• Maintenance of certification as a Board-Certified Chaplain is required.
• Adherence to Common Standards for Professional Chaplains is required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strategic thinker, insightful decision maker, with ability to analyze and solve problems.
• Skilled in leadership, coaching, teaching, team building.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate theory and practice of pastoral care is required.
• Knowledge of group dynamics and organizational behavior.
• Demonstrated knowledge of professional identity and conduct is required.
• Demonstrated skills in professional practice are required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of organizational leadership is required.
• Knowledge of theology, scripture, counseling skills, comparative religions, canonical law, and church practices. General knowledge of psychology and the health care field.
• Ability to handle confidential issues with the utmost integrity and discretion.
• Knowledge of research and applicability to discipline of pastoral care preferred.
• Knowledge and ability to understand procedures, practices and policies relative to Spiritual Care Services.
• Effective organizational skills are required. Ability to work under pressure and handle multiple tasks. Ability to prioritize work.
• Excellent customer service skills are required.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills and basic computer skills are necessary to work with various hospital departments, employees, patients and families.
• Ability to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the patient population(s) served. Ability to demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and ability to assess data reflective of the patient's requirements relative to his or her population-specific and age specific needs.

Patient Safety

Ensures patient safety in the performance of job functions and through participation in hospital, department or unit patient safety initiatives.

• Acts to correct observed risks to patient safety.
• Reports adverse events and near misses to appropriate management authority.
• Implements policies, procedure, and standards consistently in the performance of assigned duties.
• Develops effective working relationships and maintains good communication with other team members.
• Identifies possible risks in processes, procedures, devices and communicates the same to those in charge.

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