Chaplain

Scope of Department

The Department of Chaplaincy and Clinical Pastoral Education provides spiritual and emotional care to all Wexner Medical Center patients, families and staff; and provides an ACPE-accredited Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Program for local, national, and international students seeking clinical education in health care chaplaincy. Our department staff enables WMC to meet Joint Commission Standards related to spiritual/religious care for patients, and contributes to optimal patient experience. Chaplains assist patients, families and staff regarding: emotional and spiritual distress related to crisis situations, ongoing or chronic medical challenges, end of life/loss bereavement concerns, and religious-specific requests, such as sacramental/ritual needs or visits by faith leaders. Our staff assists medical center leadership in providing resiliency and bereavement support for hospital staff; educates patients, families and staff about spiritual care, and provides education about spirituality, illness and grief. Our staff serves on medical center committees to provide spiritual care input, and contributes to knowledge in our discipline. Our ACPE-accredited CPE Program provides clinically-based education in spiritual and emotional care for seminarians, faith leaders, those seeking to be professional health care chaplains, and for those preparing to be an ACPE Certified Educator.

Scope of Position

The Chaplain is responsible for providing optimal emotional and spiritual support to patients, families and staff in assigned clinical areas, and for providing spiritual care services and programs developed by the Department in his/her areas of responsibility. The Chaplain assesses patient and families spiritual, religious and emotional needs, offers interventions and services to address or meet those needs, and documents these in the medical record. The Chaplain provides crisis support/response for patients, families and staff. The Chaplain is the spiritual care specialist on the health care team, working collaboratively with providers, care team members, and chaplain colleagues, to provide optimal spiritual care to patients, families and staff of a variety of faith traditions. The Chaplain provides emotional and spiritual support/services for staff, particularly in times of distress, grief/bereavement, or crisis. The Chaplain is responsible for educating staff about spiritual/pastoral care and the departments services. The Chaplain mentors chaplain residents and chaplain interns, and supports and contributes to the CPE Program through teaching in their areas of expertise.

Position Summary

The Chaplain is responsible for the provision of spiritual/pastoral care services to patients, families and staff, and implements Department programs which provide support for clinical staff. The Chaplain provides spiritual support to persons of all faiths appropriate to their requests and needs. The Chaplain functions as a collaborative team member both within the Chaplaincy Department as well as within the health care team. The Chaplain participates in the operational procedures and program/service development of the Chaplaincy Department, and contributes to the mission of the medical center by involvement in committees relevant to their clinical/spiritual care. The Chaplain participates in education of staff, patients and CPE students, and contributes to the formation and dissemination of knowledge in the chaplaincy discipline.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master of Divinity Degree or equivalent degree in Theology from an accredited theological school university or seminary.

• Must be certified or certification eligible with the Association of Professional Chaplains, the National Association of Catholic Chaplains, or the National Association of Jewish Chaplains.* If not certified at the time of hire, completion of certification is expected within 3 years of hire date, unless a later time line is discussed and approved by the Director.

• *This certification requires a completed Bachelors degree, a Masters level theological degree or equivalent, four units of accredited Clinical Pastoral Education, a current endorsement for chaplaincy by a recognized religious/spiritual faith group, and appearance before a national certifying commission of the organization for assessment of competency.

• Excellent verbal and written communication, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills; ability to relate and work effectively with a wide variety of patients, families and staff.

• 0-2 years of relevant experience preferred.

Our Comprehensive Employee Benefits Include

• An array of retirement plan options, each with a generous employer contribution.

• Affordable health insurance options, including dental, vision and prescription coverage that begin on day one.

• Paid vacation and sick leave, including short and long-term disability and paid parental leave.

• Get the most out of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

• And much more!