Spiritual Counselor

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Assures spiritual assessment of patients, and families/caregivers in the palliative care program and appropriate services are rendered in a timely manner
• Participates in the development of the individualized plan of care by participating in the comprehensive assessment to meet identified spiritual needs
• Provides direct spiritual care to patients and families/caregivers
• Serves as liaison and support to community chaplains and spiritual counselors
• Maintains records or spiritual care services utilization and related activities for quality assurance, program development, and policies and procedures review and revision
• Documents direct services and ongoing communication with community chaplains and spiritual counselors
• Attends patient care conference and interdisciplinary group meetings as a member of the interdisciplinary group
• Recruit community chaplains, spiritual counselors, and spiritual care volunteers adequate to meet patient and family/caregivers needs by developing community contacts and offering education through congregations about palliative care
• Actively participates in quality assessment performance improvement team and activities
• Provides funeral or memorial services for patients as requested
• Plan periodic memorial services to meet the needs of personnel, volunteers, and community clergy/spiritual counselors working with the palliative care team
• Accepts and performs other related duties and responsibilities as required

Education and Experience

OR

• A spiritual care professional who has training in palliative care and/or hospice care or experience in hospice or palliative care including a parish nurse.
• Hospice experience preferred

Essential Skills and Abilities

• Ability to work as member of interdisciplinary group
• Comfort in an interfaith setting
• Ability to accept different lifestyles, cultures, beliefs, and values
• Ability to network with community clergy and congregations
• Must be a licensed driver with an automobile that is insured in accordance with state or organization requirements and is in good working order.
• Self-starter that can work independently and collaboratively, prioritize tasks and has initiative and excitement to take on unfamiliar tasks.
• Advanced knowledge of word processing, graphic presentation and computer software related to specific tasks
• Demonstrated excellent computer and word processing skills with special emphasis on calendaring, presentation, and spreadsheet capabilities
• Working knowledge of company policies, procedures, and operations
• Excellent composition, grammar, and business language skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively communicate with all levels of management, patients, and family members.
• Creative, flexible, well organized, resourceful, and detail-oriented
• Excellent judgment in handling confidential and sensitive information
• Ability to work independently, set priorities and handle multiple tasks with a high level of efficiency
• Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with others
• Ability to work across locations and time zones

Core Competencies

• Instills trust
• Customer focus
• Manages ambiguity
• Collaborates
• Drives results