Spiritual, Grief

**Job Title**: Spiritual, Grief & Bereavement Practitioner

**Representation**:Non-Union

**Department**:Stedman Community Hospice / Supportive Care

**Position Reports To**:Grief and Bereavement Program Lead and SJHS Director, Spiritual Care

**JOB SUMMARY**

Guided by SJLCB’s Mission, Vision, and Values, the Spiritual, Grief & Bereavement Practitioner (SGBP) operates as a member of the Stedman Community Hospice and Palliative Outreach team supporting the holistic philosophy of hospice palliative care. The SGBP provides psychosocial and spiritual care support for patients, families, and community clients. The SGBP also supports the learning and well-being of St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre Brantford staff and volunteers. The SGBP is an active member of the St. Joseph’s Health System Spiritual Care Community of Practice.

**Position Focus**: The SGBP provides Stedman Community Hospice patients and families with psychological, social, and practical services to help meet individual and or family needs prior to death, during the dying process, and following the death. This could include counseling on topics such as dying, death, existential meaning and purpose, spiritual distress, legacy work, culture, self-esteem, dignity, adaptation to illness and its consequences, social functioning, advocacy issues, funeral planning, financial, legal, relationships, communication, spiritual well-being, and grief and loss.

**KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES & SUCCESS CRITERIA**

Dually reporting to the Grief and Bereavement Program Lead, the SJHS Director of Spiritual Care, and working closely with the broader Hospice team, this role is responsible for:

- Performing all duties in accordance with the St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre Brantford Mission, Vision, and Values Policies and Procedures
- Using a collaborative approach to support patients and families with spiritual challenges such as existential questions about meaning and purpose, belief crisis, legacy work, and cultural needs that pertain to dying and death
- Providing practical assistance and information that pertains to goals of care as identified by the patient and their family
- Completing appropriate spiritual assessments for patients admitted to Hospice as well as patients receiving palliative Outreach services in the community.
- Providing bereavement support through one on one and group sessions where appropriate or referral to services and resources in the community
- In collaboration with the Clinical Nursing team, arranges and participates in care conferences to enhance whole-person care of each patient and family
- Participating in team rounds and daily assessments of the supportive care needs of the patient and their families
- Providing support for staff through reflections, shared events, and debriefings that are aimed toward strengthening and supporting the work and care of the hospice team
- Under the leadership of the GBPL, develops supportive care and educational programming that includes training of staff, students, volunteers, and community members.
- Acting as a liaison between the patient and their Clergy/Faith/Spiritual Leaders in order to facilitate the patient’s participation in religious and spiritual opportunities.
- Maintaining proper documentation of all interactions and interventions with patients and their families/care providers.
- Participating in ongoing professional development, educational workshops, courses, in-services, seminars, and retreats
- Actively participating as a member in the St. Joseph’s Health System Spiritual Care Community of Practice.
- This position may be required to perform additional related job functions beyond this description._

**QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS**
- Degree in a relevant field including but not limited to Divinity, Theology, Pastoral/Spiritual Care, and Psychotherapy
- Regulated, or qualifying, to provide psychotherapy through membership in the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
- Certification in the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC) or commitment to complete certification within an agreed-upon timeframe
- Applicants with proven equivalent and related training and experience may also be considered
- Experience in palliative/hospice care including provision of grief and bereavement support
- Demonstrates and supports trauma informed approaches to care and services
- Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and Indigenous Reconciliation
- Able to build programs that model compassion and empower the community with an inclusive approach to various faiths and cultures
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills to support one-to-one counseling and required documentation
- Vulnerable Sector Police Check (favourable, within the past 12 months)
- Valid driver’s license, a reliable vehicle for work-related purposes

Stedman Community Hospice at St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre Brantford is an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion i