Chaplain-spiritual Care

**Work Type: Part Time**

Home to seven regional programs and comprehensive health-care services, Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN, pronounced wren) is committed to meeting the current and emerging needs in Waterloo-Wellington and beyond.

WRHN is redefining the health-care experience through collaboration and innovation, addressing barriers to access, advancing care delivery, and setting new standards in compassionate, empowered community-driven health care.

At WRHN, every patient is at the centre of everything we do as we strive to improve lives, inspire healing, and build healthier, stronger communities. By listening to patients and partners, we strive to connect communities to the right care, at the right place, and at the right time.

**Please Note**:New employees must provide documentation/proof of COVID-19 vaccination status, a 2-step TB test, as well as proof of immunity to measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox) prior to their start date at Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN). New Employees will require clearance from Employee Health, Safety and Wellness before they are able to begin any position within WRHN.

**Position Summary**:
Reporting to the Manager, Collaborative Practice - Spiritual Care, Ethics and Social Work, Chaplains at Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) are highly qualified and certified Spiritual Care and Counseling professionals, whereby they integrate spiritual and religious aspects of care into the delivery of services to patients, families, staff and volunteers. The Spiritual Care Team engages the care and treatment of the whole person (spiritual, physical, psychological, mental and social).

**Position Responsibilities**:
**Client Assessment**
- Provides spiritual and/or faith-based care and counselling, based on assessment, to inpatient and, as feasible, outpatient populations, and their attending family members, friends and significant others.
- Documents assessment, interventions and plan of care in the hospital’s patient documentation system.
- Explores the spiritual significance and meaning experienced in times of illness.
- Examines the implications of the patient’s life, family and community as a result of the medical experience.
- Provides bereavement support.
- Assesses and plans a response to the spiritual and emotional needs of patients and staff.

**Celebration/Commemoration/Memorial Services**
- Coordinates and provides services of celebration, commemoration or memorial respecting recipients' spiritual and faith-based beliefs and practices.
- Plan and conduct memorial and funeral services, as appropriate.
- Facilitates and provides spiritual and faith-based activities.
- Responds to and/or coordinates requests for spiritual care, including prayer, rituals, sacraments, and other faith
- or culture-specific practices, in alignment with the diverse spiritual and religious needs of individuals and communities served.

**Liaise with Community**
- Provides liaison services with community faith, and spiritual tradition representatives as appropriate and according to patients'/clients identified faith groups.
- Communicate respectfully across cultures and with persons of different faiths to provide the most appropriate care

**Education and Support**
- Educates and supports staff and volunteers who will engage in spiritual care visitation in healthcare facilities and faith/spiritual-based organizations in the community.
- Advocates for the spiritual and religious dimensions of care as an integral member of the interdisciplinary health care team.
- Supports staff as they provide care to patients and families, including crisis intervention, debriefing traumatic interventions, bereavement support, memorial services and other rituals.

**Mentoring**
- Provides guidance, support and advice to Spiritual Care Learners and/or Residents.
- Participate in educational and training programs of the Spiritual Care department.
- Demonstrate values and a commitment to foster a healthy, supportive work environment dedicated to delivering a high-quality care experience though compassion, innovation and respect.
- Adapt communication and interpersonal skills to deal effectively with patients and their families, co-workers, physicians, volunteers and others within our health care community.
- Abide by all WRHN policies and procedures, (i.e., Occupational Health & Safety Act, Public Hospitals Act,) position obligations, and perform work duties in accordance with WRHN’s Code of Conduct.
- Other duties as assigned.

**Position Requirements**:

- Master’s degree in theology studies.
- Minimum of one (1) year prior experience in the area of spiritual care
- Current member of the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC)Specialist certification in Supervised Pastoral Education (SPE) or pursuing certification process with commitment to complete within identified timeframe.
- Successfully able to perform their function in accordance with prescribed standards that focu