Job Description

Chaplain

The Chaplain provides religious and spiritual leadership and guidance to patients, patient families, residents and staff of the facilities at Westchester Medical Center. Incumbents must be available on a 24 hour basis to respond to emergency needs. Does related work as required.

Responsibilities:

• Schedules, plans and conducts religious services and administers rites according to the practices of the religion represented.
• Provides 24 hour crisis intervention service which includes counseling with family of critically ill infants, AIDS patients, terminally ill patients, employees suffering from burnout and guidance on personal and spiritual problems to employees, patients, inmates, and their families, and administers prayer and sacramental ministry, and provides follow-up pastoral care and community support.
• Provides particular care to patients and inmates with urgent needs such as the seriously or terminally ill, psychologically and emotionally disturbed, and pre-operative and post-operative patients.
• Visits and talks with patients, residents and inmates to minister to their moral, religious and related needs.
• Provides information to patients, residents and inmates of the availability of chaplaincy and chapel services.
• Conducts religious educational and training programs, organizes discussions pertaining to issues of concern and importance to staff, volunteers, community clergy and the general public.
• Consults with the Director Pastoral Care, other chaplains, institution administrators and specialists in the coordination of the religious program and its relationship to the overall function of the institution.
• Consults with personnel and community clergy about ethical issues and spiritual needs and resources in comprehensive health care treatment.
• Maintains good standing within own faith group by accountability to ecclesiastical authorities and attending convocations, committee meetings, conferences and retreats to educate others on the spiritual needs of patients.
• Recruits, screens, trains, assigns, supervises and evaluates volunteer assistants to the Chaplain who greatly increase the scope of chaplaincy services through their volunteer efforts.
• Assists patients and staff in various matters of the department such as requests for organ donations.
• Remains abreast of research and new developments in pastoral care and counseling within the medical or correctional setting, by conducting studies, and attending seminars, workshops and other continuing education events.
• Maintains a collegial rapport with professional organizations and groups of different denominations or ordaining authority.
• Reviews professional journals to remain up to date with occurrences in the research of psychology, religion, health and other fields relevant to the position.

Qualifications/Requirements:

Experience: Ordination and endorsement for the specialized ministry of chaplaincy or pastoral care by a chaplain's adjudicatory authority. Education: Master's degree in religion, pastoral counseling, divinity or theology, required.

Licenses / Certifications: Either: (a) certification on a national level as a member of one of the appropriate credentialing professional associations (e.g., the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, the College of Chaplains, or the Joint Certification Standards of Ministries in Specialized Settings); or (b) certification on a state level by the New York State Council of Churches Department of Chaplains, the New York Board of Rabbis or the New York Conference of Catholic Bishops; or (c) ecclesiastical endorsement by the Archdiocese of New York (for Catholic Chaplains only).

Other: Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of the religion represented; knowledge of health care procedures; knowledge of the parish clergy's ministry; knowledge and appreciation for other faiths and denominations within those faiths; familiarity with the operation of the hospital's nursing, geriatric and psychiatric units; skill in interpersonal communication; ability to administer volunteer and educational programs; ability to not allow one's own emotional needs or psychological dynamics interfere with the duties of the position; ability to commit oneself to caring for the spiritual, psychosocial and physical needs of persons served; ability to incorporate operational and integrated knowledge of the field in making pastoral diagnostic assessments; ability to assist in the administering of the parish clergy's ministry to congregants; ability to design and conduct educational events and programs for professional and non-professional groups; ability to approach with understanding individual spiritual and personal problems; ability to understand the special problems of and to deal effectively with the sick, the aged, and law offenders; ability to work in cooperation with clergymen of all faiths and with institution staff; ability to use computer applications such as spreadsheets, word processing, calendar, email and database software; ability to read, write, speak, understand and communicate sufficiently in English to perform the essential functions of the position; dependability; flexibility; perception; insight; resourcefulness; initiative; integrity; sound judgment; physical condition commensurate with the requirements of the position.

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