Chaplain

Heart to Heart Hospice; Temple (TX); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Heart to Heart Hospice is seeking a Chaplain to provide professional spiritual care to hospice patients and families. The role requires advanced pastoral knowledge and the ability to navigate interfaith settings, with caseload management and collaboration in an IDG team.

The chaplain will conduct spiritual assessments, offer counseling, and lead bereavement support, while adhering to regulations and organizational policies. Experience in healthcare or death and dying preferred.

Qualifications

• Advanced pastoral knowledge required, acquired through multiple pathways.
• One of four pathways must be satisfied for qualification.
• Experience in healthcare or death and dying settings preferred.
• Ability to work in interfaith and multi-belief settings.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage an assigned caseload of hospice patients and determine visit frequency and pastoral approach.
• Conduct individualized spiritual assessments across faith traditions.
• Provide pastoral counseling, crisis intervention, and emotional support to patients and families.
• Participate in Interdisciplinary Group (IDG) meetings with nursing, social work, and clinical leadership.
• Manage bereavement support with families after patient death and coordinate bereavement contacts.

Skills

Pastoral counseling

Crisis intervention

Interfaith care

Independent caseload management

English communication

Education

Bachelor of Divinity

Master of Divinity

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)

Board Certified Chaplain (BCC)

Ordination with demonstrated pastoral ministry

Tools

EMR software

FireNote

Job description

Chaplain

What You Must Have:

Advanced pastoral knowledge and competency are required, and this organization recognizes that this knowledge is acquired through multiple pathways. Any one of the following pathways satisfies the qualifications requirement for this position:

• (1) Formal Theological Education: Bachelor of Divinity, Master of Divinity, or equivalent graduate theological degree from an accredited seminary or school of theology; OR
• (2) Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE): Minimum one (1) unit of CPE (400 supervised hours) from an ACPE-accredited program. Four units preferred; OR
• (3) Board Certification: Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) or equivalent credential through APC, NACC, NAJC, or ACPE; OR
• (4) Ordained Ministry with Demonstrated Pastoral Competency: Ordination by a recognized religious body AND a minimum of three (3) years of active pastoral ministry with demonstrated grief, bereavement, or death and dying ministry experience. Documented pastoral leadership, crisis counseling, or hospice/healthcare chaplaincy experience satisfies this pathway. No academic degree is required under this pathway.

Additional Requirements (all pathways):

• Minimum one (1) year of experience in a healthcare setting or with death and dying. Hospice or home health experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrates comfort working in an interfaith and multi-belief setting; ability to provide spiritual care without imposing personal religious beliefs.
• Current State Driver’s License and reliable transportation with valid auto liability insurance required.
• Proficiency with computer systems including EMR software; experience with FireNote preferred.
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills required.
• Demonstrated ability to manage an independent caseload with minimal supervision.

What You Will Do:

• Independently manage an assigned caseload of hospice patients, determining visit frequency, scheduling, and pastoral approach for each patient and family based on autonomous spiritual and clinical assessment.
• Conduct individualized spiritual assessments for each patient and family to identify spiritual needs, distress, strengths, and resources across all faith traditions and belief systems.
• Provide professional pastoral counseling, crisis intervention, and emotional support to patients and families in real time, applying independent judgment to determine the appropriate pastoral modality and response for each situation.
• Participate as a peer-level professional contributor in the Interdisciplinary Group (IDG), presenting independent spiritual care assessments and plan of care updates alongside nursing, social work, and clinical leadership.
• Independently manage the bereavement support relationship with families following patient death, determining duration, frequency, and content of bereavement contacts based on own professional assessment of each family’s grief trajectory.
• Collaborate with other clinical team members to resolve spiritual, pastoral, and ethical issues affecting patient care.
• Maintain compliance with all federal and state regulations, Medicare Conditions of Participation, and Heart to Heart internal policies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.