Chaplain

Sacred Heart Health Services; Yankton (SD); On-site; USD 33,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, SD, is seeking a Chaplain to minister to the spiritual and emotional needs of patients, families, and staff. The Chaplain collaborates with peers and leaders to integrate spiritual values into the medical plan of care.

Responsibilities include planning and delivering pastoral care, serving as a liaison to Catholic ministry, and assisting with crisis support and bereavement. Must have minimum education as listed and 1–3 years of pastoral experience.

Qualifications

• High School or GED or equivalent required.
• Bachelor's in Theology, Religious Studies or related field preferred.
• APC Board Certified Chaplain status preferred.
• Clinical Pastoral Education – 1 unit required or to be completed upon hire.
• Driver's license required per regional guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Provide spiritual care to patients and families aligned with medical plans.
• Consult with interdisciplinary team on spiritual needs and care goals.
• Plan, coordinate, and lead pastoral care sessions across the care continuum.
• Offer support during crises, bereavement, and end-of-life decisions.
• Document spiritual assessments in the patient record per policy.

Skills

Pastoral experience

Effective communication

Education

High School or GED Equivalent

Bachelor's in Theology

APC Board Certified Chaplain

CPE – 1 Unit

Driver's License

Job description

Job Details

• Location: Avera Sacred Heart Hospital
• Worker Type: Regular
• Work Shift: Day/Evening/Weekend/Holiday Shift (United States of America)
• Pay Range: The pay range for this position is listed below. Actual pay rate dependent upon experience. $24.00 - $36.50

Position Highlights

You Belong at Avera Be part of a multidisciplinary team built with compassion and the goal of Moving Health Forward for you and our patients. Work where you matter.

A Brief Overview Accountable to minister to the spiritual and emotional needs of the patient/family/residents and staff. This role is responsible for collaborating with peers, fellow employees and leaders, using theological and clinical training to help patients, families, and staff members cope with illness, trauma, death, and loss more effectively. The Chaplain will assess the patient's spiritual practices/values and assist in accommodating and integrating these values into the patient's medical plan of care and will communicate the spiritual assessment results as needed to the patient's interdisciplinary health care team all while maintaining an atmosphere of Christian, patient centered care at Avera.

What you will do

• Work with patients/families to understand implications of the suggested medical treatment plan in the framework of their spiritual beliefs, to work through difficult issues, and to support the interdisciplinary health care team.
• Available to consult and debrief with Avera departments, groups, and individual staff members in the event of unexpected or unsettling events.
• Communicate with the interdisciplinary health care team and obtain pertinent information regarding the patient’s condition, family dynamics, and the health care teams’ understanding of the need for spiritual care.
• Plan, facilitate, coordinate, and deliver pastoral and spiritual care to patients, families and staff who are formally consulted, who may be referred as part of the interdisciplinary team, the patient’s/family’s request, or through general rounding throughout the Avera facilities.
• Explore with the patient and family belief and meaning in illness and crisis situations, respecting the goals, desires, and choices of each person.
• Gather and evaluate relevant data pertinent to the patient’s situation and/or bio- psycho-social-spiritual/religious health. Assessment and reassessment are fundamental parts of the Chaplain’s duties, assisting other team members in the development of the patient’s plan of care.
• Assist patients/families/staff in times of crisis, bereavement, and important end of life questions and decisions. This will include addressing patients and families in distress.
• Provide encouragement and support during illness, empowering patients to embrace their spiritual/religious strengths and inner resources for healing.
• Proficient in planning, facilitating, coordinating and delivering leadership of spirituality groups, ecumenical devotional services, family conferences, public prayers at Avera meetings, including but not limited to dedications and remembrance services.
• Serve as a liaison to Catholic Chaplains to assist in facilitating and coordinating Sacramental Roman Catholic Ministry needs and requests.
• Serve as a liaison to community clergy; contacting them for specific family/patient needs or requests.
• Be a public relations advocate and may invite community clergy to visit their parishioners as appropriate, within Avera policies and guidelines.
• Document information in the electronic record that is relevant to the patient’s medical, psycho-social and spiritual/religious goals. The documentation recognizes regulatory guidelines regarding confidentiality, while providing the interdisciplinary team with information about relevant spiritual needs and concerns that impact the patient’s care and disposition.

Essential Qualifications

The individual must be able to work the hours specified. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily including having visual acuity adequate to perform position duties and the ability to communicate effectively with others, hear, understand and distinguish speech and other sounds. These requirements and those listed above are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the essential job functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions, as long as the accommodations do not cause undue hardship to the employer.

Required Education, License/Certification, or Work Experience

• High School or GED Equivalent

Preferred Education, License/Certification, or Work Experience

• Bachelor's in Theology, Religious Studies or related field.
• Association of Professional Chaplains (Board Certified Chaplain) - Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc.
• Upon Hire Clinical Pastoral Education - 1 Unit - Association of Pastoral Education # of units and timeframe to complete may vary by region.
• Upon Hire Drivers License - Licensing Board
• Upon Hire Good standing in the church, denomination and/or religious order through ecclesiastical endorsement.
• 1-3 years of pastoral experience
• Knowledge and appreciation of Catholic Ethical and Religious Directives Expectations and Standards Commitment to the daily application of Avera’s mission, vision, core values, and social principles to serve patients, their families, and our community. Promote Avera’s values of compassion, hospitality, and stewardship. Uphold Avera’s standards of Communication, Attitude, Responsiveness, and Engagement (CARE) with enthusiasm and sincerity. Maintain confidentiality. Work effectively in a team environment, coordinating work flow with other team members and ensuring a productive and efficient environment. Comply with safety principles, laws, regulations, and standards associated with, but not limited to, CMS, The Joint Commission, DHHS, and OSHA if applicable.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Avera is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, Veteran Status, or other categories protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation for help with your online application, please call 1-605-504-4444 or send an email to [e-mail].

Employer Culture

At Avera, the way you are treated as an employee translates into the compassionate care you deliver to patients and team members. Because we consider health care a ministry, you can live out your faith, uphold the dignity and respect of all persons while not compromising high-quality services.

Join us in making a positive impact on moving health forward.