Chaplain - Houston , TX

Heart to Heart Hospice; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Heart to Heart Hospice seeks an experienced Chaplain to deliver spiritual care for patients and families in a hospice setting. You will conduct spiritual assessments, provide counseling, and support bereavement needs across diverse faith traditions.

You will join an interdisciplinary team, participate in IDG updates, and ensure compliance with federal/state regulations and internal policies, while maintaining compassionate care.

Qualifications

• Bachelor/M.Div or equivalent from an accredited seminary or school of theology.
• One unit of CPE (400 supervised hours) from ACPE-accredited program; four units preferred.
• Board certified chaplain (BCC) or equivalent credential through APC, NACC, NAJC, or ACPE.
• Ordination by a recognized religious body with a minimum of three years of active pastoral ministry in grief/bereavement or hospice/healthcare chaplaincy.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage an assigned caseload of hospice patients and their families.
• Conduct individualized spiritual assessments across faith traditions.
• Provide pastoral counseling, crisis intervention, and emotional support in real time.
• Participate in Interdisciplinary Group (IDG) with nursing, social work, and clinical leadership.
• Manage bereavement support relationships after a patient death, per professional assessment.
• Collaborate with clinical team to resolve spiritual, pastoral, and ethical issues.

Skills

English communication

Independent caseload management

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Pastoral counseling

Education

Bachelor/M.Div or equivalent

CPE (ACPE)

Board Certification (BCC)

Ordination with 3+ years pastoral ministry

Tools

EMR software

FireNote

Job description

You can Make A Difference in the lives of others!

At Heart to Heart Hospice, we provide “Compassionate Care from Our Hearts to Yours.” Our employees enhance the lives of patients with life-limiting illnesses and their loved ones,during a time when compassionate care is needed most. We are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of employees, offering the opportunity to be associated with caring teammates, and creating positive contributions in each community we serve.

Chaplain

What You Must Have:

• (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.

It is this Agency's policy to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to age, race, color, religion, military status, gender preference, sex, marital status, national origin or disability.