CHAPLAIN NON CERT

Dignity Health; Santa Maria (CA); On-site; USD 44,606 - 66,358; Full time

Job summary

Dignity Health is seeking a Chaplain in Santa Maria, California to provide spiritual support to patients and families. This position demands a compassionate leader skilled in spiritual counseling, crisis intervention, and collaboration with healthcare teams.

The ideal candidate will hold a Master's in Theology and possess experience in clinical settings. The role emphasizes respect for diverse beliefs and the provision of compassionate care in a dynamic hospital environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in clinical specialty areas addressing spiritual needs.
• Ability to function in crisis situations and provide pastoral care.

Responsibilities

• Provide spiritual support and counseling to patients and families.
• Assess spiritual needs and offer appropriate interventions.
• Collaborate with healthcare teams for integrated patient care.
• Support patients and families during crises and deaths.

Skills

Compassionate care

Effective communication

Crisis management

Cultural understanding

Education

Masters degree in theology or related field

Job description

Job Summary And Responsibilities

As our Chaplain, you will serve as a vital spiritual leader and compassionate caregiver within our hospital community, providing essential spiritual counseling and support to patients, families, and staff.

Every day, you will provide direct spiritual, religious, and existential care, offering compassionate presence, support, and appropriate rituals to patients, families, and staff, especially during times of crisis or grief. You will collaborate with the healthcare team to advocate for spiritual needs and integrate holistic care, ensuring respect for diverse beliefs.

To be successful in this role, you must be a highly compassionate individual, comfortable and skilled in engaging with people who may be emotional, panicked, stressed, or in pain. You'll need the proven ability to provide empathetic care, adapt to diverse spiritual needs, and communicate effectively within a multidisciplinary team.

Technical / Functional Responsibilities

• Provides spiritual support and counseling to patients, families, personnel and medical staff, taking special note of newly admitted and critically ill patients.
• Assesses spiritual/religious/sacramental needs of patients and families and provides follow-up as needed.
• Responds in an appropriate and timely manner to all referrals for spiritual care services and provides documentation in the patient’s medical record.
• Collaborates with members of the interdisciplinary team and medical staff to provide total patient care. Participates in patient care conferences.
• Provides effective and appropriate spiritual care interventions during applicable codes and other patient crises. Acts as a liaison between family, healthcare personnel and medical staff.
• Provides spiritual care to the dying. Responds to patient deaths and provides spiritual and emotional support to family and loved ones if present.
• Collaborates with the Director of Spiritual Care and Bioethics Committee members in addressing medical ethical issues with patients, families and other health care professionals. Participates in patient care conferences to address treatment decisions as appropriate.
• Provides primary coverage for areas assigned -- which may include both inpatient and outpatient areas. Collaborates with staff to provide additional spiritual support assistance when needed.
• Collaborates with faith community representatives, including local clergy and volunteers, to provide continuity of spiritual care for patients and families.

Additional Duties

• Reviews patient admission data to ensure proper religious preference is identified in the patient’s medical record.
• Reviews appropriate clinical data to assist in the spiritual care of patients.
• Reviews patient directory/information as necessary to provide appropriate spiritual care services.

Abilities

• Ability to work effectively with the sick and dying, respond effectively in crisis situations and effectively deal with stress.
• Basic understanding of differences among cultures, particularly Hispanic.
• Commitment to one’s own personal and spiritual growth.
• Ability to utilize and explore options for technology providing connection and spiritual support for patients, families, and staff in the outpatient setting.

Mission Services

• Supports mission integration processes and activities which effectively support and promote the mission and values of Dignity Health.
• Promotes the mission and values as communicated in Dignity Health’s Statement of Common Values.
• Collaborates with the Director of Spiritual Care to promote Spirituality in the Workplace and ensure the integration of spiritual care in patient care processes.

Professional Conduct

• Employee has the willingness and ability to perform additional duties and responsibilities in different areas of the department on an as‑needed basis or as determined by management.
• Follows established departmental policies.
• Communicates well with supervisor – reporting problems with equipment, supplies or procedures. Requests assistance as appropriate.
• Maintains good attendance and punctuality.
• Consistently projects positive professional image through appearance and behavior.
• Regularly participates in spiritual care department staff meetings.

Performance Improvement

• Errors, inefficiencies and inaccuracies are brought to management’s attention with suggestions for improvement.
• Develops innovative solutions to departmental problems.
• Identifies and implements methods of improving the quality of spiritual care of patients, families, physicians, and other members of the healthcare team.
• Measures progress against quality goals.

Job Requirements

Required

• Masters degree in theology or related field and Experience working in clinical specialty areas and the ability to effectively meet and address pastoral and spiritual needs., upon hire

Preferred

• Certificate Other Board certified, or certification eligible chaplain with current CPE completed, or the ability to complete at least 2 units of CPE and Experience in chaplaincy in the hospital and outpatient settings, upon hire and
• Experience with completing spiritual care assessments in an Electronic Health Record and
• Additional experience in outpatient spiritual care and
• Minimum of one-year experience in hospital chaplaincy
• Catholic Chaplain, upon hire

Where You’ll Work

Founded in 1940, Dignity Health - Marian Regional Medical Center is a 191‑bed, acute care, nonprofit hospital located in Santa Maria, California. Serving over 250,000 patients annually, the hospital offers a full complement of services including Level II Trauma Center, Level III NICU, cancer care, orthopedics, and stroke care. Additionally, Marian Regional Medical Center has been recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. It is a Joint Commission‑certified Primary Stroke Center, and the only healthcare facility on the Central Coast to offer ECMO.

Pay Range

$32.38 - $48.17 /hour