Chaplain (Part-Time)

QueensCare; Los Angeles, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

QueensCare Health Alliance (QHA) seeks a Hospital Chaplain to provide spiritual guidance, emotional support, and pastoral care to patients, families, and staff at QueensCare, QHA, and Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital. Responsibilities include patient care planning, documentation in the EHR, and participation in professional chaplain activities.

The role requires a divinity/theology degree, ACPE CPE units, ordination or endorsement, and hospital chaplain experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in divinity, theology, religious studies or equivalent.
• ACPE clinical pastoral education units completed at an ACPE-accredited medical center.
• Minimum two CP E units or eligibility for chaplain certification by national bodies.
• Ordination, endorsement, or reference from a faith group.
• Experience with adults, children, and families from diverse backgrounds.
• At least one year of hospital staff chaplain or military chaplaincy experience.
• Experience in crisis response and spiritual care within a healthcare setting.
• Ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary care team.
• Bilingual Spanish is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide crisis intervention and bereavement counseling to patients and families.
• Visit patients, assess sacramental needs, and support care plans.
• Document care and interventions in the hospital EHR.
• Conduct religious services and lead spiritual support activities.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to plan patient care.
• Engage in community outreach and educational workshops.
• On-call for after-hours and weekend spiritual care.

Skills

Crisis counseling

Bereavement support

Spiritual care

Team collaboration

Bilingual Spanish

Interpersonal communication

Education

Divinity/Theology degree

ACPE CPE units

Chaplain certification eligibility

Ordination/endorsement

Tools

Zoom

Teams

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Outlook

EHR

Job description

Founded more than a century ago by the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, QueensCare continues the legacy of compassionate care through grants, scholarships, and support for inpatient healthcare.

In addition to the strategic philanthropy, QueensCare Health Alliance (QHA), an affiliate of QueensCare, delivers direct medical, dental, vision, mental, and spiritual care through mobile and community-based programs at schools, social service organizations, and places of worship, all at no cost to patients.

By partnering with local nonprofits, healthcare providers, and community organizations through grantmaking and collaborative programs, QueensCare serves as a connector in the healthcare ecosystem, strengthening access to care and improving health outcomes across Los Angeles County

Our Mission

As a faith-based organization, QueensCare provides, directly and in collaboration with others, accessible quality healthcare for low-income individuals and families residing in Los Angeles County.

QueensCare is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization originally founded by the Franciscan Sisters of Sacred Heart, whose mission of compassion and accessible healthcare continues today. QueensCare provides screening, treatment, education, and preventive and direct care to Los Angeles area residents in need. Beyond that, we also give charitable grants to other non-profits making a difference in the City of Angels and fund scholarships for those entering medical fields with an interest in working in underserved communities.

About the role

Under the supervision of the Associate Director of Health Services, the Chaplain provides spiritual guidance, emotional support, and pastoral care to patients, their families, and staff at QueensCare, QueensCare Health Alliance (QHA), and Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital (HPMC). This role involves working as a member of the interdisciplinary patient care team, participating in patient care planning, and documenting all relevant interventions in the patient record using established charting methods.

What you'll do

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Patient care and Spiritual support

• Works with individuals, couples, families, and small groups offering support and encouragement to people by providing crisis intervention, grief and bereavement counseling, family support counseling, staff counseling, and pre-surgical and postsurgical counseling.
• Takes responsibility for assigned areas of care within the hospital including visiting patients, assessing sacramental needs of patients, completing advanced directives, etc.
• Provides individualized patient care when conducting spiritual and emotional assessments and creating follow-up responses.
• Ensures holistic person-centered care is offered in the overall care plan of the patient and their support.
• Completes clinical documentation of patient’s medical records in the Electronic Health System utilized at the HPMC.
• Adapts readily to changes in information technology applications and systems related to the job.
• Participates as an integral member of committees and interdisciplinary teams to formulate and evaluate patient care needs.
• Conducts religious services for patients as requested and participates in various professional associations for personal and professional growth with the goal of promoting spiritual wellbeing for patients by building community clergy connections and relationships.
• Provides bereavement services, facilitate staff and patient prayer and meditation services.
• Provides patient, family, and/or staff visitation and support as needed.
• Performs and participates in religious services facilitated by the department.
• Always maintains professional boundaries with clients.
• Provides spiritual support groups and educational workshops to community members at designated partner sites.
• Takes on on-call responsibilities to provide services after operational hours and on weekends.
• Attends health fairs as needed to support community outreach.
• Collaborates with other programs and community organizations to link services and enhance service delivery.
• Performs other duties as assigned to support organizational goals and functionality.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree and advanced study in divinity, theology, religious studies, and behavior sciences or equivalent.
• Completion of clinical pastoral education (CPE) units at a medical center accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE).
• A minimum of two units of clinical pastoral education and/or eligible for certification by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains, Association of Professional Chaplains, National Association of Jewish Chaplains, or a similar group.
• Ordination, endorsement, or reference from a denomination or faith group.

EXPERIENCE

• Experience working with adults, children, and families from diverse social, cultural, educational, and economic backgrounds.
• At least one year hospital staff chaplain or military chaplaincy experience.
• Experience in managing or responding to crisis situations.
• Experience working with faith communities and demonstrates spiritual maturity.

KNOWLEDGE

• Understanding of various religious doctrines, beliefs, and practices.
• Understanding of and sensitivity to cultural, religious, and spiritual diversity among patients, families, and staff.
• Familiarity with counseling approaches and techniques tailored to diverse spiritual needs.
• Effectively work as part of an interdisciplinary team, including understanding other healthcare professionals' roles.
• Basic knowledge of the healthcare system and common medical procedures.
• Promotion of process improvement.
• Demonstrates proficiency in computer applications such as Zoom, Teams, Microsoft Excel, Power Point, Word, Outlook, and EHR.
• Demonstrates excellent communication skills, both oral and written, must be bilingual (Spanish- oral).

SKILLS

• Works well with children, adolescents, and adults.
• Organizational skills and attention to detail to manage administrative tasks efficiently.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to interact compassionately with patients of diverse backgrounds.
• Understands which decisions can be made alone and which decisions need to involve others.
• Demonstrates a self-directed mature, disciplined, and tactful approach to fulfilling job duties.
• Demonstrates ability and flexibility to work in other areas of the organization as needed.
• Demonstrates excellent communication skills, both oral and written, preferably
• Ability to obtain CPR/First Aid certification and provide standard first aid care.
• Ability to celebrate Liturgy and administer sacraments, preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and sit. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or sit. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 15 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. The employee is occasionally required to ascend and descend one flight of stairs. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is often low. However, there are many times when there is a high ambient background noise of phones and multiple conversations. Must be able to screen out the background noise to concentrate on the work