Chaplain - Patient Care

Heart to Heart Hospice; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Heart to Heart Hospice is seeking a compassionate Chaplain to provide spiritual care across interfaith settings for patients and families facing life-limiting illness. You will assess spiritual needs, offer counseling, and participate in the interdisciplinary group to plan care.

Independent caseload management, crisis support, and bereavement follow-up are key aspects of the role, with emphasis on dignity, respect, and culturally sensitive care.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Divinity, Master of Divinity, or equivalent graduate theological degree from an accredited seminary or school of theology.
• One unit of CPE (400 supervised hours) from an ACPE-accredited program; four units preferred.
• Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) or equivalent credential.
• Ordination with three years of active pastoral ministry in grief/bereavement or hospice/healthcare chaplaincy.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage an assigned caseload of hospice patients, determining visit frequency and pastoral approach.
• Conduct individualized spiritual assessments identifying needs across faith traditions.
• Provide professional pastoral counseling and crisis intervention to patients and families.
• Participate in the Interdisciplinary Group (IDG) presenting spiritual assessments and care plans.
• Manage bereavement support with families following patient death, based on professional assessment.
• Collaborate with clinical team to resolve spiritual, pastoral, and ethical issues.
• Maintain compliance with regulations and internal policies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Interfaith communication

Pastoral counseling

Crisis intervention

Independent caseload management

English communication

Education

Bachelor of Divinity / Master of Divinity or equivalent

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) – 1 unit (400 hours) ACPE accredited

Board Certification (BCC) or equivalent

Ordained Ministry with pastoral ministry experience

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.

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