Hospice chaplain/bereavement coordinator

Willow Branch Hospice; Elmhurst (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Willow Branch Hospice seeks a compassionate Hospice Chaplain/Spiritual Care Counselor and Bereavement Coordinator to serve patients and families. This role includes chaplain visits, multidisciplinary collaboration, and support for bereavement programs, with travel across the service area.

Qualified candidate will have a Bachelor's in Theology/Divinity, 1 year healthcare chaplain experience, and CPT education; Master's preferred. EMR documentation and English fluency are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's preferred.
• Area of Study: Theology and/or Divinity.
• Minimum 1 year of experience; Chaplain in healthcare setting preferred.
• Clinical Pastoral Education: 1 unit required; 2+ units preferred.
• English fluency to perform job duties.

Responsibilities

• Provide spiritual counseling and assess patients within 5 days of admission.
• Develop and implement the interdisciplinary care plan for spiritual needs.
• Offer ongoing spiritual support aligned with patient wishes and beliefs.
• Collaborate with local clergy when desired by the patient.
• Document evaluations, care plans, and daily notes in the EMR.
• Coordinate weekly visit scheduling with Case Managers for care coordination.
• Participate in IDG and QAPI meetings and activities.
• Provide funeral or memorial services as requested.
• Support bereavement programs and staff as needed.
• Commit to ongoing self-development and training.

Skills

Compassionate care

Communication

Time management

EMR documentation

Driving/travel

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Tools

EMR

Job description

We are looking for a Hospice Chaplain/Spiritual Care Counselor and Bereavement Coordinator- This position would cover Hospice Chaplain visits/caseload of patients, as well as assist with managing the bereavement program. Must be willing to travel throughout the organization's service area including: Coverage could include Northbrook, Grayslake, Libertyville, Park Ridge, St Charles, Lisle, Oak Brook, Lagrange. The directly covered service area for this position will continue to decrease as we continue to develop the south and west areas more.

Join Our Mission to Bring Hospice Back to What It Should Be

Are you a compassionate and dedicated professional who believes every patient deserves dignity, comfort, and respect? Do you want to work for an organization where your voice matters, your contributions are valued, and your passion for caring for others is shared by your leadership team?

If so, we invite you to join us.

About Us

Founded just two years ago by experienced hospice nurses, our organization was built on a simple but powerful vision: to bring hospice care back to what it should be. We saw an opportunity to create a hospice focused on patients, families, and the dedicated professionals who care for them every day.

As a growing hospice organization, we are committed to delivering exceptional end-of-life care that honors the unique needs, wishes, and values of every patient and family we serve. Just as importantly, we are building a workplace culture where employees feel respected, supported, heard, and empowered to do their best work.

Our core values are reflected in the word RESPECT:

Responsibility

Supportive

Empathy

Celebrating

Together

These values guide everything we do, from the way we care for our patients to the way we support one another as a team.

We believe hospice care is about people first. That's why we're dedicated to creating an environment where team members can thrive, grow professionally, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and families during life's most important journey.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to be part of a growing organization and help shape its future.
• A culture built by hospice professionals who understand the challenges and rewards of providing exceptional end-of-life care.
• Growth and development opportunities as we continue to expand.
• A supportive, respectful, and collaborative work environment.
• Competitive compensation and benefits.

Join a team that's building something different. Join a hospice founded on compassion, driven by purpose, and committed to bringing hospice back to what it should be.

Position Summary:

The Spiritual counselor is responsible for providing counseling or arranging counseling to meet the spiritual needs of the patients/ family members/caregivers in a manner consistent with their beliefs and desires and in accordance with the patient's plan of care.

Essential Functions:

• Conduct a spiritual assessment as part of the comprehensive assessment within 5 days of admission to the hospice program.
• Assist in development and implementation of the interdisciplinary patient care plan as it pertains to spiritual care.
• Provide spiritual support in accordance with on-going wishes and needs of the patient/family in accordance with their religious preferences or definition of spirituality.
• Work in close collaboration with local clergy when desired by the patient.
• Maintain and submit written clinical records as deemed by the Agency, including the initial evaluation, the care plan, and daily notes.
• Submit complete, accurate and relevant clinical notes in a timely manner.
• Evaluate the patients and family's response to, and effectiveness of, the spiritual counseling.
• Confirm, on a weekly basis, the scheduling of visits with the patients' Case Managers to facilitate coordination of other staff visits.
• Participate in IDG and QAPI meetings and activities.
• Conduct religious services of prayer, worship, and rituals for patients/families, as appropriate.
• Working with other professionals in resolving spiritual/ethical issues.
• Provide bereavement support to community/facility staff as needed
• Provide spiritual and bereavement support to staff as needed.
• Provide support groups or bereavement support to community members as needed.
• Provide consultation and education to the IDG on spiritual care.
• Provide funeral or memorial services for patient's as requested.
• Provide support to volunteer program and bereavement program.
• Assume responsibility for self-development by continually striving to improve his/her Spiritual practice through formal education, attendance at workshops and conferences, active participation in professional and related organizational meetings, and/or individual research and reading.
• Must complete a minimum of 6 hours of initial training in the first 60 days of employment as required by the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia's Services Act.
• Other duties as delegated by Supervisor.

Qualifications/Skills/ Educational Requirements:

Level of Formal Education: Bachelor's degree required, Master's degree preferred

Area of Study: Theology and/or Divinity

Years of Experience: A minimum of 1 year of experience.

Type of Experience: Chaplain in healthcare setting, Hospice preferred.

Special Certifications: Clinical Pastoral education, 1 unit required, 2 units or more preferred

Language Skills: Acceptable fluency in English in order to perform job duties and speak, read, write, and communicate with all others.

Technical Competencies: Ability to document in EMR and read/respond to emails.

Skills and Abilities:

• Able to receive direction and independently follow tasks through with minimum supervision.
• Ability to access and operate computer systems, including preparing documents, entering data, reading reports from computer databases or e-mail and using e-mail for inter-office and external
• Ability to use critical thinking skills to solve problems.
• Detail oriented, able to multi‑task and remain flexible with assignments.
• Maintains professional integrity throughout performance of all job duties.
• Skillful in organization
• Principles of time management
• Ability to perform appropriate hand hygiene and other infection control measures.
• Licensed driver with automobile with insurance coverage in accordance with organization requirements.

Personal Attributes:

Empathic, compassionate, patient, ability to adapt, attention to detail, team player, cultural competence, advocate.