Certified Chaplain, Palliative Care - Full Time

Certified Chaplain, Palliative Care – Full Time
Why UT Southwestern?
With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued patients and employees. With over 20,000 employees, we are committed to continuing our growth with the best professionals in the healthcare industry. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you’ll discover teamwork, professionalism, and consistent opportunities for growth.
Job Summary
The chaplain for the Palliative Care Service is responsible for spiritual assessment, crisis intervention, consultation, education, community linkages and supportive services for identified patients, families, and staff. The chaplain coordinates resources and services in response to individual patient and family spiritual and emotional needs. The chaplain is an active member of the interdisciplinary Palliative Care team, contributing to patient assessments, plans and interventions, as well as to team goal setting. The chaplain acts as a consultant to the primary clinical team, service lines and other departments and participates in program development and quality improvement initiatives. The chaplain educates students, residents, nurses, fellows and CPE interns about spiritual assessment, and spiritual care generally and specifically as it relates to the care of patients receiving palliative care and their families. The chaplain conducts age-appropriate assessments, interventions, and data collection on patients and families spiritual and emotional plan of care. The chaplain demonstrates the ability to work with any patient or family regardless of race, gender, sexuality, gender identity, religious affiliation, cultural beliefs/practices, disease process or treatment plan.
Job Duties
Assess and minister to each identified patient’s spiritual and emotional needs as warranted by initial and ongoing spiritual assessment.
Attends weekly interdisciplinary palliative care team meetings and communicates with staff regarding fulfillment of care plan for each patient.
Provides care and support to patient and families in crisis, grief, new diagnosis, end of life, death or other concerns and makes referrals as necessary to palliative care team.
Serves as a resource and advocate related to spiritual and ethical concerns, provides advocacy in decision-making conversations including participation in goals of care, advance directive conversations and family meetings when appropriate.
Maintain professional certification through continuing education, supervision, spiritual direction, retreats and active membership in APC or NACC. Willingness to pursue Palliative specialty certification through APC.
Maintain timely and accurate charting and collection of statistical data which support the patient and the interdisciplinary team as well as assist with institutional goals and tracking
Assist in palliative care clinical training and supervision of field education students in CPE program.
Provide or triage to colleagues and community clergy of various faiths to act as liaison or to accommodate the religious needs or questions of patients, family members and staff.
Provide or enable supportive events and worship services in the hospital setting.
Collaboration with Social Workers, Nurses, Chaplain Colleagues and other members of the interdisciplinary health team. Consultation to appropriate support staff for specific patient needs.
Consultation for Advance Directives: Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, Directive to Physicians, Family or Surrogates and Out of Hospital DNR.
Educational in-services to staff on utilization of Spiritual Care, ethics issues, advance directives and other topics as needed. Provide community education as requested and as able.
Experience and Education
Four (4) units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) from an ACPE accredited center required.
Qualifying Master’s degree conferred by a Council for Higher Education (CHEA) accredited institution resulting in certification approval required.
One (1) year chaplaincy experience minimum required.
Three (3) years healthcare chaplaincy preferred.
A Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. (BCCI) required.
An affiliate of Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) required.
Please see Qualifications for Board Certified & Associate Certified Chaplains - BCCI (apchaplains.org) for details .
Endorsement required from the applicant’s denomination or sponsoring center and Board Certification from a Department of Education approved organization such as: The Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) and Neshama: National Association of Jewish Chaplains.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Communication, organization and interpersonal skills. Basic computer and office skills and use of paging system.
English language proficiency.
Working Conditions
Minimal physical effort and occasional reaching.
Frequent mobility.
Irregular hours.
Security
This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code §51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.
UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status. To learn more, please visit: why-work-here/diversity-inclusion