Hospice Spiritual Care Coordinator

Job Description

Job Description

The Spiritual Care Coordinator provides individualized spiritual and emotional support to hospice patients and their families throughout the hospice journey.

The Spiritual Care Coordinator recognizes that spirituality is personal and may be expressed through religion, faith, relationships, values, culture, nature, personal beliefs, life experiences, or other sources of meaning and hope.

The Spiritual Care Coordinator meets patients and families where they are spiritually , without imposing personal beliefs or religious practices. Services are provided in accordance with the patient's wishes, values, culture, beliefs, and identified spiritual needs.

The Spiritual Care Coordinator participates as a member of the hospice interdisciplinary group (IDG) and contributes to the development, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of the patient's individualized plan of care.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Patient and Family Spiritual Care

• Assess the spiritual needs, beliefs, values, practices, concerns, and sources of meaning and support identified by the patient and family.
• Provide individualized spiritual counseling, emotional support, active listening, and presence to patients and families.
• Assist patients and families in coping with terminal illness, grief, loss, fear, anxiety, changes in relationships, and end-of-life concerns.
• Support patients and families in identifying sources of hope, meaning, peace, reconciliation, forgiveness, and acceptance when desired.
• Respect and support patients' religious, spiritual, cultural, and personal beliefs regardless of the coordinator's own beliefs.
• Facilitate access to clergy, religious leaders, faith communities, or other spiritual resources at the request of the patient or family.
• Provide or coordinate religious or spiritual rituals, prayer, sacraments, readings, music, or other practices when requested and appropriate.
• Assist patients and families with spiritual concerns related to dying, death, grief, and bereavement.
• Provide support to patients who identify as spiritual but not religious, as well as patients who have no identified spiritual or religious preference.
• Respect a patient's decision to decline spiritual care and document the patient's preference appropriately.

Assessment and Plan of Care

• Participate in the spiritual component of the patient's comprehensive assessment and ongoing assessment process.
• Identify spiritual concerns, strengths, resources, goals, and interventions appropriate to the individual patient.
• Develop individualized spiritual care goals and interventions in collaboration with the patient, family, and IDG.
• Review and update spiritual care interventions based on changes in the patient's condition, needs, goals, or preferences.
• Ensure spiritual care documentation accurately reflects services provided and the patient's response.
• Communicate significant changes in spiritual, emotional, or psychosocial needs to the appropriate IDG members.
• Participate in IDG meetings and contribute meaningful updates regarding the patient's spiritual care needs and progress.
• Collaborate with nursing, social work, CNAs, volunteers, physicians, and other members of the hospice team to promote holistic patient-centered care.

End-of-Life and Bereavement Support

• Provide spiritual and emotional support during the dying process.
• Support families before, during, and following the patient's death as appropriate.
• Assist families with spiritual concerns surrounding death, loss, grief, and end-of-life decision-making.
• Participate in hospice bereavement services and refer families to appropriate bereavement resources when additional support is needed.
• Support the hospice's bereavement program as assigned.
• Maintain appropriate communication with bereavement staff regarding identified family needs.

Community and Faith-Based Relationships

• Establish and maintain professional relationships with local clergy, congregations, faith communities, chaplains, and community organizations.
• Coordinate with community spiritual resources when requested by patients or families.
• Help educate community partners regarding hospice philosophy and the role of spiritual care in hospice.
• Participate in community outreach and educational activities as assigned.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain confidentiality of patient, family, and organizational information.
• Follow all Your Family Hospice policies and procedures.
• Comply with applicable federal and state laws, hospice Conditions of Participation, professional standards, and organizational requirements.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and complete clinical documentation.
• Attend required staff meetings, IDG meetings, in-services, and educational programs.
• Maintain required credentials, certifications, licenses, or professional qualifications applicable to the position.
• Demonstrate professional boundaries and ethical conduct in all interactions.
• Maintain professional competency appropriate to the responsibilities of the position.
• Report patient safety concerns, changes in condition, suspected abuse or neglect, or other significant concerns according to agency policy.
• Participate in quality improvement activities and performance improvement initiatives as assigned.
• Maintain reliable communication and respond appropriately to patient and family needs within the scope of the position.

QUALIFICATIONS

The Spiritual Care Coordinator should possess education, training, experience, and/or professional credentials appropriate to the responsibilities of hospice spiritual care.

Preferred qualifications may include:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in theology, divinity, pastoral care, religious studies, counseling, or a related field.
• Clinical pastoral education (CPE) or equivalent pastoral/spiritual-care training.
• Experience providing spiritual care in hospice, palliative care, healthcare, hospital, long-term care, or community settings.
• Experience working with individuals and families experiencing serious illness, dying, grief, and loss.
• Familiarity with hospice philosophy and interdisciplinary care.
• Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse religious, spiritual, cultural, and personal backgrounds.