Associate Chaplain

Introduction If you're passionate for a career where you can receive personal fulfillment while making a difference, the Albert J. Solnit Children's Center is looking for you to take part on their team. At the Albert J. Solnit Children's Center, we treat our youth and each other with dignity and respect. The State of Connecticut, Department of Children and Families (DCF) is accepting applications to hire a part-time (16 hours) Associate Chaplain within Albert J. Solnit – North Campus. The Solnit North Campus serves as a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility, providing treatment to adolescent males between the ages of 13 and 17 with complex psychiatric needs. The program is designed to be the bridge from hospital to home and community or as a diversionary placement to avoid the need for a hospital stay. POSITION HIGHLIGHTS Shift: Part-time |16 hours per week | second shift Schedule: 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm (3 weekdays) and 4 hours (1 weekend day). The schedule days can be negotiated with the Hiring Manager Location: 36 Gardner Street, East Windsor, CT. BENEFITS AND BALANCE AT THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT As a state employee, you will receive benefits, including: State Employee Retirement System; A variety of medical and dental plans; Sick and personal leave; The State of CT is an eligible Public Services Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service. Visit the State Employee Benefits Overview page to learn more! In addition, the State puts an emphasis on: Providing limitless opportunities; Hiring for diverse and fresh perspectives; Performing meaningful work and; Encouraging a healthy work/life balance! Our state has a lot to offer - from fun activities for all ages, to great food and shopping, to beautiful state parks and forests, to our diverse cultures and rich history. Connecticut is a great place to live! Learn more about Connecticut here. YOUR ROLE The Chaplain will provide comprehensive religious services to the youth at Solnit North a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility. The Chaplain is among the first staff to welcome young men to campus. It is during this initial encounter the Chaplain inquires about the youth's spiritual and/or religious background to ensure the facility meets his spiritual needs. The Chaplain's duties include personal study, individualized counsel and organizing opportunities for youth to visit local houses of worship. The Chaplain also completes a youth spiritual assessment to make sure the treatment plan incorporates the youth's spiritual path. This early encounter helps the institution include the youth's voice in building the compliment of services the youth believes will be essential to his progress. The Chaplain role also establishes a calming and therapeutic impact on the day-to-day lives of our young men. For example, when a youth is in crisis the Chaplain may help intervene and provide therapeutic-spiritual support to assist the youth in handling the situation differently. Families also look to the Chaplain for guidance on supporting them in their efforts with their children as they prepare to return home. Further, it is established in the literature that when a person with mental illness has a spiritual belief system and that believe system in woven into treatment the treatment is more effective. Finally, the Chaplain at Solnit - North is also tasked with managing and overseeing activities in our Spiritual Life Center including: coordinating bible study with religious volunteers prayer service spiritual movie night. This position has a direct outcome on needs met for our population. More information can be found in the 'Example of Duties' and class specification. OUR AGENCY Working together with families and communities to improve child safety, ensure that more children have permanent families, and advance the overall well-being of children is the central focus of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). DCF protects children who are being abused or neglected, strengthens families through support and advocacy, and builds on existing family and community strengths to help children who are facing emotional and behavioral challenges, including those committed to the Department by the juvenile justice system. PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK) In the Chaplaincy Department of a state hospital, correctional facility or agency this class is accountable for ministering to the clinical pastoral needs as well as social welfare of the population and conducting religious services. EXAMPLES OF DUTIES Provides clinical pastoral services to clients and their families; Accepts referrals; Attends clinical staff meetings; Participates in or conducts group and individual therapy sessions; Maintains documentation on patient’s current status; Works cooperatively with staff of other disciplines; Interprets Chaplain function to other departments in facility; Participates in discharge planning, encouraging family and community support; Provides emotional and spiritual support during crises; Provides pastoral counseling to agency staff; Accepts community referrals and provides crisis intervention counseling; Prepares and conducts religious services; Administers rites and sacraments; Acts as liaison between agency and various religious communities; May serve as consultant to community clergy in area of mental health; May provide religious education; May speak to lay and professional groups; May participate in Employee Assistance Program; May recruit and oversee activities of community volunteers; May function as clinical team leader, case coordinator or primary therapist; May participate in various in-house educational programs; May serve on a variety of committees; Performs related duties as required. KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY Considerable knowledge of pastoral ministry and ability to perform requirements of formal religious services; Considerable pastoral care and counseling skills; interpersonal skills; oral and written communication skills; Training ability. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE Incumbents must possess one of the following: Graduation from an accredited three (3) year postgraduate theological seminary; A Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent; Completion of all formal religious training required by a recognized religious denomination necessary to perform the pastoral role. AND Three (3) years of pastoral experience or equivalent experience within a recognized religious denomination. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Experience working with adolescence and families Experience working in a congregate care / hospital setting SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Incumbents in this class must have been ordained or commissioned by a religious body and received endorsement by an acceptable recognized denominational authority for this position. Endorsement or credentialing by the same endorsing authority must be ongoing and uninterrupted as a condition of employment. Incumbents in this class must have two (2) units of clinical training in a program accredited by a national accrediting agency or one (1) unit of clinical training and one (1) equivalent unit. A doctoral degree or another graduate degree related to pastoral care from an accredited educational program meets the criteria for one (1) equivalency unit. Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and maintain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license. Incumbents in this class may be required to travel. WORKING CONDITIONS Incumbents in this class may be required to lift and restrain clients or inmates; may have some exposure to communicable/infectious diseases and to risk of injury from assaultive/abusive clients or inmates; may be exposed to disagreeable conditions. CONCLUSION AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility. #J-18808-Ljbffr