Pastoral Counselor (Chaplain, Hospice, Spiritual) - HomeCare

Work where every moment matters.


Every day, almost 40,000 Hartford HealthCare colleagues come to work with one thing in common: Pride in what we do, knowing every moment matters here. We invite you to become part of Connecticut's most comprehensive healthcare network as a Pastoral Counselor.
Hartford HealthCare at Home, the largest provider of homecare services in Connecticut, has been fulfilling our mission for more than 115 years. Our Person-Centered Care Model allows our employees to learn and grow within our organization, all while providing integrated support to the patient. As part of Hartford HealthCare, we leverage cutting edge technology to provide quality care in our client's home. Most importantly, our employees are appreciated for the real differences they make in both the lives of their clients and their clients' families.
Basic Purpose of the Position:
Develops implements and coordinates the Pastoral and Bereavement Program Responsible for planning, organizing and directing Hospice Pastoral Program, Spiritual Volunteer program and Spiritual volunteer activities. Provides professional spiritual services in accordance with the needs of hospice patients, families, staff and volunteers
In general, most of the time will be spent in the following types of activities:
-Assesses, implements and supervises spiritual care in keeping with patient/family's Beliefs system
-Develops individual spiritual care plans, which demonstrate an effort to work in close collaboration with local clergy
-Provides support and resources to patient/family's spiritual counselors in the community
-Provides religious/spiritual consultation to clients and staff and spiritual care to patient/family at the time of death or funeral
-Collaborates with the Hospice Interdisciplinary Team in assessing and meeting patient/family's spiritual needs
-Provides care consistent with the physician's plan of treatment and documents care in the clinical record
-Designs bereavement programs and services
-Consults with Hospice Interdisciplinary Team regarding the bereavement needs of grieving family members and significant others
-Develops bereavement care plans for each client receiving bereavement volunteer services
-Coordinates bereavement follow-up by volunteers and Interdisciplinary Team members
-Trains and oversees volunteers in the areas of grief and bereavement
-Maintains a system for the recording of bereavement activities in clients' records
-Provides direct bereavement counseling to families
-Coordinates bereavement volunteer activities with hospice volunteer activities
-Develops educational programs for Interdisciplinary Team and family members on loss, grief and related topics
-Counsels hospice staff who are grieving the loss of a patient
-Oversees volunteer facilitators of bereavement groups
-Plans, implements, and coordinates bereavement support groups to meet the needs of various client populations
-Develops, coordinates and evaluates annual plan for Spiritual and Bereavement volunteer resources
-Recruits, interviews, orients, trains, assigns and evaluates Spiritual and Bereavement volunteers
-Supervises, instructs, and provides guidance to Spiritual and Bereavement volunteers in the performance of their duties
-Establishes procedures in relation to Spiritual and Bereavement volunteer activities and area of responsibility
-Develops and implements programs/in-services for Spiritual and Bereavement volunteer participation
-Reviews/audits, compiles and maintains Spiritual and bereavement volunteer records which include training and service data for compliance with regulations
-Schedules meetings with Spiritual and Bereavement volunteers to provide support; ensures effectiveness of service; identifies needs and gaps in service; acts as Spiritual and Bereavement volunteer liaison member of interdisciplinary team
In addition, the position involves other duties such as:
Networks with community bereavement services and develops and coordinates bereavement group events
Develops bereavement library resources
Adheres to the standards of the Agency's quality assurance program
Compiles required service and statistical records
Attendance at MSW facilitated hospice support group
Schedules meetings with Spiritual and Bereavement volunteers to provide support and ensures effectiveness of service; identifies needs and gaps in service; acts as volunteer liaison member of interdisciplinary team
Collaborates with community partners in recruitment, training and assignment of Spiritual and bereavement volunteers into those settings
Facilitates communications with Agency staff, Spiritual and bereavement volunteers and families
Educates the community about the Hospice and Spiritual/Bereavement Volunteer Programs; represents the Spiritual/Bereavement Volunteer Program at internal and external meetings
Collaborates with public affairs department regarding ongoing community relations programs

Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor's degree with training in pastoral care
Experience: One year experience in pastoral care, including experience in counseling the dying and the grieving
We take great care of careers.


With locations around the state, Hartford HealthCare offers exciting opportunities for career development and growth. Here, you are part of an organization on the cutting edge - helping to bring new technologies, breakthrough treatments and community education to countless men, women and children. We know that a thriving organization starts with thriving colleagues-- we provide a competitive benefits program designed to ensure work/life balance. Every moment matters. And this is your moment.