At Houston Methodist, the Chaplain position is responsible for providing spiritual care to meet the spiritual, religious, and emotional needs of Houston Methodist patients and their family members. This position provides spiritual care support for Houston Methodist employees, visitors and physicians and position makes spiritual care visits with patients to conduct initial assessments and for follow-up care. The Chaplain position follows established patient care plans, proactively identifying when a change in approach or intervention is necessary, taking appropriate action and involving others as needed. This position works independently, exercising sound judgment and executing above average critical thinking skills on challenging situations, with the ability to work collaboratively with peers and assists leadership in carrying out the Houston Methodist mission, vision and values, participating in and leading activities in these efforts.

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVED
Refer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience.

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Displays cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Facilitates a supportive and positive environment for Houston Methodist patients, family members, visitors, employees and physicians. Assists leadership with planning and carrying out Houston Methodist mission, vision and values. Provides spiritual care support to Houston Methodist employees.

• Influences a dynamic, team-focused work unit that helps to achieve optimal department results. Collaborates with all members of the patient care team by actively communicating in a positive, supportive, non-judgmental manner. Conducts self in a manner that is congruent with cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles.

• Serves as mentor to CPE students and spiritual care volunteers as assigned. Orients and precepts new chaplains, as assigned.

• Exhibits and demonstrates healthy work relationships such as mitigation of conflict, leading problem-solving and resolution efforts. Recommends initiatives to improve department scores for employee engagement.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Provides spiritual care to meet the spiritual, religious, and emotional needs of patients and their family members of all faiths, during hospitalization and particularly for pre-operative, critically ill and dying patients. Enables others to utilize their own faith as a resource for health and healing.

• Makes visits with patients to conduct spiritual care assessments, in response to referrals and codes, and for follow-up care. Follows established patient care plans, proactively identifying when a change in approach or intervention is necessary, taking appropriate action and involving others as needed. Enables patients to participate in their plan of care as applicable.

• Serves as liaison with community clergy, local congregations and denominational groups. Utilizes community resources to assist in meeting the spiritual needs of others.

• Serves as the initial point of contact for providing crisis intervention for patients, family members, visitors, employees and physicians.

• Recommends initiatives/activities to meet/exceed department and organization targets for patient satisfaction measures.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Participates in interprofessional health team rounds; proactively identifies need for intervention and takes action, involving others as necessary. Reports ¿near misses¿ and documents in the electronic documentation system.

• Accurately and thoroughly documents patient visits and spiritual care provided in the patient's record.

• Consults with physicians, clinical management, hospital leadership and staff to assess quality and safety of services provided. Identifies opportunities for corrective action and improvement, providing recommendations; contributes to meeting department and hospital targets for quality and safety.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively and prioritize daily tasks to achieve maximum results in a timely manner. Utilizes time efficiently, demonstrating responsible financial stewardship, and proactively helps other team members.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Participates in and may plan and lead various department and/or hospital-wide activities such as, but not limited to: worship services, I CARE values integration, accreditation readiness, bioethics, etc. Assists with special projects and serves on various hospital committees as identified.

• Participates in and represents the hospital in Houston Methodist sponsored community activities. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an on-going basis.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• Master's degree in theology or related studies from an institution accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or equivalency approved by the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC and only if prior to 2017), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC), Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC), Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), or Spiritual Care Association (SCA)

• Four units of clinical pastoral education (CPE) from an accredited institution(s), e.g. the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC)

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Highly prefer experience as a professional chaplain

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• Chaplain - Board Certified Chaplain (BCCI) within 3 years OR
• Chaplain - Board Certified Chaplain (APC) within 3 years OR
• Chaplain - National Association of Catholic Chaplain within 3 years OR
• Chaplain - Associate Professional Chaplain (APC) within 3 years OR
• Chaplain - Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (ACPE) within 3 years OR
• CASC(C) - Canadian Assoc for Spiritual Care Certified within 3 years OR
• Chaplain - Associate Clincial Pastoral Educator (ACPE) within 3 years OR
• BCC, by other nationally recognized chaplain certifying body having comparable qualification requirements as APC and Cognates and as approved by HM System Director Spiritual Care

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Endorsed for chaplaincy by a recognized endorsing body

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations.

• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security.

• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles.

• Possesses basic computer knowledge; operates various computer systems to enter and maintain patient documents

• Ability to work independently; capable of effectively handling challenging/difficult interactions, patient care situations; demonstrates sound judgment and executes above average communication skills

• Exhibits strong interpersonal and team player skills with all levels of the healthcare team

• Adapts to multiple ongoing priorities with minimal supervision including organizing work flow and actively participating in problem-solving

• Very strong organization skills and detail-oriented nature

• Professional handling of exposure to confidential/sensitive information

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs No
• Business professional Yes
• Other (department approved) No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital, scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2025, will be Houston Methodist's ninth hospital and will incorporate the most advanced technology available from the day the doors open. With 100 beds (at our opening; licensed for 276) and a prime location in the heart of the rapidly growing U.S. 290 corridor, the hospital will be equipped with technologically advanced innovations implemented during COVID, many of them designed to make patient communication with physicians, staff and families the very best and most effective in any health care facility. Even though the hospital won't be fully operational until 2025, we have several services and specialties opening in 2024.