Manager Pastoral Care - Spiritual Care at CHRISTUS Shreveport-Bossier Health System

Organizes and Manages the Spiritual Care Department:

• Selects, gives orientation to, trains, assigns, and schedules the department staff.
• Evaluates performance and initiates or recommends personnel actions, such as merit increases, promotions, and disciplinary actions.
• Counsels and guides staff to resolve grievances.
• Develops and maintains Spiritual Care staff job descriptions and records.
• Encourages professional growth and development of the department staff through educational programs, seminars, etc.
• Promotes good intra/interdepartmental relations.

Budget and Department Operations:

• Ensures operation of department within allocated funds.
• Maintains required records, reports and statistics for administrative and regulatory purposes.
• Evaluates and justifies equipment, supplies, and material needs.
• Direct and assists in the maintenance of the department’s equipment, supplies and other materials. Documents maintenance of equipment.
• Selects and purchases department requisites as approved/budgeted.

Organizes Programs and Services:

• Assesses/surveys spiritual needs of the patients, families, and associates.
• Coordinates schedules and activities of the Spiritual Care staff to ensure adequate coverage for sacramental worship and spiritual needs of the patients and their families, especially those seriously ill.
• Arranges religious services to meet the needs of patients.
• Provides services and programs that foster an ecumenical approach to hospital ministry by providing for specific needs of individual faiths.
• Facilitate visiting and volunteer clergy activities. Maintain availability of patient denomination listings for use by visiting clergy consistent with HIPPA regulations.
• Schedule services in the hospital chapel and ensure availability of needed supplies and materials.
• Take leadership in promoting/enhancing the spiritual environment for healing in the hospital.

Ministry to Patients, Families and Associates:

• Visit patients routinely to provide spiritual counseling and guidance, and to cooperate with the health care team in assisting the patient healing process.
• Make referrals for follow-up patients who have been discharged and who have indicated a need for such a follow-up.
• Be available for consultation to hospital staff and other individuals on matters pertaining to hospital ministry.
• May act as a liaison between patients, their family, and hospital staff during periods of crisis, for example, critical illness, dying, or lengthy and difficult surgeries.
• Takes “on call” duty or makes provision for the same.
• If the manager is a Priest, he also celebrates the Eucharist, administers sacraments, or makes provisions for the same.

Policies and Procedures:

• Maintains, updates, and provides for the in-service on hospital and departmental safety and infection control policies and procedures.
• Establishes goals and implements Spiritual Care policies and procedures consistent with the hospital’s philosophy, mission and values.
• Ensures proper spiritual care documentation by the Chaplains.
• Maintains documentation on baptisms administered in the hospital.

Departmental and Other Projects:

• Develops and implements any special projects required by Administration.
• Establishes Quality Improvement projects for the department and follows through.
• Serves on special committees, as required by Administration, for example, the Ethics Committee.