Director of Pastoral Care

Lewiston, Idaho

Facility St. Joseph Regional Medical Center
Req ID 544726 Post Date 07/21/2025

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Description

ST. JOSEPH REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

Lewiston, Idaho

POSITION DESCRIPTION & ANALYSIS

POSITION TITLE:DIRECTOR OF PASTORAL CAREJob Code:361

Department:Pastoral Care

Supervisor/Department Director:VP of Mission Effectiveness

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At ScionHealth, we empower our caregivers to do what they do best. We value every voice by caring deeply for every patient and each other. We show courage by running toward the challenge and we lean into new ideas by embracing curiosity and question asking. Together, we create our culture by living our values in our day-to-day interactions with our patients and teammates. St. Joseph Regional Medical Center is proud to serve our community by continuing the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.

PRIMARY (ESSENTIAL) DUTIES:

1.The Director of Pastoral Care Services will manage all aspects of pastoral care throughout our system, including chaplain services and ethics committee activities.

2.The director will be an integral part of the pastoral care team, ministering as a chaplain to patients and staff and sharing on-call duties.

3.This role ensures that spiritual support is aligned with the organization’s mission and values, and meets the diverse needs of patients, staff and the broader community.

4.The Director establishes department goals and standards, oversees compliance, and ensures high-quality spiritual care delivery.

5.Maintains a working relationship with the area clergy which ensures continuity of care for the members of their churches when they are hospitalized, as well as being host for and member of the ministerial association.

6.Consults with Administration, especially in the areas of policy formation and changes within the department.

7.Evaluates pastoral personnel and services.

SECONDARY DUTIES:

1.Is active in Philosophy Advisory Group and Ethics Committee, ex officio; is available otherwise as requested.

2.Represents the institution pastorally to the local community, including public speaking and appropriate social gatherings.

3.Represents St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in outreach efforts such as ministry education, facilitation of support groups, Memorial Services, grief workshops and availability in areas such as Advance Directives, theological reflection etc.

4.Is aware of diocesan activities; participates as appropriate.

5.Direct and supervise Chaplain Services.

6.Ensure spiritual services meet the needs of all.

7.Reviews department performance and initiates improvements to maintain compliance.

8.Develop and implement departmental policies and procedures.

9.Selects, orients, trains, and evaluates department staff, managing performance and recommending personnel actions.

10.Maintains certification and fulfills continuing education and peer review requirements.

11.Maintains departmental records, reports, and visitation statistics.

12.Participate in administrative and assigned committee meeting.

Knowledge and Skills:

1.Strong critical thinking and decision-making skills.

2.Ability to work independently in high-pressure environments.

3.Effective communication skills to convey hospital mission and values.

4.Demonstrated leadership in managing diverse teams and spiritual care programs.

5.Occasional walking, standing, pushing/pulling, lifting/carrying light to moderate weights.

6.Frequent keyboard data entry, sitting, and auditory and visual attention.

7.Primarily an office and hospital environment.

8.Occasional exposure to biohazardous waste, bloodborne pathogens, and communicable diseases.

9.Compliance with safety and health regulations and adherence to mission-based delivery.

Education and Certification:

1.Preferred: Master’s degree in Pastoral Ministry, Divinity, Theology, Counseling or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and ministry experience.

2.Minimum of 3 years’ experience in leadership role.

3.Board certification or willingness to become certified as a healthcare chaplain by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains or other appropriate body.

The above statements reflect the general duties considered necessary to describe the principal functions of the job as identified and shall not be considered as a detailed description of all the work requirements that may be inherent in the position.

ADDENDUM TO CHAPLAIN POSITION DESCRIPTION & ANALYSIS

The Chaplain's role is to try to provide each patient with an experience of God's unconditional love and acceptance.In dealing with patients of different ages, chaplains will be mindful of specific needs each presents.Some of those considerations are:

INFANTS AND TODDLERS

·Interacts with patients of child in ways which demonstrate love, support and an atmosphere of acceptance.

·Honors the faith traditions and experiences of parents who model these for small children.

·Respects child's comfort zone for communication, whether by look, touch or smile and enters further only by child's acceptance/invitation.

·Makes every attempt to be inclusive of each family member.For example, though the primary focus of ministry may be parents, try to avoid the child's feeling overlooked or ignored.

PRESCHOOLERS

·Honors the modeling/teaching that the parents have presented to the child, especially in terms of faith traditions, as well as the child's expression of those same traditions.

·Answers questions honestly, simply, never saying anything that someone will later have to correct.Children of this age are trusting and therefore easily confused.

·Honors the simple faith and explanations of small children, as well as their prayers, leaving expanded teaching to parents or pastor chosen by them.

·Remembers that children of this age are very responsive to rituals, so a blessing during the visit might be offered.

SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN

·Children in primary grades expect that their prayers will be answered, right rewarded, wrong punished, so care is taken in the presentation of beliefs so that children are not unduly disappointed.

·Children can often accept a spiritual side of things more easily than adults: The chaplain listens to them and allows them to test their beliefs by articulating them.

·Older school-age children may have begun to question some of their beliefs: The chaplain responds with great care and respect so that they feel safe to explore beliefs within the context of family beliefs and traditions.

·Children love stories of heroes and may be inspired and supported by hearing of some heroes, with good values, with whom they can identify.

ADOLESCENTS

·Adolescents often compare what their parents believe with what others might believe:Care is taken to share faith with respect, acceptance, space for the individual to weigh each bit for incorporation into his own belief system.

·Teenagers need to experience a sense of belonging, so the chaplain looks for a common ground for sharing with respect, maybe even with depth.

·Teenagers may be struggling with articles of faith which no longer make sense to them in spite of their previous understanding, and the chaplain supports the transition from a belief system that has been handed to them to one that they claim as their own.

·Adolescents are often influenced by stories of God's action in the life of another, so prudent, judicious sharing by the chaplain is helpful.

·Questions and concerns of what God thinks of them are taken seriously by those seen to represent God to them, and responded to with sincerity and depth.

YOUNG ADULTS

·The chaplain responds to adult patients as they invite/allow, answering their questions honestly, exploring faith and its implications for integrating the hospital experience and its consequences into their lives.The primary concern is to enable the patient to experience a safe environment for such growth and exploration.

OLDER ADULTS

·The chaplain tries to enable the older patient to look back at the strengths that have been used to cope successfully with problems in the past. For a person who has enjoyed a life of faith, the practice of that faith might be one of those strengths.

·The older patient is encouraged by the chaplain to reflect on God's actions in his or her life and to be grateful, hopeful, trusting.

Qualifications

Preferred: Master’s degree in Pastoral Ministry, Divinity, Theology, Counseling or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and ministry experience.

2.Minimum of 3 years’ experience in leadership role.

3.Board certification or willingness to become certified as a healthcare chaplain by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains or other appropriate body.

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