Spiritual Services Coordinator

Under direction, to direct, plan, guide and coordinate the interfaith spiritual care ministry services of a County department or agency.

The established list may be used for fulltime, part-time, and extra help vacancies as they occur. 

The Power of WE:  Together, we can make a greater impact. Bringing better care and expanding healthcare services across the community.

Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH) is the second largest public health care system in California and includes three acute care hospitals, 14 clinics and 60 specialty and sub-specialty services. Our mission is to provide high-quality, accessible healthcare and excellent service to everyone in Santa Clara County.  

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center - SCVMC is a full-service tertiary acute care teaching hospital with 699 licensed beds providing a wide range of specialized services, including Rehabilitation, Burn, Trauma, and NICU. SCVMC was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as #6 Rehabilitation Hospital in the nation and #1 in the West and designated as a 2024 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care, Heart Failure, Stroke, Hip Fracture, and Pneumonia.

O'Connor Hospital- O'Connor Hospital (OCH) is a 358 licensed bed acute care facility offering a full range of inpatient and outpatient medical, surgical and specialty programs to residents of Santa Clara County. It was founded in 1889 as one of the first hospitals in the county. OCH has grown significantly over the past five years in both its inpatient volume and its Emergency Department visits. Along with these volume increases other ancillary and clinical departments like imaging, lab, pharmacy, and respiratory have seen growth as well.

St. Louise Regional Hospital- Since 1989, St. Louise Regional Hospital (SLRH) has been caring for the residents in Santa Clara and San Benito Counties, offering a wide range of inpatient and outpatient medical specialties. SLRH has 93 beds, is a Designated Primary Stroke Center, and is the only acute care hospital in the area. Located in Gilroy, SLRH maintains a CALSTAR 2 emergency helicopter base on the premises. 

Learn more about Santa Clara Valley Healthcare: https://www.scvh.org/homeand follow us on: LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/company/county-of-santa-clara/

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• Gathers data from individual charts and records: speaks with staff, family members, and/or individual(s) directly to assess and determine spiritual care requirements;
   
• Identifies individual's ministry need and develops a plan of spiritual care intervention to support individual's desired outcomes;
   
• Provides spiritual care support through listening presence, affirmation, spiritual guidance, reconciliation, emotional support, grief processing, prayer, meditation, blessings, encouragement, consolation, advocacy, humor, family dynamics and/or conflict mediation;
   
• Responds promptly to emergency calls to assist a team of providers responding to an individual in cardiopulmonary arrest (code blue alert);
   
• Offers spiritual support for patients placed on comfort care and/or palliative care and their families, and meets weekly with the palliative care team to integrate services;
   
• Provides regular spiritual support for families of individuals that are actively dying; coordinates vigil support for families of individuals who are near end of life or have died; provides grief and bereavement support for families and staff;
   
• Provides spiritual guidance and direction in response to questions regarding ethical medical care and end of life concerns and consults with medical staff on cases involving medical ethical issues;
   
• Collaborates with management staff in recruiting, training, assigning duties and supervising interfaith spiritual care services provided by volunteers;
   
• Teaches continuing education courses for nurses and medical social workers;
   
• Promotes the spiritual care program in the local community; coordinates 24-hour spiritual care support with volunteers;
   
• Maintains and updates an available list of local clergy and religious leaders in the community to provide individuals with referrals, as needed;
   
• Participates in weekly interdisciplinary rounds visiting patients in the Burn Unit, Trauma Intensive Care Unit, Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit and participates in Palliative Care Team meetings;
   
• Participates in family conferences with the interdisciplinary health care team;
   
• Coordinates religious groups for individuals and staff;
   
• Organizes uplifting music in the hospital lobby weekly and coordinates music concerts seasonally;
   
• Provides religious services for agency/department staff as requested; coordinates and supports staff during stressful or sorrowful times and organizes days of remembrance to help staff and families grieve the loss of adults, infants and children who have died;
   
• Schedules daily Catholic Sacramental support with the local Jesuit province and the Catholic Diocese of San Jose;
   
• Arranges spiritual services that include anointing of the sick, baptisms, blessings, confirmations, weddings, vigils or other spiritual rites provided by local pastoral and spiritual associates; coordinates their activities with the team;
   
• Maintains daily records and reports monthly on services provided; participates in quarterly goal setting and annual performance evaluations;
   
• Participates in various interdisciplinary teams and committees, such as the Medical Ethics Committee, the Infant Bioethics Committee, the Palliative Care Committee, the Surrogate Decision Making Committee, the Crisis Advisory, Leadership & Management Team, the Peer Support Team and Funeral Liaison;
   
• May be required to work in a Level One (1) trauma facility providing spiritual care services to individuals that have sustained significant trauma and require hospitalization;
   
• May be assigned as Disaster Service Worker as required;
   
• Performs other duties as required.

Sufficient education, training and experience to demonstrate the possession and direct application of the following knowledge and abilities: 
 
Training and Experience Note: The required knowledge and abilities are attained through training and experience equivalent to a Master's degree in Religious Studies, Spirituality, Theology or Pastoral Ministry
  
One (1) year of experience demonstrating Spiritual leadership working in an institution or organization providing spiritual care support to a diverse multi-cultural and multi-faith population, and consulting with religious leaders of other faith traditions.
 
Certification from an appropriate Clinical Pastoral Agency and possession of or in process of obtaining certification as Board Certified Chaplain and an official written endorsement by one's faith tradition is highly desirable.
 
Four (4) units of Clinical Pastor Education preferred.
 
Special Requirements:

• May be assigned to work day or evening shift;
   
• May be required to co-direct spiritual care services with another Spiritual Services Coordinator when work shift hours overlap;
   
• May be required to work in a secured correctional environment with direct inmate contact;
   
• May require a Law Enforcement Background check;
   
• Ability to travel to alternate locations in the course of work.If driving, possession of a valid California driver's license prior to appointment and the ability to qualify for and maintain a County driver authorization.

 
Knowledge of:

• Principles and techniques of leadership, supervision, training and instruction;
   
• Common Standards of Professional Chaplains and the Code of Ethics for Chaplains;
   
• Standard department/agency procedures and employee guidelines;
   
• Ministry counseling and care support of patients and their family members involved in traumatic accidents, undergoing surgical procedures and/or facing end of life issues;
   
• Pastoral support and care in handling and responding to unforeseen and planned crises within a variety of settings;
   
• Spiritual care giver resources, such as ministers, rabbis, or Imams to meet the requested needs of patients;
   
• Interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills;
   
• Common office machine and computer applications including spreadsheets and databases.

 
Ability to:

• Supervise and assign work to spiritual care volunteers serving the needs of individuals and their families;
   
• Conduct assessments of individual(s), family or staff needs to determine the appropriate spiritual care intervention required;
   
• Work in a multi-faith environment;
   
• Respond with compassion and respect to individuals and families with diverse ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs;
   
• Provide spiritual counseling, guidance, comfort and support to patients, family members and staff as requested;
   
• Assist department/agency staff in effectively handling angry or emotionally distraught friends and family members;
   
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary committee or team in support of patient or staff member care;
   
• Work with economically disadvantaged, undocumented, or homeless individuals;
   
• Communicate respectfully with persons of different cultures and faiths;
   
• Effectively handle stressful situations and maintain a calm demeanor while responding to various individuals that may be experiencing a spiritual crisis or in distress;
   
• Provide Spiritual Care Services in a Trauma Unit;
   
• Work independently and maintain flexibility when faced with multiple priorities;
   
• Maintain log of care service provided for each patient while maintaining confidentiality of patient care.

Salary : $98,919 - $119,708