Covenant Health

Associate Chaplain, Homecare

Full Time, 80 Hours Per Pay Period, Day Shift

Homecare and Hospice Overview: 

Covenant Health HomeCare and Hospice is the area’s largest locally owned home health and hospice provider, with one of the largest rehabilitation departments in East Tennessee. Our HomeCare and Hospice services are part of Covenant Health, East Tennessee’s largest nonprofit health system and a Becker’s “Top 150 Places to Work in Healthcare.” Covenant Health includes nine hospitals and nearly 150 service locations, offering employees a comprehensive benefits package with tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, certification bonuses, and leadership development programs. 

Position Summary:

The Chaplain provides and coordinates pastoral care and/or spiritual counseling as well as bereavement support to Hospice and Home Health patients/families based on their spiritual beliefs. The Chaplain reports to the Manager of Volunteer and Bereavement Services.

• Spiritual assessment of the patient/family and spiritual support is provided with on-going wishes and needs of the patient/family (assessment to be completed within 5-days of admission).
• Develops an individual spiritual care plan which: demonstrates an effort to work in close collaboration with local clergy whenever possible, and provide spiritual support as needed and defined by the patient/family significant other.
• Conducting religious services of prayer, worship, and rituals for patients/families as appropriate.
• Offering patients/families of different philosophies and religious perspectives opportunities to discuss and share their thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and values.
• Documenting the counseling provided in the patient's clinical record that demonstrates progress toward unresolved spiritual issues on appropriate forms within 24-hours.
• Working with other professionals in resolving spiritual/pastoral/ethical issues.
• Working in a team approach with the interdisciplinary care team to evaluate patient/family response to care.
• Attending interdisciplinary team conferences when care plan is reviewed.
• Be available to meet with individual staff with regard to personal spiritual issues which may affect their ability to function effectively, upon request.
• Be available to family during the bereavement period.
• Assisting in developing and updating plan of care.
• Be available to staff for bereavement support.
• Participating in development of process to meet additional staff counseling needs.
• Participating in development of outcome indicators for services provided.
• Coordinates requests for local denominational clergy by patients/families that have no clergy.
• Assists families with funeral arrangements as appropriate.
• 17 Designated as Bereavement Coordinator for the provision of home care and hospice’s organized program of bereavement services. These services should reflect family needs, services to be provided, and the frequency of services for up to 13-months following the death of a patient.
• Complete and submit clinical documentation in accordance with company policy.
• Assists in maintaining a safe environment for all residents which may include reporting to appropriate managerial staff equipment that is out of order, suspicion of resident abuse, mistreatment, neglect and reporting of criminal activities.
• Local travel required.
• Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards. Completes required education assignments annually. Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Education:           

None specified; will accept any combination of formal education and/or prior work experience sufficient to demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skill and ability needed to perform the essential tasks of the job, typically such as would be equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree. Preference may be given to individuals possessing a Bachelor’s degree in a directly-related field from an accredited college or university.

Minimum Experience:         

One (1) year counseling experience with a focus on spirituality required.

Licensure Requirement:      

Employee must have a valid Tennessee driver’s license Class D and state mandated minimum insurance coverage. Driving record must meet Covenant Health minimum standards at the date of hire and throughout employment tenure.