Essentials for Leading Mission in Catholic Health Care Mission Leadership and Pastoral Care How have you experienced your physical health impacting your spiritual well-being? … what about the reverse? What scripture stories come to mind that include both physical and spiritual well-being?

Mission Leadership and Pastoral Care Essentials for Leading Mission in Catholic Health Care Mission Leadership and Pastoral Care Rev. Jennifer Cobb, BCC, M.Div., MBA Executive Director, Mercy Mission and Spiritual Care Mercy

Objectives Understand why spiritual care is vital to Catholic health care. Discover everyone’s role in providing a healing environment. Understand the role of the mission leader in providing spiritual care within the organization, with attention to challenges.

Nuances in Catholic Health Care Chaplain Director of Pastoral Services

Why Provide Pastoral Care? Catholic Health Care = Whole Person Care

How have you experienced your physical health impacting your spiritual well-being? … what about the reverse?

What scripture stories come to mind that include both physical and spiritual well-being?

Pre-reading Discussion

Key Church Statements “Therefore each one of us is called to bear the light of the Word of God and the power of grace to those who suffer, and to those who assist them – family, doctors, nurses – so that the service to the sick might always be better accomplished with more humanity, with generous dedication, with evangelical love, with tenderness.” Pope Francis Angelus Address, February 8, 2015

Key Church Statements “Tending the sick means approaching the suffering person and not simply attending a sick body. This is why health care workers are asked to make a commitment that has the nature of a vocation. Giving the sick and their families reasons for hope in the face of the presenting questions that assail them, that is your mission. The Church is near you and shares with you this passionate service to life.” Pope John Paul II Health and Society Conference, 2000

Key Church Statements “Our distinctive vocation in Christian health care is not so much to heal better or more efficiently than anyone else; it is to bring comfort to people by giving them an experience that will strengthen their confidence in life.” Joseph Cardinal Bernardin A Sign of Hope, 1995

Key Church Statements “Since a Catholic health care institution is a community of healing and compassion, the care offered is not limited to the treatment of a disease or bodily ailment but embraces the physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of the human person.” Introduction to Part Two Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care

Importance of Spiritual Care in Catholic Health Care

The provision of pastoral care is a high priority for bishops and for the Vatican.

Attention to spiritual care as well as physical care is an opportunity to highlight what makes Catholic health care exceptional.

Research shows that patients/families strongly desire spiritual care and that medical caregivers rarely attend to these needs.

Notable ERDs to know related to pastoral care

But not everyone is Catholic … or religious…

Who provides spiritual/pastoral care?

Direct Providers and Pastoral Services Volunteers The Mercy Model for Attention to Spiritual Needs Chaplains Direct Providers and Pastoral Services Volunteers All Co-workers Specialized Spiritual Care – Spiritual assessment – Skillful intervention – Care plan – Connection community resources Focused Sensitivity – Screening for psychosocial and spiritual distress – Professional knowledge – Compassionate relational presence and listening Basic Spiritual Care – Being compassionate – Welcoming – Reassuring – Listening Complexity of Spiritual Concerns

Board certified chaplain requirements Adherence to code of ethics Interviewed and approved by certification committee Endorsed by faith group Portfolio demonstrating professional expertise in 31 core competencies 2,000 additional hours experience Master’s degree in theology (32 – 72 credit hours) Four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (1,600 hours supervised training)

Role of the Mission Leader Advocate for the rigor and discipline of the role. Communicate the value of spiritual care for the patient experience and health outcomes. Communicate Value

Role of the Mission Leader Ensure the provision of sacraments. Establish, maintain and enhance collaboration with priests, eucharistic ministers and diocesan connections to facilitate provision of sacraments. Sacraments

Role of the Mission Leader Advocate and facilitate the integration of professional spiritual care within the overall care provided. Intentionally include spiritual care in areas of focus for organizational strategic plans. Advance Integration

Role of the Mission Leader Staff department with diversity appropriate for your community. Ensure staff are appropriately trained and qualified. Encourage ongoing professional development and quality improvement. Be aware of potential challenges related to FLSA, on call and shortage of qualified candidates for hire. Intentional Staffing

Role of the Mission Leader Based on what you’ve heard here, what will you do to deepen the integration of pastoral and spiritual care in your workplace?

Want to know more? Links Transforming chaplaincy GWISH Associations and Cognate Groups www.professionalchaplains.org www.nacc.org www.jewishchaplain.net www.spiritualcare.ca www.acpe.edu Duke Center for Spirituality and Health monthly newsletter The 40 Foundation World Religions Tree