Position title

Mental Health Hospital Chaplain 0.4 FTE

Location

Wakari Hospital, Dunedin, Southern DHB

The Role of ICHC and the Hospital Chaplain

The purpose of this position is to provide pastoral, spiritual and religious care, as required, to all within the hospital and DHB community.

The Interchurch Council for Hospital Chaplaincy (ICHC), which is a collaboration of a broad range of churches, is committed to providing Christian Chaplains within Aotearoa New Zealand’s healthcare environment. We are committed to principles of partnership, participation, and protection expressed in the Treaty of Waitangi.

We are purposeful in promoting, maintaining and developing relevant and flexible Chaplaincy (Spiritual Care) services to all those within Aotearoa New Zealand’s Public Hospitals regardless of religious affiliation, faith orientation, belief system, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.

The purpose of our ministry is to provide spiritual care that compassionately helps hospital patients, and their whānau:

• seek and express meaning and purpose,
• experience connection to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred,
• seek inner freedom, wellbeing, and peace of mind, and
• live and flourish and find hope amidst challenge, pain, or difficulties.[1]

Chaplains do this as an integral part of multidisciplinary healthcare teams within our healthcare system providing holistic care to all.

Primary Reporting Line

Lead Chaplain

Key internal relationships

ICHC Regional Chaplaincy Manager (overseeing the region)

ICHC National Office

Lead Chaplain

Chaplains

Local Chaplaincy Committee.

Senior Catholic Hospital Chaplain

Volunteer Chaplaincy Assistants

External relationships

Patients and whānau

DHB Staff, including the DHB liaison and ward staff

Local Churches

Community groups

Leaders of faith/spiritual organisations

Functions and responsibilities (key activities, task and outcomes to be achieved)

• Your primary responsibility is to deliver spiritual healthcare to patients suffering ill health or accident, to their whānau, and to staff within a public hospital.
• Chaplaincy is delivered in a team context and you will be expected to work collaboratively and respectfully with Chaplaincy and DHB colleagues
• This position will require supporting patients in mental health wards as requested by staff, patients, and whānau, and agreed with your lead chaplain.
• Respond to crisis calls, within the hospital especially the Mental Health Services. Visit wards, units and attend appropriate meetings within the hospital as guided by your lead chaplain.
• hospital staff, patients and whānau including "on call" hours at Dunedin and Wakari Hospitals.
• Regularly, and on request, visit wards and units to provide spiritual care and attend appropriate meetings within the hospital as guided by your lead chaplain.

• Conduct spiritual and religious services and rituals in the hospital.

• If requested and appropriate refer to other religious or spiritual leaders.

• Train and supervise Volunteer Chaplaincy Assistants as guided by the Lead Chaplain.
• Assist the chaplaincy team and ICHC with other duties as required. This may include promoting hospital chaplaincy to groups in the wider community.  
• Ongoing professional development as directed by your regional manager in consultation with the lead chaplain.  This will include (if necessary) working towards becoming an accredited chaplain.
• To record all your Chaplaincy activities in the designated Results Based Accountability system (RBA) in a timely manner to facilitate the provision of reports to the Ministry of Health.

Preferred Competencies

• Effective and personable communication skills and a positive and respectful attitude towards others.
• A patient centred focus and can demonstrate proven experience in the ministry of pastoral care.
• Shows, empathy and compassion including excellent listening and pastoral skills.
• Good level of religious, spiritual, and ideological understanding.
• Commitment to the vision, mission and values of ICHC.
• Articulate in written and spoken English.
• Some fluency in Te Reo Māori, ability to pray or read karakia
• High level of cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Have undertaken at least one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education.
• Able to work effectively as part of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and actively contribute within MDT meetings.

• Theologically educated (at degree level).

• To be in good mental and physical health.

Key job requirements

• To adhere with all ICHC policies including the policies as agreed in the MoU between ICHC and the DHB.
• To uphold and reflect the values of the DHB and adhere to the DHB policies, including health and safety, infection control, patient confidentiality and patient’s privacy, event reporting and personal safety.
  • The ability to provide care to all people with sensitivity and regard to their cultural and religious background whatever their church or religious affiliation or absence of affiliation.
  • Current letter of ordination, accreditation, good standing or equivalent from your denomination.
  • Experience in hospital chaplaincy, pastoral counselling or in other relevant ministry.
  • Appropriate Mental Health qualifications and experienced in pastorally supporting patients with mental health illness.
  • Good self-care discipline and committed to regular clinical supervision.
  • A current driver’s licence.
  • Police Vetting Check clear of offences incompatible with the care of others.
  • Basic computer literacy, including the ability to use email and produce and amend printed documents and to learn to use the simple ICHC chaplains’ RBA weekly review site.
  • Willingness to work as an active and effective member of the chaplaincy team.