Night Chaplain Service Opportunities

Spiritual Care

Our Night Chaplain Program is an in-house night ministry program providing spiritual care throughout the hospital. Sponsored by the UnityPoint Health – Meriter Department of Spiritual Care and the Association of Spiritual Caregivers, the program is an interfaith ministry incorporating a wide variety of religious and spiritual resources to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of hospitalized patients and their families.

How The Program Benefits You

• Sharpens your ministry skills to hospitalized persons in crisis.
• Offers you the opportunity to expand your understanding of the deeper spiritual issues within life's major crisis and transition times.
• Increases your sensitivity to the needs of the sick, injured, dying and elderly as well as healing resources available.
• Allows you to provide care as part of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals.
• Offers you the opportunity to meet other spiritual caregivers, and consult with them and Meriter's certified ACPE supervisor.
• Allows you to give health care staff a greater awareness of spiritual needs, and promote usage of pastoral and spiritual resources.
• Provides you the opportunity to enhance the relationship between Meriter and the religious community.
• Diverse caregiver education opportunities.

Services Provided to You

• A sleep room and meals while on duty.
• An honorarium for each night served.

Requirements

• Acceptance as member of the Association of Spiritual Caregivers.
• Completion of one unit (minimum) of Clinical Pastoral Education.
• Completion of an application form, screening interview and acceptance into the program.
• Completion of an orientation to the Night Chaplain Program.
• Commitment to serve one night per month as night chaplain (between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m.) for one year.
• A basic knowledge of and comfort level with providing spiritual care in a health care setting. Chaplains must also be open to diversity of religion and culture.
• A commitment to attend regularly scheduled monthly meetings that focus on education, pastoral skill development, team building and support.