Chaplain (Suffolk County Jail Project)

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Chaplain will serve as a core member of the treatment team within a new, 45-bed men’s behavioral health unit operated by Boston Medical Center (BMC) located in the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department’s (SCSD) Jail. In collaboration with Clinical and Administrative leadership, this role will help ensure the smooth provision of spiritual health services to incarcerated persons. Treatment will include spiritual assessment, individual counseling, family counseling and facilitation of group sessions. This role requires practicing non-judgmental patient centered care and cultural humility in order to care for an impacted patient population who is often marginalized within the healthcare and justice systems. Experience within corrections is not required, as the goal of this program is to deliver community level and quality of treatment inside the jail. 

As part of this innovative new collaboration between BMC and SCSD, this role will report into the BMC Department of Psychiatry, directly reporting to the program’s Clinical Director. Work will be completed within office and clinical settings, both housed within a setting of incarceration. This is a full time position, preference for those able to work evenings and/or Saturdays. The person who fills this position must adhere to all of BMC’s RESPECT behavioral standards.

Position: Chaplain (Suffolk County Jail Project)        

Department: Psychiatry

Schedule: Full Time

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES:

• Responsible for coordinating on site pastoral ministry in alignment with program philosophy as a member of an interdisciplinary care team.
• Manages day-today spiritual health needs of patients within the behavioral health unit.
• Collaborate with broader team of physicians, social workers, case managers, and peers to assess and adjust treatment plans, participating in relevant clinical meetings to support holistic recovery of patients  
• Collaborates with SCSD staff to schedule chapel for religious services.
• Facilitates therapeutic groups for patients.
• Provide necessary oversight of any volunteers or students/trainees providing spiritual health care.
• Participate in staff meetings and clinical care conferences as needed.
• Complete any necessary trainings to ensure high quality EBPs are utilized on unit.
• Adhere to departmental/organizational policies and procedures including maintaining HIPPA HIPAA standards and confidentiality of protected health information.
• Comply with established metrics for performance and adheres to documentation and work flow standards including clearly documenting all progress and submitting required data within expected time frames

(The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job. The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required).

JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION:

• Master’s degree in Divinity or Theology, PhD or DMin.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED:

• Certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains (preferred) or eligible for certification.

EXPERIENCE:

• 2 years of chaplaincy experience, experience as chaplain in correctional setting preferred.
• Must have endorsement by a recognized religious body or authority.
• Preference for experience within correctional environments and/or working with individuals with unmet behavioral health needs

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES (KSA):

• Ability to work collaboratively in a diverse and interdisciplinary team
• Knowledge of counseling and clinical pastoral care, including training in behavioral health (mental illness and substance use disorders), spirituality, and religious practices common to the community generally acquired through the completion of a degree program
• Skilled at engaging difficult to engage patients—build rapport, trust and utilizing de-escalation skills
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment, inclusive of organizational skills, time management skills, critical thinking, and problem solving abilities
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate in a courteous, pleasant and professional manner with healthcare providers, patients and families, general public, staff members, external agencies, and other organizational leaders.
• Ability to work independently and to make decisions based on established policies and procedures.
• Proficient oral and written English communication skills.
• Bi-lingual and/or bi-cultural candidates preferred
• Intermediate Microsoft Office suite experience (i.e. MS Word, Excel, Access, Outlook)
• Experience using an electronic health record preferred

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans