Spiritual Health Practitioner

Spiritual Health

Fostering spiritual wellbeing

Spiritual health practitioners are clinically-trained health professionals who support the spiritual health of patients, families, and clinicians across diverse beliefs, cultural perspectives, and practices.

They foster spiritual wellbeing by helping connect people with themselves, the ultimate/Other, that the patient and families ascribe to, and to help patients, families, and health professionals connect with a sense of meaning and purpose.

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Compensation

$30.00 - $51.54 per hour

Other benefits

Union

Non-Union Exempt Employee (NUEE)

Education

Master’s degree in theology, spirituality/religion, or a related field

2nd Advanced Level, Clinical Psychospiritual Education (CPE)

Registration

Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC)

Duties

  • Listen deeply to patient/family stories
  • Support patients and families in coping with spiritual distress (the experience of loss of connection and meaning) that may arise during times of injury, illness or disease
  • Promote patients and families spiritual wellbeing through:
    • Spiritual reflection
    • Spiritual counsel
    • Support of spiritual practices
    • Provision of meaningful rituals, ceremonies, and services
    • Assisting in their own creative expression of spirituality

Make a Difference

  • Foster a spiritual well-being, through a connection with self, others, and the Ultimate/Other for a sense of meaning and purpose for patients, families, and clinicians
  • Facilitate improved relationships between clinicians, patients, and families, including better understanding of patient and family preferences, ongoing concerns, and support strategies
  • Help clinicians, patients, and families cope with the stress and demands of hospitalization, patient diagnosis or prognosis
  • Improve the patient’s experience, satisfaction, and quality of life

Work Collaboratively

  • Communicate directly with patients and families
  • Work with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals
  • Collaborate with other spiritual leaders within the community from various faiths, clergy members, religious advisors, and faith-based organizations
  • Work in hospitals or healthcare centres, mental health facilities, specialty, or community clinics

Grow Your Career

  • Additional training and education
  • Spiritual health consultant
  • Healthcare leadership and management
  • Health system administration