The Spiritual Care Specialist (SCS) provides spiritual care and emotional support to patients, family members, and staff across the health system. The SCS coordinates access to appropriate religious and spiritual support and uses evidence- based screening, assessment, and interventions to alleviate spiritual, relational, and existential distress. This position serves patients, families, and staff of all faith traditions and those with no religious affiliation, applying a whole-person, inclusive approach to care. The SCS works as an integrated member of the multidisciplinary care team, documenting in the medical record and collaborating with clinical staff to ensure spiritual care needs are identified and addressed throughout the care continuum.

 

The SCS maintains a high degree of professional self-awareness and continually develops clinical skills in alignment with national chaplaincy standards. This role is essential to OHSU’s commitment to compassionate, person-centered care and the overall wellbeing of patients, families, and staff.

Direct Patient Care

• Use evidence-based spiritual screening and assessment tools to triage consults and identify appropriate interventions for patients across all care settings.
• Provide spiritually and culturally sensitive care to patients and families of all traditions, including prayer, empathic presence, theological reflection, values clarification, and grief support.
• Document screening, assessment, and intervention accurately in the electronic medical record for use by the care team.
• Participate in interdisciplinary rounds, care conferences, and team huddles to represent the spiritual care perspective and advocate for patients.
• Fulfill on-call spiritual care duties to ensure timely responses to urgent and after- hours requests, including end-of-life care.

Staff Support

• Provide point-of-care emotional and spiritual support to bedside clinicians and care team members experiencing the weight of healthcare work.
• Participate in critical incident debriefing, Schwartz Rounds, memorial services, and other wellness and resilience initiatives for faculty, staff, and students.
• Serve as a peer resource for colleagues navigating complex spiritual or psychosocial care situations.

Education and System Work

• Offer educational presentations and training to interdisciplinary staff on spirituality, spiritual distress, and culturally sensitive care.
• Provide clinical supervision and support for spiritual care learners when appropriate.
• Participate in advocacy efforts alongside ERGs to support staff in their religious and spiritual needs.

General Administration and Organization

• Maintain accurate scheduling and on-call records in collaboration with the Spiritual Care Specialist Lead.
• Respond to referrals, consults, and team communications in a timely manner.
• Participate in department meetings, quality improvement activities, and professional development as requested.

Other Duties as Assigned

• Master’s degree in divinity, Theology, Ethics, or equivalent.
• Board Certification from a nationally recognized body (Association of Professional Chaplains, National Association of Jewish Chaplains, National Association of Catholic Chaplains, Spiritual Care Association, etc.).
  • If not, Board Certified at time of hire, the candidate must demonstrate eligibility, including endorsement by an ecclesiastical endorsing organization if applicable, a master's degree in divinity or equivalent, and completion of at least 4 units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).
• Board Certification is required within three years of hire date.
• At least one year of clinical chaplaincy or hospital experience.

• Two or more years of hospital chaplaincy experience.
• Experience working in an academic medical center.

This position is primarily on-site with some flexibility depending on scheduling needs. All staff in this classification carry some level of on-call responsibility. Work schedule and location may vary based on individual assignment and departmental need. This role is considered a critical function and requires working in the office during Modified Operations, which may occur due to conditions such as inclement weather, local crises, pandemics, and natural disasters.

We are Oregon's only public academic health center.

In addition to caring for patients, we lead groundbreaking research. We also train the next generation of health care professionals. As Portland's largest employer, we give you opportunities to learn and advance in a system of hospitals and clinics across Oregon and Southwest Washington.

All are welcome.

OHSU welcomes people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, national origins, religions and sexual orientations. We are striving to build an anti-racist, multicultural institution and encourage people with diverse backgrounds to apply.

To request reasonable accommodation, contact askhr@ohsu.edu