Job Description
The Director of Pastoral Care & Mission Integration provides leadership for the development and implementation of a continuum of pastoral care services and programs to residents, families and staff at Mercy Circle in accordance with the Mission of Mercy Circle. This full-time, benefit-eligible leadership role reports to the Executive Director.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Core member of the residents’ interdisciplinary team and participates in the resident’s initial and updated care planning as well as process improvement.
- Ensures care plans reflect coordination of services with other parallel disciplines such as social services and activities.
- Reviews chart to become familiar with advanced directives and checks for spiritual needs within seven days upon admission.
- Completes a spiritual assessment with outcomes and resident or family participation within seven days of admission to long-term care.
- Ensures opportunities for the wider community of Mercy Circle, resident family members and staff to participate in meaningful religious activities, such as special prayer services for residents who have died each November; special presentations on topics pertinent to aging; blessing services for incoming or exiting staff, as well as staff inclusion in reflections that focus on their vocational role at Mercy Circle.
- Directs and monitors sacramental life of the community by ensuring services have been scheduled for anointing of the sick, providing for sacramental reconciliation, celebration of the Eucharist, as well as appropriate inclusion of worship services for residents of other faith denominations.
- Coordinates Mercy Circle response to resident death in terms of presence at wake, funeral and after care for family and loved ones of deceased. Provides for appropriate memorial services for residents and staff quarterly, or as requested, with appropriate ritual expression and opportunity to grieve and heal within a community context of faith.
- Ensures a member of the pastoral team meets with individual residents to ascertain their pastoral, spiritual and religious needs in order to provide appropriate one-on-one care across the residential population of Independent Living, Assisted Living, Skilled Care and in concert with staff regarding Memory Care residents. A member of the pastoral team meets individually and with loved ones to understand and implement desired pastoral care during active dying and expectations at time of death.
- Understands the different aspects of grief: anticipatory, disenfranchised, acute, chronic and compound. Creates plans to address the different stages of grief a resident/family/staff may experience.
- Invites staff, family and residents to discuss their feelings of loss; leads resident support groups.
- Offers opportunities for discussion of complicated medical ethical issues. Facilitates in-house ethics committee meeting and may participate in regional ethics committee meeting.
- Dialogues with residents and their families on issues of end of life, the withdrawal/termination of life support, comfort measures, informed consent and refusal of treatment.
- Conducts in-services to create awareness of death and dying issues, grief and diversity sensitivity training. Provides information and education for residents, responsible persons and staff in the area of Advance Directives.
- Participates in Manager Meetings, schedules and leads regular department meetings with staff and other committees. Serves as an advocate for staff at management meetings.
- Knowledgeable of the current Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare Services
- Supports the Standards of Excellence for Spiritual Care of Mercy Circle.
- Must function independently, make independent decisions, demonstrates flexibility, personal integrity and ability to work effectively with residents and personnel.
- Maintains a working knowledge of applicable Federal, State and local laws and regulations, TSLC Corporate Integrity Program, Code of Ethics, as well as other policies and procedures in order to ensure adherence in a manner that reflects honest, ethical and professional behavior.
- Serves as community Compliance Liaison.
Position Qualifications
- Master’s Degree in theology, divinity, religious studies, pastoral ministry or pastoral studies from an accredited college or university.
- Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) via APC, NACC or an established equivalency.
- Previous experience working in long-term care or with the geriatric population preferred.
- Supervisory experience preferred.
- Must lead by example and possess superior customer service skills and professionalism.
- Flexibility to adapt to ongoing change and work in a fast-paced, customer-driven environment.
- Interpersonal skills to drive collaboration, commitment and productivity when working with cross-functional teams, customers and end users.
- Self-starter, highly motivated with high energy level.
- Demonstrates superior written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft product suite (MS Word, Excel, Power Point, etc.); knowledge and experience with electronic mail and calendaring system in PC LAN environment. Ability to type with speed and accuracy.
- Possesses a high degree of personal accountability, responsibility and independent decision-making abilities with the skills to plan, organize, develop, implement and interpret programs, goals, objectives, policies and procedures of the organization.
Benefits
Full-Time Employees
For Full-Time Employees, Mercy Circle offers a number of generous and competitive benefits to associates including, but not limited to:
- Medical, dental and vision insurance
- Employer paid life insurance policy
- Employer paid short-term and long-term disability policy
- 403b retirement savings plan
- Employee Assistance Program
- Paid time off
- Tuition reimbursement
Mercy Circle is an equal opportunity employer for all candidates without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability or genetics. Mercy Circle is a drug-free workplace. All job candidates undergo background checks before they can start working.
Please contact Careers@MercyCircle.org if you have any questions or would like assistance completing our application process.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services awards the top ranking—5 stars for its overall rating and 5 stars for quality staffing—to Mercy Circle. This not-for-profit provides the full continuum of care from an independent living lifestyle to skilled nursing care and has a no-entrance-fee policy.