Student Educator Clinical Pastoral Education

At Houston Methodist, the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Student Educator Phase I position is responsible for participating in a multi-year training program towards achievement as a Clinical Pastoral Education Certified Educator by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). Under supervision of the CPE Certified Educator and/or CPE Director/Manager, this position performs activities towards the fulfillment of certification requirements to include facilitating and teaching CPE courses, participating in curriculum development, and providing individual and group student supervision. The CPE Student Educator Phase I position also performs the job of Chaplain, initially about 50% of the time and lessening as responsibilities associated with the student training increase over time due to receiving candidate status by ACPE. This position assists leadership in carrying out the Houston Methodist mission, vision, and values, participating in activities in these efforts.

FLSA STATUS
Exempt

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Master’s degree in theological studies from an institution accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or equivalency approved by the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC and only if prior to 2017), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC), Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC), Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), or Spiritual Care Association (SCA)
• Four units of CPE from Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) accredited center

EXPERIENCE

• Experience as a professional chaplain preferred

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
• Endorsed for chaplaincy by a recognized endorsing body
• Demonstrates knowledge of ACPE Standards and Manuals, ACPE Code of Professional Ethics, and APC Common Code of Ethics for Chaplains, Pastoral Counselors, Pastoral Educators, and Students
• Possesses basic computer knowledge; operates various computer systems to enter and maintain patient documents
• Ability to work independently; capable of effectively handling challenging/difficult interactions, patient care situations; demonstrates sound judgment and executes above average communication skills
• Exhibits strong interpersonal and team player skills with all levels of the healthcare team
• Demonstrates knowledge of and adherence to attributes of integrity, honesty, personal responsibility, and accountability
• Demonstrates emotional and spiritual maturity
• Adapts to multiple ongoing priorities with minimal supervision including organizing workflow and actively participating in problem-solving
• Very strong organizational skills and detail-oriented nature
• Professional handling of exposure to confidential/sensitive information
• Demonstrates ability to utilize educational resources to develop reflectivity
• Demonstrates awareness of emotional self and the ability to translate awareness into spiritual care action
• Demonstrates knowledge and awareness of how socio-economic and cultural systems and structures impact well-being of individuals and groups
• Exhibits the ability to mentor others on pastoral/professional functioning
• Demonstrates awareness of the need for a theoretical foundation in education and personality development for Certified Educators
• Demonstrates integration of theory and practice in the provision of spiritual care
• Demonstrates awareness of multi-faceted roles in chaplaincy or pastoral/spiritual care context
• Demonstrates basic knowledge of current ACPE Standards and the Common Qualifications and Competencies for Professional Chaplains and how to access the documents

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Promotes a supportive and positive environment for Houston Methodist CPE students, collaborating and communicating in a non-judgmental manner. Articulates the importance of and demonstrates ability to navigate interdisciplinary systems to accomplish shared goals for the benefit of care receivers. Communicates beliefs, thoughts, values, and feelings clearly through congruent verbal, non-verbal, and written skills.
• After receiving candidate status by ACPE, provides group and individual mentoring of CPE students, including spiritual care support to patients, family members, and employees on assigned clinical units, when on call, participating in patient rounds, discharge planning, support groups, sacred story groups and other interprofessional teams. Upholds ethical behavior and protects the welfare of others within spiritual care practice.
• Exhibits and demonstrates the ability to learn from peers, recognize relational dynamics, and establishes collaborative and dialogical relationships. Displays self-awareness and reflection in spiritual care practice. Demonstrates basic knowledge of spiritual care assessment tools and human development. Recommends initiatives to improve department scores for employee engagement.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Makes pastoral visit, providing spiritual care that is sensitive to individuals' social, religious, and cultural contexts. Uses tools for assessment, plan of care, intervention, and evaluation of outcomes appropriate to the patient care context. Provides spiritual care to meet the spiritual, religious, and emotional needs of patients and their family members of all faiths, during hospitalization and particularly for pre-operative, critically ill and dying patients. Respects physical, emotional, and spiritual boundaries in the practice of spiritual care. Enables others to utilize their own faith as a resource for health and healing.
• Demonstrates basic knowledge of spiritual care assessment tools and human development. Exhibits ability to provide care as a skillful, empathic, and compassionate spiritual caregiver Empowers others to initiate and receive feedback in a clinical consultation. Understands own need for consultation in clinical context.
• Articulates a theology/philosophy of spiritual care that is integrated with spiritual care practice. Recognizes situations that challenge adherence to ACPE Standards and Ethics. Proactively identifies when a change in approach or intervention is necessary, taking appropriate action and involving others as needed. Provides crisis intervention for patients and family, visitors, employees, and physicians.
• Recommends initiatives/activities to meet/exceed department and organization targets for patient satisfaction measures.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Under supervision of a CPE Certified Educator and/or CPE Director/Manager, plans and develops CPE curriculum, co-teaches, or independently teaches and facilitates CPE courses/units.
• Accurately and thoroughly documents patient visits and spiritual care provided in the patient’s record. Ensures the accuracy and thoroughness of documentation performed by students in patient records.
• Upholds ethical behavior and protects the welfare of others within spiritual care practice. Articulates organizational strengths and weaknesses from current and previous spiritual care contexts. Instructs and facilitates reflection in other learners or professionals.
• Consults with physicians, clinical management, hospital leadership and staff to assess quality and safety of services provided by CPE students. Identifies opportunities for corrective action and improvement, providing recommendations, contributing to achievement of hospital and department targets for quality and safety.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively and prioritize daily tasks to achieve maximum results in a timely manner. Utilizes time efficiently, demonstrating responsible financial stewardship, and proactively helps other team members.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Articulates the role of chaplain/spiritual caregiver as a potential change agent. facilitate groups such as staff debriefings and support groups worship services, I CARE values integration, accreditation readiness, bioethics, etc. Displays self-awareness and reflection in spiritual care practice. Incorporates understanding of personal/cultural development, educational and vocational history, religious/spiritual development, and CPE experience into practice of spiritual care.
• Progressively assumes increasing responsibilities associated with fulfilling the requirements for achieving ACPE certification as Educator CPE. Articulates knowledge of ethical theories appropriate to a spiritual care context. Demonstrates basic research literacy and familiarity with evidence-based practice in spiritual care. Prepares and submits supervisory and theological theory papers, participates in video conferences with other Student Educators peer group.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform: No
• Scrubs: No
• Business professional: Yes
• Other (department approved): No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. Disaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* No

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Master’s degree in theological studies from an institution accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or equivalency approved by the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC and only if prior to 2017), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC), Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC), Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), or Spiritual Care Association (SCA)
• Four units of CPE from Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) accredited center

EXPERIENCE

• Experience as a professional chaplain preferred