Spiritual Health Practitioner I in Calgary

The South Health Campus is more than just a hospital. It’s a campus environment that includes inpatient, outpatient, and wellness services, as well as prevention and public health learning opportunities for the community. The SHC has 4 key pillars of service: Collaborative Practice, Wellness, Innovation, Patient and Family Centered Care. These pillars guide the development and delivery of service to all patients and families at SHC.

As a Spiritual Health Practitioner (SHP) with the Allied Health team, the incumbent will support the spiritual and emotional health of patients and families across diverse beliefs, cultural perspectives, and practices. The incumbent will support a dynamic interfaith community that embodies AHS’ patient-first approach. The SHP responds with compassion and inclusiveness to the spiritual health needs identified by patients, families, and staff. Reflecting a holistic, compassionate methodology to care, the SHP advances an evidence-based spiritual health care approach.

The successful candidate will rely on excellent interpersonal communication, prioritization, and self-awareness skills to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with interdisciplinary team members, community faith leaders, and volunteers as well as navigate a constantly changing caseload. They will show proficiency in self-direction and independent decision making, sound clinical judgement, and critical thinking skills.

Description: As a Spiritual Health Practitioner, you will provide patient-centered, strength-based spiritual care to patients and their families. Your role involves responding to emotional and psychospiritual needs across diverse spiritual, existential, and religious beliefs, cultural perspectives, and practices. You will employ a range of spiritual care interventions appropriate to the practice setting, including screening, assessments, spiritually integrated counselling, psychospiritual therapy, end-of-life spiritual care, religious and non-religious rituals, and professional consultations. In addition, you will facilitate spiritual group therapy sessions to address spiritual distress and promote spiritual well-being. You will also provide spiritual care to staff, physicians, and volunteers, individually or in groups, to foster resilience and support overall well-being within the organization.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Theology, Spirituality, Religious Studies, or a clinically related field.
• Completion of Advanced Level II Clinical Psychospiritual Education.
• Demonstrated skills in reflective and collaborative practice, active listening, negotiation, advocacy, and conflict resolution.
• Knowledge of and skills to address the needs of people encountering crisis, disability, loss, bereavement, and end-of-life care.
• Experience facilitating education in spiritually-informed care.
• Demonstrated autonomy, problem-solving, and change management skills.
• Engages in self-reflective practice, and assesses the impact of one’s own spirituality, beliefs, values, assumptions, and power dynamics in relationship with clients.
• Time management and prioritization skills, with a demonstrated ability to function effectively within a dynamic and challenging environment.
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills: demonstrated ability to collaborate and work effectively with various spiritual, religious, cultural groups and all levels of staff.
• Sound clinical judgment and critical thinking including ability to apply principles of evidence-based practice.
• Ability to promote a holistic perspective to care.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Two years of relevant spiritual health care experience as a certified spiritual care practitioner.
• Previous experience in a large urban acute care centre is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to function effectively within an inter-professional team environment.
• Computer knowledge e.g. MS Office, Connect Care.
• Enhanced leadership skills to foster interdisciplinary capacity for spiritual care screening, history taking, and support.

Please note: All postings close at 23:59 MT of the posting end date indicated. Security Screening: A satisfactory criminal record check and/or Vulnerable Sector Search is required prior to your first day of work. Additionally, all employees have an ongoing duty to disclose any charges or convictions that may occur during their employment with AHS.

AHS values the diversity of the people and communities we serve and is committed to attracting, engaging, and developing a diverse and inclusive workforce.