Chaplain Resident - Fall 2025

Overview

At Houston Methodist, the Chaplain Resident position is responsible for active participation in the Houston Methodist Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program for up to a year, which includes classroom learning and individual supervision from the Educator Clinical Pastoral Education and/or Manager Clinical Pastoral Education. This position precepts with and is mentored by assigned Sr. Chaplain/Chaplain in the provision of spiritual care to meet the spiritual, religious and emotional needs of patients, families, and employees. The Chaplain Resident position is participatory in the daily life of the hospital: serving with chaplains on committees, assisting with departmental projects.

Houston Methodist Standard

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVEDRefer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience.

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Displays cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

Responsibilities

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Provides a supportive and positive environment for Houston Methodist patients, family members, visitors, employees and physicians. Conducts self in a manner that is congruent with cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles. Provides spiritual care support to Houston Methodist employees.

• Contributes to a dynamic, team-focused work unit that helps to achieve optimal department results. Develops ongoing relationships and interactions with internal stakeholders and clinicians to best serve the needs of the patients and family members.

• Effectively communicates with the patients, family, staff and physicians. Provides crisis intervention for patients, visitors, and employees. Collaborates with all members of the patient care team by actively communicating in a positive, supportive, non-judgmental manner, reporting pertinent patient care information and data in a comprehensive manner.

• Provides contributions towards improvement of department scores for employee engagement.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Participates in spiritual care morning report. Participates in interprofessional health team rounds, discharge planning, support groups and other interprofessional teams.

• Assists in the initial assessment of patients and the development of patient care plans; responds to assigned referrals. Follows patient protocols established by the precepting chaplain. Enables patients to participate in their plan of care as applicable.

• Contributes to meeting/exceeding department and organization targets for patient satisfaction measures.

• Participates in administrative/clerical support as needed by department and leadership. Participates in worship as assigned and to provide spiritual leadership as part of the spiritual care department.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Participates in regular check-in with the clinical mentor. Partners with Sr. Chaplain/Chaplain who is serving as the mentor to provide 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.

• Accurately and thoroughly documents patient visits and spiritual care p