Chaplain Intern- Extended Fall 2025

Overview

At Houston Methodist, the Chaplain Intern position is responsible for participating as a part-time or summer student in the Houston Methodist accredited Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program which includes classroom education as well as individual supervised learning. Under the clinical supervision of the Certified Educator/Associate Educator, or Student Educator CPE, this position is precepted and 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.

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

• 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. Provides spiritual care support to Houston Methodist 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 on department scorecard.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

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

• Precepted and mentored by assigned Sr. Chaplain/Chaplain, 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.

• Assists in the initial screening and assessment of patients and the development of patient care plans; responds to assigned referrals. Follows patient protocols established by the precepting chaplain.

• Provides crisis intervention for patients, visitors, and employees with attention to spiritual needs, involving others as needed.

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

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Seeks guidance from Certified Educator, Associate Educator, Student Educator and precepting Chaplain as appropriate; escalates issues/requests to ensure quality and safety in services provided.

• Accurately and thoroughly documents patient visits and spiritual care provided in the patient's record.

• Contributes to identification of corrective action and improvement activities and contributes to meeting department and targets for quality and safety. Reports ¿near misses¿ and inputs into Patient Safety Net (PSN).

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Utilizes time and resources effectively and efficiently and helps other team members, demonstrating responsible financial stewardship, minimizing incidental overtime.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Prepares required patient care reports and other summaries for review and evaluation in compliance with CPE program requirements. Proactively learns from feedback and mentoring.