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Chaplaincy in Palliative Care Settings

Next Reply: Re:Chaplains and Diverse Religious Traditions
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Post Chaplains and Diverse Religious Traditions
Author: OFL07
Date: May 19, 2008 1:31 pm
Our patients come from a wide variety of religious traditions. How do we make sure that our chaplains can serve this diverse group?
Replies: order by [Date] [Author] [Subject]
Re:Chaplains and Diverse Religious Traditions (by Kathy on 05/19/2008)
Serving diverse religious traditions is, in our experience, much like serving diverse cultures. The starting point is to avoid making assumptions. Chaplains can elicit information about the individual's beliefs and how their current situation is perceived in reference to those beliefs. Then, the chaplain will be able to provide support based on the individual's point of view. We maintain a list of spiritual leaders and healers from the cultures we most often serve and assist in establishing contact with them if the patient is in agreement. Patients may sometimes be better served by someone from a different religion than by someone from a different branch of their own religion--an empathetic Buddist may be of more support than a medicine man from a different Native American tribe. Acceptance is crucial; exploring mysteries together has been more productive for us than having answers...
Re:Chaplains and Diverse Religious Traditions (by ghandzo on 05/20/2008)
I certainly agree that religion and culture interlock at many points. The trick with both is to be informed by what we have learned to be generally true of people from a particular religion or culture while being open to and respecting the uniqueness of the individual before us. Good materials to help in this process can be found in the Resource Room of the web site of the Association of Professional Chaplains. Good assessment is also key. For chaplains, the basic issue is to presume that we work from where the patient or family member is, not from where we are or think they ought to be. Any chaplain who is CPE trained and oriented to this premise should do well with people of any tradition. It is not necessary to match the tradition of the chaplain with the tradition of the patient unless that is what the patient requests.

The Rev. George Handzo, BCC
Vice President
Pastoral Care Leadership & Practice
The HealthCare Chaplaincy
New York, NY
+ Re:Chaplains and Diverse Religious Traditions (by chaplaincochran on 05/29/2008)
Make sure you only hire or allow Board Certified Chaplains to see your patients. APC, NACC, NAJC all require CPE as a prerequisite to certification. In theory if a Chaplain has Board Certification, they should have the training and experience to serve a diverse patient population. Non-certified Chaplains most likely do not have the experience or the competency level and may or may not be able to relate to a diverse patient population.
Re:Chaplains and Diverse Religious Traditions (by cynmb on 05/29/2008)
One of the best way to be assured that your chaplains are able to respond to a diverse culture is to ascertain if they have been clinically trained and certified by one of the chaplains' cognate organization. Through this training and certification we learn about working with diverse cultures and traditions
Re:Chaplains and Diverse Religious Traditions (by cynmb on 05/29/2008)

the easiest way to assure this is to be sure your chaplain has received clinical training and is certified by one of the chaplain's cognate organizations
Re:Chaplains and Diverse Religious Traditions (by Robert_Crystal on 05/30/2008)
May I suggest that the answer for each program asking this question lies within how that program is itself organized? How does your Palliative Care team deal with diversity as it presents? How do you clarify the patient and her family's needs and desires, and how do you establish a plan of care? The interdisciplinary and patient participatory methods you use will also apply to how when and whether you utilize the chaplaincy services available. And the institution within which you operate may already have practices from which you can work. If your PC team operates within a secular hospital with a team of chaplains, there may be diversity and intercultural work already done. If you are building from the ground up, you may be able to get consults from nearby institutions. But I agree with previous posters, that the spiritual dimension of a patient's care cuts across diversity issues. I have even been asked back to visit avowed atheists because I was able to ask rather than tell. And the Board certification or at least the CPE experience is a good starting point. But ultimately, you have to be sure through interview and review and recommendations that you choose people capable of meeting your needs, just as with any other professional applicant.
Re:Chaplains and Diverse Religious Traditions (by ghandzo on 05/31/2008)
While I do agree that board certification is not the only qualifier and does not guarantee a culturally sensitive and educated chaplain, certification by any of the major pastoral care association in North America does require both a BA and significant graduate work in theology or a related discipline. The point about conforming to the parameters of a particular team is also an important one. Health care is clearly best done as a team. The names of the disciplines represented may be the same from team to team, but how the team functions is different for every team. A chaplain may be fully qualified but not be a good fit for a particular team. The team itself needs diversity.

The Rev. George Handzo, BCC
Vice President
Pastoral Care Leadership & Practice
The HealthCare Chaplaincy
New York, NY

+ Re:Chaplains and Diverse Religious Traditions (by RevTim on 06/02/2008)
It says a great deal about the program when we are able to recognize the need for support to an array of people. Seminary can be a place of intense education that recognizes this need, or a place where one is trained in doctrine, which often builds walls to exclude persons.

This is why I recommend not only an M.Div, but at least two units of CPE. (Clinical Pastoral Education) The best scenario is four units and CPE Accreditation; however, for many, this is economically difficult. Clinical Pastoral Education is critical for individuals entering into Chaplaincy and is not religion or belief specific. Interview a variety of Chaplains and you will be able to recognize those who do not have CPE experience.

Chaplains, like any other profession, should be held accountable for continuing education that represents a commitment to supporting the diversity represented in the population. This commitment should embrace education not only in spiritual beliefs, it should include clinical, counseling, and social education.
Re:Chaplains and Diverse Religious Traditions (by ghandzo on 06/02/2008)
These posts correctly point out how many factors can influence a chaplain's appreciation for ability to deal with diversity. While CPE is generally considered foundational training, many other factors also come into play. I hire chaplains to work in hospitals in the New York City area. I am very careful before I hire someone who has never lived in a major city. Some people are excited by this change and others cannot cope with it. Someone exposed to many traditions is obviously a plus.

The Rev. George Handzo, BCC
Vice President
Pastoral Care Leadership & Practice
The HealthCare Chaplaincy
New York, NY
+ Re:Chaplains and Diverse Religious Traditions (by MDavis on 06/05/2008)
New resource to help chaplains working with Jewish pts and families (published by Duke Institite on Care at the End of Life): Jewish, Ritual, Reality and Response at the End of Life: A Guide to Caring for Jewish Patients and Their Families. If interested, it can be ordered online: http://www.iceol.duke.edu/news/jewishpatientsguide.html

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