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Chaplaincy in Palliative Care Settings

In Reply To: Point of Chaplain Intervention?
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Post Re:Point of Chaplain Intervention?
Author: ghandzo [Expert]
Date: May 20, 2008 9:39 am
I certainly agree that CPE training is a fairly effective way to guard against having a chaplain who might proselytize. Another possibility is for employers to require their chaplains to sign the Common Code of Ethics for Professional Chaplains that can be found on the website of the Association of Professional Chaplains. Certainly, employers should make this a condition of employment. As to the point of intervention, I agee in theory with Rabbi Meyerson that day zero or one is best. In Palliative Care, spiritual/religious care should be a full partner and chaplains are the professionals who deliver that care. However, I am also aware that not all palliative care teams are staffed to this level. Therefore, we recommend a short spiritual screening done by the person doing the official intake for the service. Following the model proposed by George Fitchett, this screening should ask how important spiriuality and religion are to the patient or family member's coping and to what extent those mechanisms are working at the moment. The person for whom religion is important but it is not working should be referred for immediate pastoral care.

The Rev. George Handzo, BCC
Vice President
Pastoral Care Leadership & Practice
The HealthCare Chaplaincy
New York, NY
Replies: order by [Date] [Author] [Subject]
Re:Re:Point of Chaplain Intervention? (by Michael on 05/20/2008)
I beleive an ACPE (Association for Clinical Pastoral Education) trained and APC (Association of Professional Chaplains) certified chaplain should be a requirement for the care of palliative care patients. While Dr. Fitchett's tool has value as a guide for spiritual assessment, some patients may have yet to realize the extent of their emotional and spiritual needs or the skills available to them through a qualified chaplain. Assessment tools can frequently miss some of the more subtle indicators of the most critical spiritual and psycho-social issues. Addressing these issues is as important as addressing many of the physical symptoms related to life threatening illness. I would encourage any established palliative program, and certainly one with an inpatient unit, to require a spiritual assessment by a qualified chaplain take place as soon as possible following diagnosis. Michael Doane, ACPE Supervisor Executive Director, Palliative and EOL Care CHRISTUS Spohn Health System Corpus Christi, Texas

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