Associate Chaplain–Sunnyside Communities–Harrisonburg, VA

Job Title: ASSOCIATE CHAPLAIN

Department: Chapel Community: Sunnyside – Harrisonburg
Reports to: Lead Chaplain FLSA: Exempt

Job Summary: The primary responsibilities of the Associate Chaplain are to work with & support the Lead Chaplain, deliver pastoral care, worship services, and offer spiritual and emotional guidance to residents and their families, as well as employees, while supporting the mission of the community. The Associate Chaplain’s primary area of focus will be providing pastoral care and visitation to residents in Healthcare and Assisted Living. Maintain relationships with local churches and help to keep residents in touch with their church, as needed.

Qualifications:
• Ordained by a mainline Christian denomination and in good standing with their denominational judicatory
• Ecumenical and interfaith perspective and ability to work well with people of all spiritualities
• Requires a Master of Divinity seminary degree or equivalent Master’s degree
• Minimum of two years of pastoral or clinical experience and experience in long-term care or CCRC setting preferred
• Working towards Board Certification by Professional Chaplains Association or equivalent certification
• Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), four units preferred
• Basic computer skills required
• Ability to interact well with older population, showing sensitivity to diverse cognitive & physical capabilities
• Ability and willingness to take direction from and collaborate with the Lead Chaplain
• Ability to maintain the integrity of confidential information
• Be creative, positive, energetic, organized, and patient
• Strong people skills, able to maintain a non-anxious, compassionate presence
• Valid driver’s license with good driving record required

Standards:
 Adhere to all company policies and procedures; set a good example for others.
 Attend/complete all in-services, training and meetings as required by Sunnyside.
 Meet all training requirements as required by Federal and State regulations and by Sunnyside.
 Demonstrate a commitment to safety by following safety rules & guidelines; follow good housekeeping practices, take proper care of equipment and perform job duties and responsibilities in a safe and responsible manner.
 Be reliable and punctual with attendance; plan appropriately for absences when possible.
 Show initiative and drive within scope of job responsibilities; show initiative without needing direction but ask for clarification, correct errors and request assistance in timely manner, handle unexpected situations calmly and efficiently.
 Show commitment to giving quality service and make continuous efforts to improve; consider accuracy & appearance of work, learn from mistakes while taking action to reduce errors and understand the role quality plans in customer satisfaction.
 Understand and respond to resident/customer needs; give complete and timely responses and always be respectful and courteous while following through with communication efforts.
 Take responsibility for decisions, actions and results.
 Work as a team player within department and with other Sunnyside departments; coach and encourage others on a regular basis, contribute to positive morale and spirit within the team and embrace change/adjust to changing responsibilities.
 Communicate effectively with residents, family members, guests, co-workers, supervisors, etc.; actively listen and clearly share information demonstrating effective oral and written communication.
 Exercise good time management practices while maintaining quality of work; plan and organize work load to ensure job duties are handled efficiently and effectively and provide timely responses to those who request information.
 Ensure personal hygiene, appearance and dress; present neatly groomed appearance and follow department dress code ensure identification badge is worn where visible.
 Demonstrate dependability, reliability and punctuality. Report to work when schedule, ready to work.
 Ensure all emergency preparedness practice drills and protocols are followed.
Essential Job Duties:
• Provide visitation, pastoral care, and support to residents in Health Care and Assisted Living. When Lead Chaplain is unavailable, provide these services to residents of Independent Living as needed.
• Prepare and lead chapel services as well as devotional programs and special services, under the direction of Lead Chaplain. Oversee bulletin and Power Point slide preparation for assigned chapel services.
• When appropriate and requested, inform local churches when a resident member is expecting a change (hospitalization, expressing need for clergy visit, etc.)
• Visit and meet new Health Care and Assisted Living residents who transition from the campus within a week of arrival.
• Maintain regular contact with all Health Care and Assisted Living residents on a quarterly basis, at a minimum. Provide the sacraments as requested by residents. Document all visits on the Chaplaincy Shared Drive. Document Health Care visits with notes on the electronic record.
• Share hospital visitation of residents with Lead Chaplain. Document hospital visits on Chaplaincy shared drive. Share on-call rotation.
• In consultation with the Lead Chaplain, respond to resident deaths by the following: contact family and offer condolence on behalf of Sunnyside, document the death on the Chaplaincy Spread Sheet, and encourage family to contact their church or faith tradition leader for funeral or memorial preparations. Preside over memorial services, when requested by resident families as schedules allow.
• Provide grief support to bereaved residents.
• Participate in membership of Chaplain’s Advisory Committee.
• Represent Sunnyside in the community to area churches and places of worship and attend off campus memorial services when requested to participate in the service, schedule permitting.
• When invited, attend and show support for Sunnyside functions sponsored by various departments.
• Offer appropriate prayers and blessings for meetings and assemblies when requested.
• Engage in continuing education appropriate to Chaplaincy or One’s certification/licensure. Complete a minimum of 25 hours per year. Maintain documentation of completed education.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Environment: This job operates in an environment with activity rooms and office space with normal lighting levels, temperature ranges, air quality, ventilation and noise levels. Special events, temperatures vary with the season and location.
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
The employee is frequently required to sit for long periods of time. Additionally, employee will routinely sit, stand, reach, lift, bend, kneel, stoop, climb, push and pull items weighing 25 lbs or less and occasionally more than 30 lbs. The position requires manual dexterity; auditory and visual skills; and the ability to follow written and oral instructions and procedures.
Work Hazards: General hazards related to operation and maintenance of chaplain services on and off campus. Minimal hazards if universal precautions are followed.

Contact Lead Chaplain for more information.
The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Long
Email: clong@sunnyside.cc
(540) 568-8229

Closing Date: October 31, 2024