Volunteer Chaplain: Every Child’s Hope

Every Child’s Hope, based in St. Louis, seeks a Volunteer Chaplain.

Purpose: The Volunteer Chaplain is responsible for the provision of pastoral care to residents and clients of Every Child’s Hope Residential Programs. The Volunteer Chaplain ensures that all youth are afforded the opportunity to practice the faith traditions of their choice and coordinates the various activities of those faith groups. 

Job Title: Volunteer Chaplain (Client Contact & Recurring) 
Location: The Treatment Center & Dill Center 
Reports to: Youth Care Services Supervisor (Residential) and Volunteer Manager 
Schedule: Year-round, 5-10 hours per week 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Acts as primary advisor on and implementer of religious program practices, clarifying issues involving various faith practices, religious diets, and other religious standards and ensuring that these are permitted to the fullest extent possible. 
• Participates in delivering and arranging for appropriate pastoral care and advice to residents on religious or spiritual matters. 
• Assists residents to use their faith system in coping with stress in life. 
• Participates in the offering of worship opportunities for the residents of the residential treatment program including meeting ritual needs in a manner that is sensitive to age, culture, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and other significant needs of the residents. 
• Plans and conducts services or events during the religious holiday seasons. 
• Is able to communicate effectively with residents in situations which may be distressing and sensitive. 
• Treats confidential information with professional integrity and respect. Assists clients in using their faith in dealing with illness, trauma, and stress. 
• Visits newly admitted residents in the residential treatment program to assess their religious traditions and their desire to practice customs specific to their faith. 
• Keeps records of pastoral activity and communicates these activities to the respective Care Managers. 
• Responsible for being trauma aware, sensitive, and responsive to youth, families, and colleagues through the completion and annual trauma informed care education and training. 

Competencies: 

Qualifications – To perform this volunteer job successfully, an individual must be able toperform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative ofthe knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made toenable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience – Master’s degree in divinity or related field; preferred registeredas an ordained minister (no specific denomination), including a minimum of 1 unit of ClinicalPastoral Education.

Language Skills – Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals,professional journals, technical procedures, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectivelypresent information and respond to questions from care managers & clients.

Reasoning Ability – Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical ordiagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Computer Skills – To perform job successfully, and individual should have knowledge of Database software; Internet software and Word Processing software.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations – Ordained Minister (no specific denomination).

Other Skills and Abilities – Ability to guide residents through their own faith journeys and to be supportive of their religious traditions and beliefs. Ability to refrain proselytizing any one belief, denomination or religion.

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this volunteer job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.

Work Environment – The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this volunteer job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Qualities – Caring, pleasant manner, service-oriented, problem-solving ability, dependable,flexible, with the ability to react positively and quickly, patience, maturity, and good judgment.

Abide by all Confidentiality, HIPPA, Health, Safety practices

Support: Training for this position will be provided. The Youth Care Services Supervisor & Volunteer Manager will be available for questions and assistance. 

Age Requirement: 21 

Dress Code: Appropriate business casual 

Interested applicants should contact sdeweese@everychildshope.org or call 314-506-7399.