Hospice Chaplain (part-time) at Morning Star Hospice and Palliative Care – Lebanon, Pennsylvania

The Hospice Chaplain at Morning Star Hospice and Palliative Care provides spiritual, emotional, and supportive care to patients and families facing life-limiting illness. This role ensures that individuals of all faith traditions—or no faith tradition—receive compassionate, respectful, and culturally sensitive spiritual support. As a key member of the interdisciplinary care team, the Chaplain helps patients and loved ones find comfort, meaning, and peace throughout the end-of-life journey.

• Conduct spiritual assessments to identify patient and family needs, beliefs, and preferences

• Provide ongoing spiritual counseling, prayer, pastoral presence, and emotional comfort

• Offer grief support and anticipatory guidance throughout the hospice process

• Facilitate conversations around life review, meaning, legacy, and spiritual concerns

• Support patients and families during crisis moments, transitions, and end-of-life events

• Lead or coordinate bedside rituals, prayer, sacraments, or ceremonies as requested

• Respect and support diverse faiths, cultural backgrounds, and personal beliefs

• Participate in IDG (Interdisciplinary Group) meetings to discuss patient care plans

• Communicate spiritual care goals and updates with the clinical team

• Work collaboratively with nurses, social workers, aides, and volunteers

• Provide staff support, debriefing, and spiritual encouragement as needed

• Assist with bereavement risk assessments and interventions

• Provide follow-up support to grieving families as assigned

• Participate in or lead memorial services, remembrance events, or grief groups

• Maintain accurate, timely electronic documentation of all spiritual care visits

• Follow all Morning Star Hospice & Palliative Care policies, HIPAA, and regulatory guidelines

• Participate in required training, continuing education, and compliance reviews

• Ordination from recognized religious body

• Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) units strongly preferred

• Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and auto insurance

• Ability to pass background check and health screening

• Compassionate, nonjudgmental, and patient-centered approach

• Strong listening, communication, and crisis-support skills

• Ability to work with individuals of diverse cultural and spiritual backgrounds

• Ability to maintain emotional resilience and healthy boundaries

• Comfortable providing support in homes, facilities, and bedside environments

• Travel to patient homes, skilled nursing facilities, and community sites

• Ability to sit, stand, or walk for extended periods

• Occasional evening or weekend hours based on patient needs