Position Overview

The Spiritual Care Practitioner (SCP) at Michael Garron Hospital is an integrated member of the interprofessional team. The SCP provides compassionate, trauma-informed, and patient- and family-centered spiritual care to patients and families across all hospital areas.
The work is primarily psychosocial, emotional, and existential in nature. The practitioner supports patients facing serious illness, family members navigating extended admissions or grief, and staff and colleagues experiencing the demands of acute care work. The practitioner also assesses and responds to specifically religious needs, including coordination of sacramental and ritual care across diverse faith traditions.
The Spiritual Care Practitioner functions as a clinical resource tophysicians, nursing, social work, and allied health colleagues. They contribute to interdisciplinary care planning, particularly for patients with complex psychosocial, palliative, or mental health needs. The practitioner also supports the broader hospital community through participation in initiatives that foster a culture of resilience, ethical reflection, and equity.
Embracing diversity of belief, faith tradition, culture, language, and identity, Spiritual Health at MGH responds to the full range of spiritual, religious, and emotional needs of the patient population served by Toronto East Health Network.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides spiritual and supportive care consistent with the Toronto East Health Network core values of Compassion, Courage, Integrity, and Accountability.
• Assesses spiritual, religious, and psycho-emotional needs of patients and families, with particular attention to patients nearing end of life, navigating significant health changes, and experiencing acute existential distress related to their health care journey.
• Provides supportive counselling and psychotherapy within the practice scope of a Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO) and refers to other professionals as appropriate.
• Facilitates access to spiritual and religious resources within the hospital and the broader community, including coordination with external faith leaders for sacramental, ritual, and culturally specific care.
• Collaborates actively with physicians and allied health colleagues on shared cases through case conferences, team rounds, and care planning.
• Maintains accurate and timely clinical documentation in accordance with hospital and CASC standards.
• Contributes to clinical teaching, peer supervision, and the supervision of clinical pastoral education (CPE) students, where appropriate.
• Participates in service quality improvement, professional education, and reflective practice.
• Facilitates and fosters relationships with community groups, volunteers, and external faith leaders.

Education

• Master of Divinity, Master of Pastoral Studies, or equivalent graduate degree in theology, spirituality, or pastoral counselling.

• Completion of two advanced units of Clinical Pastoral Education through a Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC)accredited centre.

• Specialist or Certified Specialist standing with the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care, or active progress toward certification with a clear timeline.

• Registered Psychotherapist (RP) designation with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), or active progress toward registration.

Experience

Required:

• Minimum two years of experience delivering spiritual care in an institutional health care setting (e.g. hospital, acute care, complex continuing care, hospice, mental health, community health center, or comparable).
• Demonstrated fluency with the CASC Core Competencies and the practice competencies of a Registered Psychotherapist with CRPO.
• Excellent clinical and supportive counselling skills.
• Strong clinical documentation skills, including timely entry of assessments and progress notes in an electronic medical record.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Responsible and reflective use of self in therapeutic relationships.
• Demonstrated capacity for collaborative interprofessional practice.
• Compliance with patient confidentiality and safety requirements.
• Practices and promotes resilience individually and interpersonally.
• Good work and attendance record.

Asset :

• Certified CASC Supervisor-Educator

• Specialized experience or formal training in one or more of the following areas:

• End of life and palliative care chaplaincy.

• Mental health chaplaincy and supportive care for psychiatric inpatients and their families.

• Multifaith, intercultural, or interreligious pastoral care.

• Experience working with patients and families across diverse cultural, religious, and linguistic backgrounds.

• Experience in acute inpatient medicine, oncology, complex continuing care, or psychiatric inpatient settings.

• Experience supervising or mentoring CPE residents and interns.

• Familiarity with electronic medical records (Cerner PowerChart or equivalent).

• Experience supporting the spiritual, psychological, and emotional needs of hospital staff.

• Working knowledge of a second language reflective of MGH's patient population.

• All employees of Michael Garron Hospital (MGH), a division of Toronto East Health Network (TEHN) [formerly Toronto EastGeneral Hospital (TEGH)] agree to work within the legislated practices of the Occupational Health and SafetyAct of Ontario.

• All employees of MGH are responsible to contribute to a transparent culture of patient and staff safety by adhering to and abiding by patient and staff safety policies and procedures set by MGH.

• • All employees are accountable for protecting the psychological health and safety of themselves and their co-workers through adherence to MGH's policies and practices