The work of the chaplain is ecumenical, inter-faith in practice, and is welcoming of all who desire to be included. Deerfield is a vibrant, growing campus of 650 residents and 350 staff and in the midst of a project that will expand our community and renovate our facilities as we seek to enrich the lives of those who live and work at Deerfield.
Position Overview
The Senior Living Chaplain provides compassionate pastoral care and spiritual support to residents, families, and staff across the continuum of senior living, including independent living and skilled nursing. Through spiritual care, relationship-building, and collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, the Chaplain supports the spiritual, emotional, and psychosocial well-being of the community.
The ideal candidate is approachable, compassionate, and committed to honoring the dignity of every person. The Chaplain will serve people from a variety of faith traditions and spiritual backgrounds, meeting each person where they are and offering care that respects their individual beliefs, values, and needs.
What You’ll Do
Pastoral Care and Resident Visitation
- Provide regular pastoral visits, counseling, prayer, and spiritual support to residents across independent living and healthcare units.
- Offer a compassionate presence during times of illness, hospitalization, medical crisis, and significant life transitions.
- Build meaningful, trusting relationships with residents and support their spiritual and emotional well-being.
Crisis, End-of-Life, and Bereavement Care
- Provide immediate spiritual and emotional support during acute medical declines, end-of-life care, and family crises.
- Offer prayer, grief support, and compassionate presence to residents and families experiencing loss.
- Support families through the dying process and provide funeral or memorial services when requested.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
- Collaborate with nursing, social services, life enrichment, and other care team members to support residents’ holistic well-being.
- Participate in interdisciplinary care plan conferences as needed, contributing insight into residents’ spiritual, emotional, and psychosocial needs.
- Help ensure that spiritual care is integrated into residents’ overall care and support plans.
Family and Staff Support
- Provide pastoral care and bereavement support to families navigating illness, loss, and changing family circumstances.
- Offer a supportive, confidential listening presence for staff members experiencing grief, stress, or compassion fatigue.
- Foster a community culture of compassion, connection, and respect.
What We’re Looking For
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university.
- At least two years of experience as a pastoral care provider.
- Demonstrated pastoral care, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work respectfully and effectively with people from diverse faith traditions and spiritual backgrounds.
- Christian denominational endorsement from the candidate’s faith community.
- Commitment to completing at least 20 hours of continuing education every two years, including 10 hours in pastoral care and 10 hours in gerontology.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master of Divinity degree from an accredited seminary.
- Three units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) through an Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE)-accredited program or facility.
- Professional chaplain certification.
- Experience in a healthcare, geriatric, or long-term care setting.
- At least two years of congregational or long-term care ministry experience.
- Demonstrated experience working with older adults and an understanding of the spiritual and emotional needs that may arise with aging.
The Ideal Candidate
The successful candidate will be:
- Compassionate and present: Able to offer comfort, prayer, and support during both ordinary daily challenges and profound moments of crisis.
- Relational and approachable: Skilled at building trust with residents, families, and colleagues.
- Respectful and inclusive: Committed to honoring each person’s beliefs, values, and spiritual practices.
- Collaborative: Comfortable working as part of an interdisciplinary team to support whole-person care.
- Grounded in pastoral care: Able to accompany people through illness, loss, change, and the spiritual questions that can arise throughout later life.
Compensation and Benefits
Deerfield offers a highly competitive compensation package for this full-time position, with benefits to include excellent health plan options, retirement benefits, professional development as well as state-of-the-art facilities. The chaplain is encouraged to take time off for self-care and vacations. Up to 40 paid hours per year may be taken for Continuing Education and/or spiritual renewal, with tuition and travel expenses to be negotiated through the Director. Paid vacation is also provided.
If you have a passion for the care of older adults, if you loved your CPE experience, or if you have been looking for a calling other than - or broader than - parish ministry exclusively, this may be just the position for you!
Deerfield is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you need assistance with the application process, please reach out to askhr@deerfieldwnc.org.