Finding Meaning Bringing Comfort

Our expert board certified chaplains help people in health care settings -- regardless of that person's religion or beliefs --  cope with a life-changing medical situation . They help each person draw upon his or her own source of inner strength to find meaning and bring comfort.

Chaplain Jane Mather describes the interaction between the chaplain and the person who is ill:

“Our most fundamental human condition is that we come face to face with our own mortality. As chaplains, we walk into some dark places and help bring in light. We’re not afraid of their darkness. We don’t care who they are or who they’ve been. We want to be with them where they are.

“We try to find common ground and a common language, speaking about hope, love, faith, relationships, family, regrets. Our goal is not to get them from one point to the other. Our goal is to help them identify where they want to go”.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Montonye describes how board certified chaplains contribute to better patient outcomes as part of the health care team:

"When a chaplain enters a patient's room the goal is to assist patients and families with accessing spiritual resources. The chaplain's clinical interventions include engaging patients and families in conversations about who or what is most important; what it means to be sick or injured; sources of strength, hope, and faith; and how this experience is impacting their relationships.

"Chaplains are trained to engage others in deep emotional and spiritual conversations. For example, palliative care patients may express a loss of faith or meaning in life. Helping patients explore when life or faith had meaning, and accompanying them as they traverse their emotional and inner spiritual landscape, can empower patients to connect powerful resources for coping and healing with their current medical episode. To once again find meaning and faith, and apply it to their present condition and experience, can have an powerful impact on patients' medical and physical outcomes.

"Board certified chaplains are professionally trained to focus on patient and family needs within the context of the healthcare team. 

"Working alongside other clinicians, certified chaplains add an important dimension to healthcare teams and co-contribute to patient care outcomes. For example, in addition to being recognized as a religious, spiritual, cultural and ethical resource, certified chaplains bring competencies in the areas of counseling and communication, family dynamics and conflict resolution. Including chaplains on the team improves the utilization of medical resources and clinical staff because patients and families have an identified staff person listening to their indirect and non-medical needs and concerns. Interventions by chaplains reduce the likelihood of miscommunication, emotional escalation and ethical consults. In addition, having certified chaplains on the team positively contributes to patient/family satisfaction, improves workplace morale and co-contributes to reducing patient length of stay."

Read  Chaplains’ Stories of Healing  -- powerful stories that encompass a range of difficult situations.