Competencies of the New (and Some Old) Spiritual Care Work

Abstract

This article summarizes aspects of healthcare likely to emerge with managed care configurations, and suggests thirteen competencies that will hypothetically be required of chaplains in those structures. As other professions are changing, so too will spiritual caregiving. In systems that continue to support spiritual care as integral to healing processes, chaplains will need to contribute to objectives of illness prevention, health promotion and fostering of total well-being of individuals and communities. This will require chaplains to adopt and develop new capacities in caregiving that are conceptual, pastoral, collaborative and personal. The writer invites response to further develop the list and description of new competencies.