Our Team
Our vision is to provide high-quality clinical chaplaincy and spiritual care to the members and patients of Kaiser Permanente, to their loved ones, and to the communities we serve. This means bringing the right resource to the right place at the right time. To do so, we acknowledge and affirm the distinctive and complementary roles of highly-skilled, board-certified clinical chaplains, chaplains-in-training, spiritual care volunteers, other clinicians, and community faith group representatives (including clergy).
Spiritual Care Volunteers
Spiritual Care Volunteers are recommended by their faith groups and screened by both Spiritual Care staff and Kaiser Volunteer Services. They received 12 hours (plus) training, are assigned to a medical center, and follow a set schedule to provide spiritual care to patients with no or low-level spiritual distress. They can be identified by their yellow garb and distinctive purple badge holders. Volunteers are designated as either:
Faith Group-Specific Spiritual Care Volunteers visit patients of their faith tradition and provide care that is specific to that tradition. Eucharistic Ministers (EM) of the Catholic faith are specially trained and authorized to bring the Eucharist to Catholic patients. They also receive training for their roles as volunteers within the hospital setting; they do not visit patients of other faiths while functioning in this role.
All-Faiths Spiritual Care Volunteers
These volunteers receive training in the medical center in the art of active listening to be a caring and compassionate presence to patients of low spiritual distress.
If you would like information about becoming a volunteer, please email the manager: Matt.Real@kp.org
Chaplain Residents/Interns
Chaplain Residents and Interns participate in a structured program of clinical pastoral training that provides for the deeper development of personal and pastoral identity as a caregiver, and growth in competence in caregiving. The experiential element of this training is provided through assignment to the medical center or to a specific department, such as Palliative Care or Hospice.
If you would like information about becoming a clinical chaplain, please email the manager: Matt.Real@kp.org