Spiritual Care Outreach - Multifaith
FIRST UNITED is a registered charity that has been serving Vancouver's Downtown Eastside community for 140 years. We offer responsive, low-barrier services to individuals who are low-income, under-housed or homeless. We provide essential services to meet the daily needs of community members and engage in systems change work to reduce homelessness and break cycles of poverty. If you're looking for purpose-filled work and want to make a difference in the community, this might be the opportunity for you.
Each job within the FIRST UNITED CHURCH Community Ministry Society should promote the accomplishment of our vision, mission, and values.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
“Everyone deserves to have their spirit cared for” is the belief of the Spiritual Care Team at FIRST UNITED. The role of the Spiritual Care Outreach is based on the recognition that all human beings have spiritual needs, whether such needs are specifically religious or not (e.g. for meaning and purpose; for love; for forgiveness; for creativity; for hope). The Spiritual Care Outreach connects spirituality and mental health by engaging the spiritual needs of community members in FIRST UNITED’s programs and services by providing inclusive emotional and spiritual support; addressing profound, meaning-making needs, irrespective of religious affiliation.
We are committed to decolonizing approaches to spiritual care, including respect for Indigenous spiritual sovereignty and openness to non-Western ways of knowing and healing. The Spiritual Care Outreach honours and engages a diversity of spiritual, religious, and cultural traditions, including but not limited to Indigenous, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, spiritual-but-not-religious, and secular worldviews. The Spiritual Care Outreach will work collaboratively with the Spiritual Care Manager and the Executive Director, who is also the Acting Director of Spiritual Care. The Spiritual Care Outreach may provide some mentorship for the Spiritual Care Student Minister and the Spiritual Care Volunteers, if applicable.
This position will be 10-15 hours per week, and work will be onsite at 320 E Hastings Street (and possibly the Shelter, if candidate has a mental healthcare background. The work location may start at 360 Jackson Street until the team moves to the redeveloped building at 320 E Hastings Street, Vancouver BC.
SPECIFIC DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- With the Spiritual Care Team or individually, provide multifaith spiritual care for outreach at both First United sites: 320 E. Hastings and the Shelter.
- Initiate or organize, with the Spiritual Care Team, diverse spiritual programs (art-related programming, music-related programming, body movement-related programming, seasonal feasts/celebrations) to meet the needs of FIRST UNITED’s community members.
- Provide spiritual care to community members and their families, as well as staff, especially in response to issues of life transitions, end of life, grief, and loss.
- Actively participate in all-staff meetings twice a year. Some participation during employee meetings may be expected based on work hours and days available.
KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:
- Experience providing spiritual support to marginalized adults from various backgrounds with complex physical and mental health needs. Understanding of trauma-informed care/provision of services.
- Deep understanding of systemic social injustice - including racism, misogyny, colonialism, poverty, and intersectionality – and an ability to remain motivated to dismantle systemic social injustice.
- Experience working across multiple faith traditions or spiritual frameworks, with an understanding of power dynamics between dominant and marginalized religions.
- Excellent communication and organizational skills, e.g. strong problem-solving skills; ability to initiate projects; willingness and ability to collaborate with the Spiritual Care Manager, other staff and volunteers, and other organizations and non-profits; and welcoming and professional demeanour.
- Working knowledge of MS Office suite and short-form educational video/audio producing.
- Affirm and practice spiritual care ministry ethically, which includes:
- Ability to provide spiritual care, regardless of religious or spiritual background or belief, and to support the whole community as an ongoing, organic system.
- Special skills in non-judgmental listening and providing counsel, guidance in ethical decision making, and mediation and conflict resolution.
- Ability to work collaboratively.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality in accordance with provincial and federal regulations.
- Willingness to make referrals to appropriate professionals.
- Ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints.
- Ability to apply logical thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems.
- Ability to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:
- We strongly encourage applicants from diverse faith traditions and spiritual practices, as well as those who identify as spiritual-but-not-religious or grounded in ethical/humanist frameworks.
- BA or equivalent in relevant disciplines including spiritual care, mental/behavioural health, substance usage and harm reduction, or ethics.
- Maintain an accountable relationship with the applicant’s Indigenous community, if applicant self-identifies as Indigenous.
- Demonstrated accountability to a faith, spiritual, cultural, or ethical community of belonging or practice, which may be formal or informal.
- Experience in an incorporated ministry or social service charity environment would be an asset.
- Two or more units in Clinical Psychospiritual Education (CPE) would be an asset.
- Training and experience as an Anti-Racism or Decolonizing Educator/Organizer would be an asset.
- Must pass a Criminal Records Check for Vulnerable Persons.
- If applicable, a minimum of 4-6 years of continuous sobriety.
- Has not accessed the services of First United Church for a minimum of two years.
SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY:
Supervisory Responsibility:
None
Latitude:
This position reports to the Manager of Spiritual Care or delegate. This individual collaborates frequently with colleagues in the Shelter, Programs, management, as well as with bargaining unit staff.
- Regular communication is maintained with all levels of management and staff.
- There is also regular communication with DTES community members, organizations and communities of faith in the Metro Vancouver area and the general population.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
The nature of working in spiritual care is stressful and often involves supporting through a trauma-informed lens community members of DTES. The Spiritual Care Outreach individual must have the ability to function independently and under pressure, while managing a multitude of other emergency tasks.
JOB CLASSIFICATION & WAGES:
Classification: This is an exempt position. Part Time weekdays between 8am-4pm up to the scheduled 10-15 hours per week requirement.
Wage: $31.85-36.78 per hour and will depend on experience, with new joiners starting at the min to mid level.
WHAT TO EXPECT
- Candidates should submit resume, cover letter and responses to 3 pre-screen questions.
- Candidates matching closely with the position's needs will be contacted for a phone screening.
- Candidates advancing to the next stage can expect an in person interview with the hiring manager and team member.
- Candidates advancing to the final stage will meet with the Manager or Spiritual Care and Acting Director of Spiritual Care
- All positions at First United require a criminal record check clearance.
- 2 references from previous supervisor and/or appropriate endorsement will be requested at the offer stage.
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