What is a Chaplain and What Do They Do?

My name is Sam and I have the distinct privilege of serving as the Director of Spiritual Services at Sunny View Manor in Cupertino, CA. While this is my formal title, the role I fulfill is that of chaplain to the staff and residents here in our community. Many of the communities across Front Porch have chaplains. Each of us comes from a specific tradition, but all of us share a common desire to help people.
 
Right about now, some of you are thinking, “Ok, Sam, that sounds nice, but I have never encountered a chaplain before and I have no clue what it is they do.” Fair enough, I will give you a brief overview, but first some history.
 
A brief history of chaplaincy
Chaplains have been around for the past couple of centuries. Some of the earliest roles were found in branches of the military, where clergy from an array of religious traditions were tasked with caring for soldiers. This was a formal way of preserving the soldier’s constitutional right to the Free Exercise of Religion (1^st Amendment). There has even been a chaplain for members of the United States Congress since 1789. Chaplaincy expanded over time to include clergy offering the same care in a variety of other contexts, such as University Campuses, Hospitals, Hospices, Police and Fire Stations, and more. Prior to this, formal religious orders, congregations, etc., dedicated certain people in their midst to the work of bringing spiritual care and comfort to people in need.
 
What kind of care you may ask? Spiritual care is a term which broadly describes a wide variety of concerns.
 
Different aspects of spiritual care
The chaplain can be a presence of comfort and connection. For example, someone in my community may have recently experienced the loss of a loved one, and in their grief, they need someone to come alongside them to listen, be present and walk with them in bereavement. Another resident may have recently gone through surgery, or may be experiencing sight or hearing loss and this new phase of life brings with it emotional, spiritual and social changes that can be overwhelming and scary.
 
The chaplain can be a reminder to people that they are not alone. As an example, a staff person may be experiencing discouragement or frustration in their family life, and need someone to talk to about it. Here a chaplain brings Unconditional Regard. This term describes the presence we bring to another human being. The beauty of this is that we see individuals, not as a role, but as a full human person deserving of respect and in need of care.
 
More than religious services
Chaplains may also (and often do) conduct regular religious services such as chapel worship, funerals/memorials, officiate weddings, oversee observances of major religious holidays, etc.
 
But chaplains may offer other types of gatherings such as support groups for various needs (i.e. grief, caregiving, etc.), or small groups for scripture/book studies or discussions on particular topics, or teach classes for the edification and enlightenment of members of the community. On this note, I have had the privilege of teaching courses for residents in the areas of science, philosophy and world religion. Each of these has had a wonderful impact on resident sense of community and overall positive experience of life. After all, learning is a life long endeavor!
 
Resources and training
There are a number of tools at a chaplain’s disposal, and we utilize these tools in a way that prioritizes the care-seeker’s experience, beliefs and needs. Spiritual Care from a chaplain will broadly connect the disciplines of human psychology, spirituality, formal religion, philosophy, ethics/values, social dynamics and relationships. My role involves facilitating conversations with others that support them, and seeks to bring them comfort and encouragement in a way that honors their beliefs and their life priorities.
 
For example, I am an ordained Methodist Chaplain, and thus I come from a Christian perspective in my own faith tradition; however, that doesn’t preclude me from offering care to someone of a different faith tradition or religious background. I have offered care to people who are Roman Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist and Humanist/Atheist. My training makes it possible for me to care for anyone and everyone regardless of what their tradition or beliefs may be. In some cases, of course, the care seeker may feel more comfortable talking to clergy or recognized leadership who share their beliefs, and that is where I can be of help in connecting them to those resources so they can receive the care they need.
 
Part of the larger care team        
It may be helpful to take a step back and show how important this role is in the larger web of care that we offer in our communities across Front Porch. It is likely obvious that those in environmental services help create spaces of safety and health through the regular maintenance, repair and cleaning of facilities. Additionally, health care staff like nurses and med techs see to the physical health and well-being of residents through medication management and more. Dining provides nutrition, physical fitness provides exercise, life enrichment provides activities and recreation, so on and so forth. Chaplains provide care for a number of the less visible (but no less important) aspects of life. The spiritual, the emotional, the social, the ethical and the intersection of these.
 
Given the unique (and quite beautiful) context of senior living, people in all of these areas build relationships with residents and grow to care deeply for all who call our communities home. Chaplains have the unique privilege of reminding the entire community that every individual is worthy of respect and dignity, that each person is unique and that people’s beliefs and values are a part of the life they share with their neighbors, whether they are a person of faith in a particular formal religion, or not, whether they consider themselves spiritual, humanist, atheist or other; no matter what their culture of origin or any other demographic category. This makes the chaplain a member of the interdisciplinary care team, bringing a much-needed voice into the conversation around the care of each resident.
 
Additionally, the chaplain acts as an advocate for the care and support of the staff. Chaplains routinely bring a much-needed presence of compassion and concern for the health and well-being of team members working in our communities.
 
Chaplains as a human presence
While this brief description is, by no means, exhaustive, I hope it gives you a window into the heart of the chaplaincy role. It is about care, compassion, active listening, genuine embrace and human to human support. Hopefully it goes without saying, but chaplains are not perfect. We also grieve, we also experience pain and we also need care and compassion from others. Much like a doctor has their own doctor and a therapist will have another be their therapist, chaplains rely on each other for mutual support and care, for none of us can go about this work alone. It takes community!
 
It is my sincere hope that this brief introduction will help you to better understand what chaplaincy is and how it looks. May you experience peace, encouragement and edification today!