Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To coordinate and provide for the delivery of spiritual and religious care services to youth, their families, and staff from diverse faith groups at a youth centre. To coordinate the spiritual and religious care ministry of community faith groups in the provision of spiritual and religious care with the Youth Centre, and to youth as they re-enter the community.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Within a youth facility, housing a diverse young person population of male and female youth, and under the general supervision of the Youth Centre Deputy Administrator, the incumbent is responsible for:

1. Providing leadership in developing and sustaining a worshipping community within the facility by coordinating, monitoring and evaluating all religious and spiritual activities of all faith groups active in the facility (e.g. services of worship, activities of community faith groups/volunteers and visiting religious leaders).

2. Coordinating and sustaining the community faith group involvement in the provision of spiritual and religious care to residents within the youth centre and as they are released back into the community by: identifying and recruiting appropriate services for all faith groups; providing training as required (i.e. educating and familiarizing Aboriginal Elders on secure setting environments); developing and maintaining good relationships with community faith groups/volunteers and their leaders to provide service and foster support for youth while in custody and through the community reintegration process; and establishing, coordinating, and delivering community-oriented/based programs to meet diverse multicultural religious and spiritual needs.

3. Assessing a diverse range of religious and spiritual needs and rights of youth and resolving requests with youth, staff and facility administration by verifying religious rights and practices of less well known faith groups (i.e. cleaning needs of Muslim Youth before prayer).

4. Providing counseling and crisis intervention for youth and staff on a variety of issues and providing referrals to other appropriate external and internal professionals (i.e. suicide awareness; advocating on behalf of staff under stress).

5. Representing chaplaincy within case management process and on facility committees on a regular basis, by raising issues connected with spiritual and religious care in a multi-disciplinary facility.

6. Providing advice, training and recommendations to staff and management regarding chaplaincy policy and procedures, as well as education and orientation regarding diverse spiritual and religious care needs, programs and services.

7. Promoting and monitoring issues (i.e. promoting cultural diversity in menu planning; ensuring youth basic needs are met) from a spiritual and religious multi-faith perspective that optimizes humanization in the care of youth.

8. Guiding and coordinating activities (i.e. assisting them in learning the Chaplin job in a multi-faith facility; provide spiritual and religious care) of chaplaincy students and field placements/interns for seminarians.

9. Preparing and submitting spiritual and religious care budgets to senior administration and administering the allocated funds.

Staffing and Licensing :

· Ordination as a clergyman by a recognized ecclesiastical body.
· Canadian Multifaith Federation's (formerly, Ontario Multifaith Council) Spiritual and Religious Care Certification

Knowledge :

Job requires:

· Knowledge of a range of faith group practices and beliefs and issues to conduct multi-faith services, to assess spiritual and religious needs and coordinate and develop programs.
Knowledge of the operation of a youth facility and the legislation in which they operate (e.g. Ministry of Children and Youth Services Act, Criminal Code of Canada, and the Youth Criminal Justice Act) to be aware of rights and obligations for the provision of youth care, and limitations and requirement to operate within these parameters.
· Knowledge of counseling, crisis intervention and human behaviour to provide guidance to staff, youth, and their families.

Skills :

Job requires:

· Administrative and organizational skills in order to plan, organize, and implement religious services and spiritual care programs.
· Training skills to guide and train spiritual and religious care visitors and students on secure setting environment.
· Interpersonal skills to deal tactfully with youth, their families, and staff in providing pastoral services and to develop and maintain good relationships with community faith groups/volunteers and their leaders.
· Oral and written communication skills in order to provide pastoral services to youth, their families, and staff and to interact with community faith groups and their leaders to develop community based programs.
· Leadership skills in order to develop and sustain a worshipping community within the facility and in order to coordinate, monitor and evaluate all religious and spiritual activities.
· Analytical and problem-solving skills in order to assess a diverse range of religious and spiritual needs and rights of youth and resolve requests with youth, staff, and facility administration.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires working under the administrative direction of the Youth Centre Deputy Administrator and within legislation such as the Ministry of Correctional Services Act, Criminal Code of Canada, and the Youth Criminal Justice Act to provide religious ministry and pastoral care to youth and their families.

Job requires judgement in:
· Providing spiritual counsel, care, assessment and development for a diverse group of residents, their families, and staff in recognizing significant issues and bringing a clear religious/spiritual perspective to bear in all areas.
· Coordinating and providing supervision for faith group chaplains, community faith group leaders and students, and in the selection of spiritual and religious programs for residents.
· Determining most appropriate methods of conducting religious and spiritual programs to obtain the best results.

Poor or inaccurate interpretation of religious services and/or spiritual care programs, indiscretion or lack of understanding in dealing with residents or failure to successfully participate as a chaplain on the facility team could reflect a weak, ineffective spiritual and religious care program. Job requires referring complex issues affecting facility policy to the Youth Centre Deputy Administer (i.e. where young people are not able to show/practice their faith publicly or privately) and consulting with the Provincial Coordinator of Chaplaincy Services Ontario, and the incumbent's own faith group authorities (to understand spiritual journey's of a variety of residents and clients).