Spiritual Care Navigator

About Glide

GLIDE is a nationally recognized center for social justice, dedicated to fighting systemic injustices, creating pathways out of poverty and crisis, and transforming lives. Through its integrated comprehensive services, advocacy initiatives, and inclusive community, GLIDE empowers individuals, families, and children to achieve stability and to thrive. GLIDE is on the forefront of addressing some of society’s most pressing issues, including poverty, housing and homelessness, and racial and social justice. GLIDE’s mission is to create a radically inclusive, just, and loving community mobilized to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty and marginalization

Position Summary:

The Spiritual Care Navigator provides trauma-informed, holistic, & compassionate spiritual care to individuals and families experiencing serious illness, advanced illness, mental health challenges, substance use & mental health disorders, aging, palliative care, and end-of-life transitions. This role involves offering emotional, spiritual, and practical support to those dealing with health challenges through bedside visits, outreach, creative arts workshops, and other faith-based programs. Through compassionate presence, outreach, advocacy, education, referrals, and collaboration, the Navigator promotes dignity, healing, hope, and connection while honoring each person's spiritual beliefs, culture, and lived experience. The specialist will be part of a multidisciplinary team, working to meet the diverse spiritual needs of patients, families, and caregivers, ensuring dignity, peace, and comfort during times of significant health crises.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide individualized spiritual care, counseling, prayer, sacred listening, bedside visits, and emotional support to patients, families, justice involved, gender diverse people, and caregivers.
• Respects the diverse religious and spiritual beliefs of each person.
• Support individuals and families through serious illness, palliative care, end-of-life planning, grief, bereavement, and legacy conversations.
• Conduct outreach in churches, hospitals, SROs, shelters, homes, and community settings, including people experiencing homelessness.
• Facilitate referrals to hospice, healthcare, behavioral health, housing, senior services, and community resources.
• Assist individuals with advance healthcare directives, goals-of-care conversations, and end-of-life planning.
• Provide health coaching and support for chronic illness, mental health, and substance use recovery using motivational interviewing, and working with professional clinicians, therapists, case managers, and social workers in various institutions for referrals and contributing to overall service & care planning
• Apply trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, grounding techniques, de-escalation, and Mental Health First Aid principles.
• Develop and facilitate support groups, faith-based education, resilience workshops, and creative arts programs including music, art, poetry, storytelling, journaling, and ritual.
• Administer or coordinate spiritual rituals, blessings, sacraments, memorials, and other faith practices appropriate to individual beliefs.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary care teams and community partners to coordinate holistic care.
• Maintain accurate, timely, confidential documentation and comply with HIPAA, organizational policies, and ethical standards.
• Promote radical inclusion, cultural humility, equity, and respect for diverse faith traditions and identities.
• Participate in ongoing training in spiritual care, palliative care, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, and related best practices.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in faith-based organizing, pastoral care, spiritual counseling, or a related field, preferably in a healthcare or end-of-life setting.
• Experience in grief counseling and emotional support, especially in palliative and end-of-life contexts.
• Comfort and experience in facilitating group programs, including creative arts workshops, reflective practices, and spiritual rituals.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary team.
• Flexible and adaptable in meeting the needs of individuals facing diverse and challenging health & life circumstances.
• Successful completion of regulatory compliance requirements
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust and establish rapport with patients, families, and team members.
• Knowledge of and sensitivity to various religious and spiritual traditions and practices.
• Ability to provide compassionate support in emotionally charged, sensitive, and sometimes challenging situations.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work on a computer and see details of objects at close range.
• Ability to hear within normal range, and communicate effectively (in person, telephone or Zoom).
• Finger dexterity and the ability to use all standard office equipment.
• Sit or stand comfortably; and the ability to navigate throughout office spaces (via elevator or stairs).

Work Environment

GLIDE’s buildings are located in the Tenderloin neighborhood. GLIDE maintains an "open door" policy to the community and its clients, who frequently enter and leave the building.

This role is covered by the collective bargaining agreement.

This is a part time (20 hour/week), Non-Exempt position. This role is currently funded for a 2-year period and based on the continuation of funds granted by the Stupski Grant.