Welcome! Thank you for your interest in the spiritual care of BWH patients.
The Spiritual Care Volunteers (SCVs) Program, established in 1979 as the Pastoral Visitors Program, is a supervised program for volunteers who provide spiritual support to patients. All SCV’s bring their diverse backgrounds and life experiences to the group and to their patients. BWH is a large, urban, academic medical center, and patients come from near and far for excellence in care. The Joint Commission, which accredits hospitals, requires that spiritual care be given to patients in ways that support their individual spiritual needs. The Spiritual Care Volunteer’s role is to access the spiritual needs and resources of the patient and help the patient stay connected to those resources during their hospitalization.
BWH Spiritual Care embraces an interfaith model of spiritual care while providing faith specific support as needed. Chaplains visit patients from all religious traditions and those who find their meaning of life elsewhere. Chaplains and spiritual care providers of all backgrounds are invited to apply to be a part of our Spiritual Care Volunteers program.
Spiritual Care Volunteers provide care to patients from September to May. Expectations for SCVs are:
- Regularly attend group supervision meetings. Ongoing supervision is a requirement of clinical work. Group supervision is on the first and third Thursday of each month September to May from 1:00pm to 2:30pm.
- Provide regular clinical coverage each week. Most SCVs visit for two to three hours at a time on two regular days per week, typically at times between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. SCVs choose their visiting days and times and keep them consistently through the year.
Our program works best for those who have sufficient flexibility to regularly attend group supervision and to provide consistent coverage each week for the hospital. We welcome your inquiries at any time by phone. Interviews and applications must be completed by August 1. One unit of CPE or its equivalent is required. Applications and hospital orientation take about six weeks to process.
Click here for an application to the BWH Spiritual Care Volunteer Program. Thank you for your interest in our program.
Ruth Delfiner, Staff Chaplain
Rev. James Ojo, BCC, Staff Chaplain
Spiritual Care Services Office, 617-732-7480
