Fall 2026
Chaplain Intern
Updated on 8/1/2026
Houston Methodist
No salary listed
Houston, TX, USA
In Person
May require travel within the Houston metropolitan area.
Category
 Training |
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Requirements
- Enrollment in an accredited college or university.
- One year of membership in a faith or belief group.
- Demonstrated skills and competencies necessary to safely function in a learning environment.
- Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language to perform the essential functions of the job, especially activities impacting patient or employee safety or security.
- Ability to communicate effectively with patients, physicians, family members, and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and positive language principles.
- Basic computer knowledge and ability to operate various computer systems to enter and maintain patient documents.
- Ability to work effectively with all levels of the healthcare team.
- Ability to make decisions with maturity and self-confidence.
- Professional conduct at all times.
- Written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to solve problems using reasoning and judgment in a high-stress environment.
- Ability to multitask, organize work, attend to details, and handle confidential or sensitive information professionally.
Responsibilities
- Participate as a part-time or summer student in the accredited Clinical Pastoral Education program, including classroom education and individual supervised learning.
- Provide spiritual care to meet the spiritual, religious, and emotional needs of patients, families, and employees under the clinical supervision of the Certified Educator, Associate Educator, or Student Educator and the mentorship of an assigned Senior Chaplain or Chaplain.
- Provide a supportive and positive environment for patients, family members, visitors, employees, and physicians, including spiritual care support for employees.
- Collaborate with members of the patient care team by communicating patient care information and data in a comprehensive, positive, supportive, and non-judgmental manner.
- Participate in interprofessional health team rounds, discharge planning, support groups, and other interprofessional teams.
- Provide spiritual care to patients and family members of all faiths during hospitalization, particularly for pre-operative, critically ill, and dying patients, following precepting chaplain guidance.
- Assist with initial patient screening and assessment, development of patient care plans, and assigned referrals.
- Provide crisis intervention for patients, visitors, and employees with attention to spiritual needs, involving others as needed.
- Seek guidance from the Certified Educator, Associate Educator, Student Educator, and precepting Chaplain and escalate issues or requests to ensure quality and safety.
- Document patient visits and spiritual care accurately and thoroughly in patient records.
- Report near misses and enter information into the Patient Safety Net.
- Use time and resources effectively, help team members, minimize incidental overtime, and demonstrate responsible financial stewardship.
- Prepare required patient care reports and summaries for review and evaluation in compliance with Clinical Pastoral Education program requirements.
- Learn from feedback and mentoring, seek opportunities for continued development, and complete and update the My Development Plan.
- Be available for on-call emergencies and potentially travel within the Houston metropolitan area.
Desired Qualifications
- A bachelor's degree or graduate-level theological degree from an accredited school.