Position Title: Pastoral Counselor
Department: Adjunctive Therapies
Reports To: Assistant Director of Adjunctive Therapies
Status: Part-Time

Scope of Position

The Pastoral Counselor provides individual and group spiritual care and counseling that supports emotional well-being, addresses grief, loss, trauma, and fosters existential and spiritual reflection within the context of mental health treatment. This role works in partnership with clients, families, and the interdisciplinary clinical team to offer compassionate, ecumenical, and evidence-informed support.

Skyland Trail serves a diverse client population across age groups, gender identities, sexual orientations, faith traditions, and spiritual backgrounds, including those who do not identify with any belief system. The Pastoral Counselor must demonstrate an affirming, inclusive, and open approach to meeting clients wherever they are on their spiritual or identity journey.

This position also supports the Adjunctive Therapies team as needed and participates flexibly in shared responsibilities and campus-wide programming. Occasional support of staff during times of loss, crisis, or emotionally impactful events such as a client death, is a valued and essential component of the role. The ideal candidate is collaborative, emotionally attuned, and comfortable adjusting to the evolving needs of both clients and staff in a dynamic treatment environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary pastoral counselor and spiritual care consultant for clients and families.
• Participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team, contributing insights related to spiritual, emotional, and existential concerns.
• Provide individual pastoral counseling for referred clients, aligning services with each client’s personal values and belief system.
• Facilitate spiritually integrated therapy and support groups on topics including meaning-making, spirituality, grief, trauma, and identity.
• Assist clients in identifying and accessing spiritual or religious communities or resources as desired.
• Develop and lead special programming such as seasonal observances, reflective workshops, memorial services, or spirituality-focused retreats.
• Offer supportive presence for clients and staff in moments of collective distress or loss, such as after a client death or traumatic event.
• Collaborate flexibly with other members of the Adjunctive Therapies team and participate in shared planning and coverage as needed.
• Recruit, supervise, and mentor ministerial interns or seminary students, as applicable.
• Ensure that services comply with professional ethics, Skyland Trail policies, and accreditation standards (e.g., Joint Commission, ORS).
• Support a culture of interfaith sensitivity, spiritual openness, and client-centered care.

Core Competencies

• Ability to deliver inclusive, trauma-informed spiritual care across a spectrum of spiritual identities and belief systems, including secular, atheist, and questioning individuals.
• Cultural humility and sensitivity in supporting LGBTQ+ individuals and clients from diverse racial, ethnic, gender, and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Strong understanding of theological frameworks, behavioral sciences, and evidence-based pastoral care approaches.
• Skilled in spiritual assessment, group facilitation, and crisis response.
• Flexible, responsive, and collaborative in working across disciplines and adjusting to emergent needs in a mental health setting.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong collaboration skills and clinical insight within a multidisciplinary team.
• Familiarity with HIPAA, confidentiality protocols, and emergency procedures.
• Commitment to ethical practice and ongoing professional development.

Qualifications

• Master of Divinity (MDiv) or equivalent from an accredited seminary.
• Ordination or ecclesiastical endorsement from a recognized faith tradition strongly preferred.
• Additional post-graduate education in counseling, social work, pastoral care, or marriage and family therapy preferred.
• Completion of at least four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), including a residency, preferred.
• Certification or eligibility for certification through a recognized professional pastoral care association (e.g., ACPE, APC, NACC).
• At least two years of supervised experience in a clinical, healthcare, or spiritual care setting.
• Experience supporting LGBTQ+ individuals and those from a wide range of spiritual and non-spiritual backgrounds.
• CPR and First Aid certification or willingness to complete upon hire.