“The Competency Framework helps give our work credibility through standardization so we can continue to help people get the spiritual care they need at a very difficult time.”
Vivian Stang, Spiritual Care Practitioner
The Ottawa Hospital
Vivian Stang, Spiritual Care Practitioner
The Ottawa Hospital
The Competency Framework Helps Build Credibility for Spiritual Care Professionals and Helps them Become Part of the Palliative Care Team
The Canadian Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Competency Framework (the Competency Framework) is an asset to the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care/Association canadienne de soins spirituels (CASC/ACSS). It describes the importance of the quality services offered by Certified CASC/ACSS Members, to clients, health care team members, and the public. The Spiritual Care Competencies describe the valuable spiritual needs addressed by Spiritual Care Practitioners and Psycho-spiritual Therapists. For instance, these Certified professionals utilize spiritual care skills to enable transformation at key transitional moments for people living with a life-threatening illness and grief.
The delivery of quality spiritual care to people in need is illustrated in the Spiritual Care Competencies listed in the Competency Framework. This undoubtedly affirms the essential skills required of the Certified Spiritual Care professionals and creates a solid foundation of trust for others on the Palliative Care team and the public.
In addition, the Competency Framework provides a basis for the creation of an advanced certification program for Spiritual Care Practitioners in Palliative and Bereavement Care. The self-assessment tools also provide greater awareness of and insight into the competencies that need to be further developed.
The Competency Framework also allows for the standardization of medical, psychological, emotional, socio-cultural, and spiritual services which is key to improving the quality, safety and consistency of palliative care services.
Effective palliative care involves interdisciplinary collaboration. Cecily Saunders,[1] architect of the modern hospice movement, listed spiritual care as one of the four original domains in her definition of palliative care. The creation and validation of the Spiritual Care Competencies in the Competencies Framework by Certified members of the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care/Association canadienne de soins spirituels is a testimonial of the significance and importance of spirituality in palliative and bereavement care. Spiritual Care professionals help facilitate a person’s exploration of their spiritual and religious needs and determine how best to meet those needs in order to improve the quality of life for clients and their family/friends.
As a national multi-faith organization, the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care/Associaion canadienne de soins spirituels produces educational programs for those working toward becoming a professional provider of spiritual care and psycho-spiritual therapy in a variety of institutional and community settings, as well as in private practice. CASC/ACSS supports the advancement of education and research for spiritual care and psycho-spiritual therapy.
This project has been made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada.
