Our Community: Chaplaincy

Chaplaincy & Pastoral Support Services

Chaplaincy at Greenslopes Private Hospital is part of the holistic care offered to patients. This program is delivered through the Chaplaincy Services Department which is managed by the Coordinating Chaplain and is staffed by trained pastoral care volunteers and visiting clergy.

Chaplaincy & Pastoral Support Services offers support and comfort in times of special need, for example when a person feels lonely, distressed or anxious or just needs some one to listen for a while. We also provide a ministry of prayer and sacraments to those who request it.

The Coordinating Chaplain manages the chaplaincy and pastoral care team and hospital service and personally provides an ecumenical chaplaincy service. The chaplain can also provide sacramental ministry in accordance with tradition.

The chaplaincy and pastoral support team represent most of the larger denominations of the Christian faith. There are three sets of providers offering chaplaincy services:

• Visiting denominational representatives, some of which visit daily and others once a week.
• Trained pastoral care volunteers who serve one to three days a week in the Hospital. These pastoral carers visit their denomination members and any other patients requesting a visit by the chaplain.
• There is a list of “On Call “Clergy by denomination that are available for emergency after hours chaplaincy support.

The chaplains are available:

• To patients, staff and volunteers
• To family members and friends
• To assist persons coping with loss and grief, and
• To assist persons positively adapt to changing circumstances.

The chaplains:

• Treat all information shared as confidential, and
• Respect the views of those they visit.
  

Other Faiths and Language Groups

One of the team of Chaplains is a Buddhist Monk and is available to support patients of the Buddhist faith.
On request, the Chaplain Coordinator will assist to contact appropriate members of other faiths or language groups to provide pastoral support, as required, for patients and family or friends.

How to contact chaplaincy & pastoral support services
The Chaplaincy and Pastoral Support Service is available from 8.00am to 4.00pm Monday to Friday.

A request for a chaplain to visit a patient is directed to the Coordinating Chaplain who in turn will contact the relevant visiting denominational minister, pastoral care volunteer or see the patient. Telephone the hospital switchboard on (07) 3394 7111.

Please Note:
Under privacy regulations, a patient needs to give permission for a chaplain’s visit on each admission or to make a request for a chaplain’s visit through ward staff.

Greenslopes Hospital Chapel
The chapel is a place of peace and quietness, where it is easy to pray and reflect. It is available each day from dawn to dusk as a place for private prayer and reflection.

You will find it on Newdegate Street at the entrance opposite the Emergency Centre.

Each morning (Monday to Friday) at 9.30am the chaplaincy team leads prayers for patients and the hospital community. Patients and staff are welcome to join in this service if they are free to do so.

On various occasions throughout the year church services are held to meet the specific needs of particular groups or to commemorate special occasions or anniversaries.
These services are publicised through Hospital communication.

Persons of any religion or of none are welcome to attend any of our activities.