Health Library

Chaplain

Chaplains serve in many hospital settings, and some are assigned to rehabilitation units. They act as spiritual counselors to help patients and families:

• through periods of crisis.

• reaffirm their spiritual beliefs.

• maintain or establish relationships with a church or house of worship.

Chaplains may be ordained ministers or priests, or may have attended a chaplaincy or pastoral care program through a university or hospital.

Because rehabilitation focuses on the whole person - physical, emotional, social, and spiritual, the chaplain often plays a special part in helping a person with a disability cope and recover. When a hospital or rehabilitation center does not employ a chaplain, the patient's own clergy or spiritual advisor often performs these functions.