The Rev. Martha R. Jacobs on advocating
for the staff
Little
Did I Know...
Little did I know when
I left my position as Director of
Pastoral Care at NY United Hospital
that I would return eighteen months
later to participate in a “closing
of the hospital”worship service.
My seven years at United were filled
with amazing opportunities, great
sadness, grace and holiness beyond
anything I could have imagined.
Little did I know that forging strong
relationships with the staff would
come back to reap rewards that are
beyond words.
Little did I know that the imprint
of those whom I served during my
time at United remained on my heart
as I worshiped with them at that
closing service.
Little did I realize that my years
of hanging out with staff, hearing
their frustrations, their blessings,
their burdens, would lead to my helping
them say goodbye to their jobs.
Many of the employees had worked
at United all of their lives. Some
started in the kitchen, went to school
and became technicians, nurses, nurse
techs, or continued providing food
for the patients and the staff. There
were many employees who had been
at United for 30 or more years. Some
were the children of employees who
had spent their careers at United
as well.
Little did I know when I left eighteen
months ago to work on my doctorate
and to become managing editor of PlainViews that
I would be the chaplain once again
for the staff that I had come to
know and love and respect. The local
clergy asked me to come and offer
a reflection during this worship
service. They felt that I was still
the chaplain for the staff even though
I had not been physically present
for a long time. What could I possibly
say to this staff that would make
a difference?
As one who worked to ensure that
I was there for everyone, it was
important to me that I be inclusive
in my homily, and so I turned to
one of my rabbi colleagues at The
HealthCare Chaplaincy who knew more
about the Hebrew Bible than I. Rabbi
Shira Stern, after hearing about
the situation and my uncertainty
as to what I might say, immediately
thought of Deuteronomy 31, where
Moses is addressing the Israelites,
encouraging them to be strong and
bold because G-d would be going with
them, in front of them and would
not forsake them. This is the message
that I offered to the staff —to
know that they would not take this
journey alone; G-d would be traveling
in front of them.
Little did I know that I would be
standing there addressing those individuals
with whom I had spent seven growing,
wonderful, hard years. Years where
I laughed, cried, fought with and
for, and came to have a deep respect
for the staff of this small community
hospital. I had helped them when
they had family deaths and fellow
staff deaths and beloved doctor’s
deaths.
Looking back on my time with them,
and the closing of this much needed
community hospital. I feel great
sadness. I also feel great pride
in having been a small part of this
hospital I feel the proudest when
I think of the times that I spoke
up for the staff. The times when
I asked the CEO or other members
of the administration to consider
something especially for the staff;
to treat the staff with greater respect;
to remember to thank the staff for
their work. My advocacy for the staff,
while not intended to bring about
an alliance and collegiality, did
just that.
Walking back into the hospital after
being away for eighteen months, felt
like I was coming home. My heart
hurt for the staff as they tried
to let me know that they were hurting
but would be okay.
Little did I know that my advocating
for the staff had the benefit of
advocating for the chaplain to be
part of the very fabric of the hospital.
I realized this when I heard from
the staff how much they missed the
presence of “their”chaplain
in their day to day work.
Advocacy takes all different forms.
Helping the staff to understand the
importance of having a chaplain working
with them is a form of advocacy.
Advocating for the staff had an immeasurable
impact on my work with them. At times,
chaplains are looked to as the ethical
and prophetic voice in our settings.
Professional chaplains should use
their pastoral authority to advocate
for the rest of the staff as well
as for chaplaincy. It brings a whole
new meaning to being a part of the
interdisciplinary team.
In addition to her role as Managing
Editor of PlainViews, the Rev. Jacobs
is the associate director of outreach
and community-based programs at The
HealthCare Chaplaincy. An ordained
minister of The United Church of Christ,
she is an adjunct professor at New
York Theological Seminary and serves
as the chair of the Ordination Committee
of The Riverside Church. For eight
years Martha served as chaplain for
The HealthCare Chaplaincy at New York
United Hospital Medical Center, Port
Chester, NY. She received an M.Div.
from New York Theological Seminary
where she is currently pursing a doctorate
degree (ABD), exploring the attitudes
of UCC clergy around death and dying
issues. Martha holds a Bachelor of
Fine Arts degree from U.S. International
University, School of Performing Arts.
She served as State Certification Chair
for the Association of Professional
Chaplains from 1998-2003. She is a
member of the American Association
of Pastoral Counselors, sits on the
Quality Commission of the APC, and
is the president of the United
Church of Christ Chaplains in Health
Care.
Do you have thoughts about advocacy
you’d like to share with your colleagues?
Send an e-mail to info@PlainViews.org.
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Education & Research |
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The Rev. John Bauman
on forgiveness as a choice
Hope
in Rehabilitation
I’ve been writing
my dissertation for a
D. Min. at Andover Newton
Theological School on “The
Role of Forgiveness in
Rehabilitation.”I
decided to write about
forgiveness when a patient
focused something that
had been in the back
of my mind for some time.
A physical therapist
made a referral saying
that a Catholic patient
feared she wouldn’t
be going to heaven. Wasting
away and breathing with
the help of a trache
and oxygen, this patient
was not motivated to
do her therapy due to
an unresolved forgiveness
issue. She had carried
a burden of guilt for
three years. She had
not asked for forgiveness
because she expected
condemnation from G-d
and her husband.
So we talked about her
family and religious
background, her involved
and caring husband, her
depressed mood, and her
lack of motivation to
participate in her rehabilitation.
We came to a picture
of her early negative
experience with authorities
and her resulting long-held
expectations about their
reactions. When we discussed
a different way of perceiving
both her husband and
her G-d, and when we
prayed asking for G-d’s
help so that she might
start to reconsider her
beliefs about asking
for forgiveness, she
decided to rethink her
beliefs and how they
affected her relationships
and even her health.
By the time we met two
days later, she had confessed
her guilt to her husband
who said he had forgotten
all about that unimportant,
little thing. She had
confessed to G-d and
felt forgiven. She had
gotten out of bed and
gone to physical therapy.
It was not long until
she had gained enough
weight and strength so
that she could go home.
Thinking about the now
very conscious idea that
unresolved forgiveness
issues might also be
affecting other rehabilitation
patients; I began to
try to conceptualize
how other rehabilitation
patients go about adjusting
to their physical conditions.
For patients in the rehabilitation
hospital with COPD who
had smoked and held it
against themselves, for
patients with an amputation
who had not followed
their diabetic diet,
for patients with a stroke
who had not altered their
lifestyle, for patients
after a DWI or injury
following a bad decision,
for patients who held
G-d responsible for their
condition, I tested doing
pastoral care with them
while thinking in terms
of an unresolved forgiveness
issue and in terms of
trying to help them work
through a forgiveness
process. I developed
a pastoral care style
that felt comfortable
to me by adapting ideas
from Robert Enright’s
very helpful description
of a four-phase forgiveness
process in Forgiveness
is a Choice. Using
this approach with patients
has helped me focus my
interventions, as appropriate,
to help patients with
unresolved forgiveness
issues in their rehabilitation.
While I have found two
research studies connecting
rehabilitation and forgiveness,
these studies have focused
more on forgiveness,
anger and social desirability.
I am hopeful that other
people may have done
some research, writing,
or thinking on this subject.
I also hope to conduct
quantitative research
on forgiveness and rehabilitation.
The
Rev. John Bauman, M.Div.,
BCC, is the Director of
Pastoral Care at the Burke
Rehabilitation Hospital
in White Plains, New York,
and is on the staff at
The HealthCare Chaplaincy.
His M. Div. is from the
Chicago Theological Seminary
and he is a graduate of
the pastoral psychotherapy
residency at the Blanton-Peale
Institute. John is a Mennonite
minister.
Do you have thoughts
about education & research
you’d like to share with
your colleagues? Send
an e-mail to info@PlainViews.org. |
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Spiritual
Development |
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Chaplain
Deborah Heard on the
importance of family
in the dying process
AIDS
and Dying Alone
I had the
opportunity to minister
to an AIDS patient who
was 32-years old, shortly
before she died, which
was a heartbreaking experience.
When I first approached
her, she would not respond
to me and would not even
look up at me. I patiently
waited and spoke to her
again. She still did
not respond to me, but
I could see she was troubled.
Not giving up, I said,
“Whatever is going on
in your life, it’s not
so hard that God can’t
handle it.” She finally
looked up at me and her
eyes widened. All of
a sudden, the floodgates
opened up and she began
to talk and talk. The
pain in her heart was
that though she knew
she was dying, and her
mother and family knew
she was dying, they would
not come to see her.
I asked her if she would
like me to call and she
said yes. I called the
mother and demanded she
come and see her daughter.
Well, to the patient’s
surprise, the mother
finally showed up. Unfortunately,
she left before I arrived
back at the hospital.
The following week the
patient’s condition had
sharply deteriorated.
She was irrational and
did not recognize me.
I did find out from the
nurses’ station that
the mother did show up
again. Shortly thereafter,
as-a-matter-of-fact a
couple of days later,
the patient died.
There is still a lot
of ignorance and fear
regarding AIDS, even
20 years later. Unfortunately,
this is still not being
dealt with in the churches,
and this has greatly
troubled me. I have ministered
to many AIDS patients
in the hospital and I
always get the same response
– no one comes to visit
them. Even among the
hospital staff, when
I would approach a room
where there was an AIDS
patient, the staff would
rush to me and tell me
be careful, the patient
has AIDS. This would
anger me, again, because
of the ignorance. Though
I can be a presence for
a short while, family
members and friends are
needed to be with the
patient in the final
hours. Though AIDS is
a terrible disease, these
patients are loved by
God and still should
not have to die alone.
What can be done?
Deborah Heard is a
graduate of Empire State
College with a BS in Human
Development. She also received
her Master of Ministry
and Master of Divinity
degrees from Trinity Theological
Seminary. She is also a
certified chaplain, receiving
her certification from
the Council of Churches
for the City of New York.
She has been in hospital
ministry for approximately
25 years. She received
her training from The Healthcare
Chaplaincy in New York
City. She is a full time
legal secretary by day
and a chaplain in Jamaica
Medical Center in Jamaica,
New York on weekends and
in the evenings. She is
an ordained elder in her
church and is endorsed
by the Higher Ground Assemblies
in Dallas, Texas.
Do you have thoughts
about spiritual development
you’d like to share with
your colleagues? Send
an e-mail of any length
to info@PlainViews.org. |
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EthicsWalk |
EthicsWalk addresses
spiritual care
as an ethical
enterprise. It
explores why
relationships
between spiritual
care providers
and those they
serve need protection,
and examines
what that protection
entails. PlainViews invites
our readers to
share their responses
to each EthicsWalk column,
which will be
published in
the following
issue.
If you’d like
to respond to EthicsWalk,
please send a
comment of no
more than 100
words. You can
use the e-form
below (click
on "hearing
from you," link)
or submit your
commentary to
the editors in
the body of an
e-mail (or as
a Microsoft Word
attachment) sent
to Info@PlainViews.org.
Please put the
phrase “EthicsWalk”
in your subject
line.
We look forward to hearing
from you.
Boundaries:
Navigating
or Negating?
Last month’s
column suggested
that experienced
spiritual care
providers might
occasionally
navigate boundaries
to benefit persons
served. How does
one discern beneficent
boundary navigation
from maleficent,
self-serving
boundary negation?
Some sticky
wickets:
Self-disclosure:
Appropriate self-disclosure acknowledges the spiritual care provider’s
humanity and may be re-assuring. Disclosures must address the needs of
the other and be directly applicable to them. Disclosures to impress,
seek advice, sympathy, or admiration from the other, are never appropriate.
Similarly, discussions of the provider’s sexuality, relationships,
or other personal matters are reserved for friends or professionals engaged
for that purpose.
Availability:
Availability is vital to good spiritual care. However, availability has
parameters. When reasons are frequently found to stretch parameters
with a particular person in care, problems may be developing. Examples
include:
—arranging
to see the person
outside “normal”hours
—rearranging one’s schedule
—excitedly anticipating visits
—extra care with clothes and grooming
—meeting at a “special location”
—frequently thinking about the person
—giving or receiving gifts
—keeping secrets beyond confidentiality requirements
—failing to note contact in the office schedule
—not wanting other staff to know about the meeting
Unusual
Touching
Touch is important and prudent touching is often appropriate in spiritual
care. Before touching, consider:
—“What
is the likely
impact on this
particular person
of my touch?”
—“What is my intent?”If your
intent is about “you,”don’t touch.
If you are
uncertain about
the impact, ask.
[“Are you
comfortable with
shaking hands?”“Is
a hand on your
arm comforting?”]
Be conscious of touching a particular person more frequently or in ways
different from normal patterns of touch in the professional care environment.
For example, hugs rather than handshakes, hand lingering on arm rather
than touch-and-remove.
Sexualized
Attraction
“I’m really sexually attracted to this other person, I think...”
Erotic energy is good. Erotic energy is healthy and helpful in many professional
relationships. The danger is letting erotic energy sexualize the context,
content and contact of the spiritual care provider’s association
with a particular person. If you suspect this is happening, ask:
—what
is lacking in
me, in my committed
relationship
with partner
or religious
community, in
my social life,
in my prayer
and study life that
becoming involved with this other person would hope to satisfy?
—why am I vulnerable in my personal or professional
life to this infatuation, to falling in love outside my commitments?
—what do I need to know about myself to understand
this attraction?
—from whom can I get some enlightenment -- immediately?
—if the spiritual care provider asks, “Is
this a relationship I should discuss with a colleague?”the answer is “definitely
and soon.”
—if the care provider wonders, “Can I handle
this relationship”the answer is, “probably not.”
—if he or she ponders, “Should I terminate
this contact?”the answer is, “Yes, and, now!”
Relationships
carry risk. A
spiritual care
provider does
not avoid relationships,
even with difficult
or troubled people
to avoid risk.
However, a spiritual
care provider
is responsible
for establishing
and maintaining
relationships
which respect
the provider’s
and the other’s
integrity and
safety.
To be continued from other perspectives. Comments welcome!
Anne
Underwood has
an undergraduate
degree in religious
studies, a master’s
degree in rural
sociology and
a mid-life law
degree obtained
after working
over a decade
as a college
administrator.
She has mediated
for the Maine
family courts
since 1983. Currently
she serves as
an advisor to
the ethics commissions
of ACPE, APC,
the CCAR (Central
Conference of
American Rabbis),
and NAJC, and
consults with
a variety of
Protestant faith
communities on
issues of power,
fair process,
and congregational
conflict management.
Her articles
on mediation
and restorative
justice have
appeared in the
ACPE News, The
APC News and
on the ACPE web
site. Articles
on clergy accountability
and judicatory
processes are
published by
the Alban Institute
and The
Journal on Religion
and Abuse. A
chapter, “Clergy
Sexual Misconduct:
A Justice Issue,”
appears in Body
and Soul: Rethinking
Sexuality as
Justice-Love,
Marvin Ellison
and Sylvia Thorson-Smith,
editors, The
Pilgrim Press,
2003.
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Reviews |
Macky Alston reviews
the film Sister
Helen
Sister
Helen
In this compelling
no-frills documentary,
a 69-year-old Benedictine
nun rules a private
home for recovering
male addicts in the
South Bronx with
strict curfews, tough
language and a large
heart. Many pastoral
caregivers will recognize
the real challenges
of caring for those
in extreme need and
will find in Sister
Helen’s approach
to rehabilitation
much food for thought.
The Sundance Award-winning
documentary captures
in cinema verité style
the no-nonsense day-to-day
environment of Sister
Helen’s half-way
house, which provides
a private room in
a structured environment
for addicts. Structure
is perhaps an understatement.
The men in Sister
Helen’s residence
must obey curfews,
undergo frequent
urine tests, participate
in community service,
seek employment and
pay rent.
Sister Helen became
a Benedictine nun
at the age of 56,
and shortly afterward
founded the John
Thomas Travis Center
to “do for
other people’s
sons what I couldn’t
do for my own.”By
providing shelter
for recovering drug
addicts and alcoholics,
Sister Helen seeks
self-redemption after
the loss of a husband
to alcoholism and
the loss of two sons
to drugs, one to
drug-related murder.
She herself is a
recovering alcoholic.
Sister Helen’s
purpose is to help
residents transition
back into normal
life within a half-year
time period, by providing
shelter, assistance
and job references.
Her unsentimental
approach to the addicts
can be hard to watch,
but most of her residents
respond and, for
Sister Helen, “this
house is my second
chance.”
Macky Alston is
the director of Auburn
Media, a division of
the Center for Multifaith
Education at Auburn
Theological Seminary
committed to supporting,
cultivating and promoting
powerful, engaging,
balanced and responsible
media on religion,
spirituality and ethics.
He is a graduate of
Union Theological Seminary
and an award-winning
documentary filmmaker.
Completed: 2002
Running Time: 89 Minutes
Producers/Directors: Rob Fruchtman and Rebecca Cammisa
Editors: Jonathan Oppenheim, Juliet Weber
Music: Simon Gentry
Directors of Photography: Rebecca Cammisa, Rob Fruchtman
Executive Producer: Sheila Nevins
If you are interested in purchasing this film,
you can do so at the Hartley Film Foundation’s
Web site, www.hartleyfoundation.org. Just click
on “Masterworks”on the homepage for
more information. The cost is $26.95/DVD copy.
Do you have thoughts about reviews you’d like
to share with your colleagues? Send an e-mail
to info@PlainViews.org.
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1/19/2005
Vol. 1, No. 24
