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Spiritual & Religious Care

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Spiritual Care

Spiritual & Religious Care

Rooted in Healing and Hope

Spirituality can help you regain and maintain your health and cope with difficult experiences. It can help you find meaning, value and connection, especially during difficult times.*

Spiritual Care staff are integral members of Niagara Health inter-professional teams. They are members of the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC) and full time staff members are registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). They work with patients, families, staff and volunteers. You don’t have to be religious to benefit from spiritual care. We strive to support all types of spiritual expression: religious practice, personal relationships, artistic creation, a connection to nature and more.

To learn more about Spiritual Care, please visit Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC/ACSS)

How Spiritual Care can help?

  • Connect with your spiritual resources
  • Find meaning
  • Face anxieties and fears
  • Express feelings in your own way
  • Think through healthcare decisions
  • Participate in prayers or rituals

Spiritual Self Assessment Tool

You are invited to contribute to your own medical record, providing information that local research has shown to be important to patients and health care providers alike.

While in hospital, please ask a Spiritual Care Practitioner to assist in filling out the form.

Or, you can download the Spiritual Self Assessment Tool and present it to a member of your care team.

Clinical Psychospiritual Education (CPE)

Clinical Psychospiritual Education (CPE) is an experience-based approach to learning spiritual care which combines the practice of spiritual care giving with qualified supervision and group reflection. This dynamic and integrative education model assists persons in achieving their full potential in the practice of spiritual care.

The program is for:

  • Healthcare professionals deeply committed to the spiritual aspect of health and wellness
  • Adult Learners seriously drawn to spiritual care in a hospital setting
  • Seminary students seeking CPE Units (or an intensive field education experience)
  • Faith community leaders and lay pastoral caregivers seeking further skills and knowledge

The next offering of CPE at Niagara Health is September 2024 - April 2025. Deadline to apply is April 8, 2024.

For more information, please contact Trish Archibald, Provisional Supervisor Educator for CPE at Niagara Health at Trish.Heidebrecht-Archibald@niagarahealth.on.ca , 905-378-4647, ext. 43105.

Spiritual Care Visitors Program

  • Niagara Health is currently reviewing its policy with our faith community partners in order to simplify the visitation process.
  • As of March 21, 2024, Niagara Health will no longer conduct an orientation for faith communities until further notice.
  • Please continue to only visit members of your faith community who are patients at any Niagara Health site, following Niagara Health visitation guidelines.
  • If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Nathan Kendall, Manager of Spiritual and Religious Care at 905-378-4647 ext. 32381.

Code Lavender

  • Code Lavender is a crisis intervention tool used to support all staff and volunteers at Niagara Health when a stressful event or series of stressful events occurs in the hospital. Code Lavender has three stages:
    • Stage 1: Response to an individual staff member/volunteer in distress.
    • Stage 2: Debriefing 24-72 hours after a critical incident for a team.
    • Stage 3: Immediate defusing for a team who experienced a stressful, or series of stressful events while on the job.
  • Staff are encouraged to dial the Resources Centre at ext. 55555 to initiate a Code Lavender.

 

*With thanks to the Spiritual Care Department, University Health Network, Toronto, for permission to adapt some of their communications.

Nathan Kendall, Manager of Spiritual and Religious Care

Nathan.Kendall@niagarahealth.on.ca
905 378-4647 ext. 32381

Nathan KendallNathan is the Manager of Spiritual and Religious Care at Niagara Health and Spiritual Care Practitioner at the Niagara Falls and Fort Erie sites. Nathan is a graduate of Niagara Health’s Spiritual Care Residency in 2019, and of Martin Luther University College with a Master of Arts (MA) in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy. Nathan brings an eclectic approach to his practice by using his gifts as a musician and his experience working as a mental health counsellor in the community. Nathan is an associate member with the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC/ACSS) and a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).

Rev. Trish Archibald, Spiritual Care Practitioner

Trish.Heidebrecht-Archibald@niagarahealth.on.ca
905 378-4647 ext. 43105

Rev. Trish Heidebrecht-Archibald, Staff ChaplainTrish Archibald is a Certified Spiritual Care Practitioner providing care to in-patients and their families at the St. Catharines Site in all areas other than Mental Health and Oncology. Trish is both a Provisional Supervisor Educator for Clinical Psychospiritual Education (CPE) for Niagara Health and a minister in the Presbyterian Church in Canada. She is a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), and the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC/ACSS).

Donna Hollands-Hurst, Spiritual Care Practitioner

Donna.Hollands-Hurst@niagarahealth.on.ca
905 378-4647 ext. 42103

Donna Hollands-Hurst, Staff Chaplain   Donna is a Spiritual Care Practitioner who provides spiritual care to patients, families and staff on both Inpatient and outpatient mental health units at the St. Catharines Site. She has been with Niagara Health since 2009. Prior to this, Donna was a member of the Chaplaincy team at Brock University. She also has several years of experience in teaching secondary students and adults (new Canadians). She completed spiritual care training at St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton and received her theological training at Regis College at Toronto School of Theology. She holds Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees. Donna is a Certified Spiritual Care Practitioner with the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC/ACSS) and has served as Regional Chair of this professional organization. She is also a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).

Terry Siolkowsky, Spiritual Care Practitioner

Terry has been a Spiritual Care Practitioner and Registered Psychotherapist with Niagara Health since 2019. He can be found at the Niagara Health St. Catharines Site providing spiritual care, psychotherapy/counselling, and crisis support to patients, caregivers, and staff. He primarily supports the Walker Family Cancer Centre, the Mental Health Units, as well as general inpatient medical units. Terry comes to us with a Master of Arts in Counselling and Spirituality from Saint Paul University in Ottawa as well as clinical training and experience from the Saint Paul University Counselling Centre, The Ottawa Hospital Clinical Pastoral Education Program, and the Niagara Health Clinical Pastoral Education Residency. He is currently an associate member of the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC/ACSS) and he is a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).

Laura Mullet Koop, Spiritual Care Practitioner

Laura.mulletkoop@niagarahealth.on.ca
905 378-4647 ext. 32385

Laura Mullet KoopLaura is the Spiritual Care Practitioner at the Welland Site. Laura has a Masters of Arts (MA) in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy from Martin Luther University College and is a graduate of Niagara Health’s Spiritual Care Residency in 2019. Laura is passionate about caring for the emotional and spiritual health of people experiencing unexpected and complex medical situations. She brings experience in spiritual direction and retreat leading, and an interest in how mindfulness and creativity support wellbeing. She is an associate member of the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC/ACSS) and a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).

On-call Spiritual Care Practitioners

Niagara Health has a diverse group of trained, multi-faith, Spiritual Care Providers who respond to urgent Spiritual and Religious Care needs of patients, families, staff and volunteers. Our on call team provide coverage during evenings and weekends. Please call switchboard at 905-378-4647 ext. 0 and ask for “Spiritual Care” if support is needed.

To contact someone from Spiritual Care, contact a staff member listed above directly or call the Niagara Health switchboard at 905-378-4647 and ask for Spiritual Care.

Niagara Health