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Parish Health Ministry: A Primer for Parish Involvement
Section One: Parish Health Ministry There are several options once a parish has determined it would like to begin or strengthen its involvement in healthcare. Some parishes use volunteers and others hire staff to coordinate health ministry. Some have a large budget, others have minimal fmancial resources. Some parishes form a parish health committee and others integrate this into the work of already-existing committees, such as human concerns. Listed below are several models for parishes to consider. (Please see section two, number five of this document for important insurance and liability considerations for options II, III, and IV below.) Option I. Community/agency information service This model of parish health ministry provides information and assistance without the direct services of a parish nurse. It may mean that a committee of the parish council takes ownership for integrating some aspects of health ministry into parish life. This may involve volunteer coordinators and require minimal expense. It might include some of the activities listed in the previous section, such as presentations on wellness and specific health issues, providing community health resources and referrals, and over seeing nursing home and hospital visitations. Option II. Volunteer parish nurse This model provides health ministry with a specially trained registered nurse who volunteers in the parish. It is recommended that the parish nurse volunteer a set number of hours per week Funding considerations include mileage, programming costs, health education materials, membership in a parish nurse network, secretarial support, a phone line, office set-up and supplies, professional liability insurance and continuing education. Details of accountability need to be determined. Parish nurses are responsible to the pastor/parish director or a member of the pastoral staff. Often this volunteer position leads to a paid position.
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. —Mt. 9:35Option III. Employing a parish nurse This model includes hiring a full or part-time parish nurse. As in establishing any new position, the parish leadership must consent to a long term commitment to the position. The pastor/parish director, parish staff and the parish council should agree that the decision to hire is not just a (one year) trial effort. A commitment of finances and supervision should extend long enough to properly assess the impact of the parish nurse program. In addition to salary, the paid or contracted nurse (see below) will need the same resources listed under "volunteer parish nurse" on the previous page. Option IV. Contracting with a healthcare agency for a parish nurse It is becoming more common for healthcare agencies, as part of their community outreach activities, to sponsor a full or part-time parish nurse at designated parishes. The parish nurse is an employee of the healthcare agency, but is responsible for certain health ministry services within the parish. Supervision of the parish nurse is usually a joint undertaking of the sponsoring agency and the parish leadership. To ensure a team approach, the parish nurse should be integrated into the pastoral staff through attendance at staff meetings and in other appropriate ways.
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