Chaplain
Company : Catholic Health Initiatives
Location : Northridge, CA, 91328
Job Type : Full Time / Part Time
Salary : 33.85-50.36 HOUR
Date Posted : 13 January 2026
Job Summary and Responsibilities
As our Chaplain, you will serve as a vital spiritual leader and compassionate caregiver within our hospital community, providing essential spiritual counseling and support to patients, families, and staff.
Every day, you will provide direct spiritual, religious, and existential care, offering compassionate presence, support, and appropriate rituals to patients, families, and staff, especially during times of crisis or grief. You will collaborate with the healthcare team to advocate for spiritual needs and integrate holistic care, ensuring respect for diverse beliefs.
To be successful in this role, you must be a highly compassionate individual, comfortable and skilled in engaging with people who may be emotional, panicked, stressed, or in pain. You'll need the proven ability to provide empathetic care, adapt to diverse spiritual needs, and communicate effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
- Through leadership from the Spiritual Care Department, promote an environment throughout NHMC of holistic care. The Chaplain: Provides spiritual care to patients, families, visitors, NHMC personnel, and members of our communities.
- Meets patient, family, and hospital personnel requests when paged and as needed.
- Provides personal attention to all patients for inclusive, multi-faith spiritual care visits of compassion and caring.
- Demonstrates sensitivity and demonstrates the ability to identify with the cultural values and sociological patterns reflecting the diversity of the patients and community we serve.
- Assesses and appropriately responds to EOL and/or palliative care, trauma care needs of patients and families, e.g., psychosocial, spiritual, ethical, and cultural concerns.
- Demonstrates proficiency in delivering care to assigned age-specific patient population (e.g., adolescents, adults, geriatrics, and pediatrics).
- Bachelor's of Arts Theology/Religious Studies and one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education or two years of professional healthcare chaplaincy experience, upon hire or
- Masters Of Arts Theology/Master of Divinity (consistent with standards of faith community and one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education or two years of professional healthcare chaplaincy experience, upon hire and
- Fire Safety, within 90 Days
Preferred
- Previous work experience as a Chaplain in a healthcare or institutional setting
Founded in 1955, Dignity Health – Northridge Hospital Medical Center is a 394-bed, acute care, nonprofit community hospital located in Northridge, California. The hospital offers a full complement of award winning services, including the Leavey Cancer Center, a cardiovascular center, stroke center, the Center for Assault Treatment Services, a pediatric medical center, and the only pediatric trauma center in the San Fernando Valley. As a leading provider of compassionate, high-quality and affordable patient-centered care, we share a rich legacy with Dignity Health, one of the nation’s five largest health care systems. We are part of a 21-state network of nearly 9,000 physicians, 62,000 employees and more than 400 care centers. Visit here dignityhealth.org/northridgehospital for more information.
One Community. One Mission. One California
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Frequently asked questions
Chaplains in Northridge hospitals adapt spiritual support by recognizing cultural, religious, and age-specific needs, ensuring personalized care. They respect diverse beliefs and collaborate with medical teams to integrate holistic healing approaches, crucial for comforting patients and families in this multicultural Southern California community.
Healthcare chaplains in Northridge typically need at least one unit of clinical pastoral education plus a theology-related degree. Local institutions may also emphasize fire safety training within 90 days of hire, reflecting compliance with California hospital safety standards and enhancing chaplains’ readiness to serve in emergency contexts.
Chaplains often begin with clinical pastoral education and progress to specialized roles, such as trauma or palliative care chaplaincy. In Northridge’s healthcare network, growth can include leadership in spiritual care departments or broader community outreach, reflecting both clinical skill advancement and expanded pastoral responsibilities.
At Catholic Health Initiatives, chaplains actively collaborate with medical staff to advocate for patients’ spiritual needs. They bring compassionate presence and ritual support into care plans, fostering holistic healing while ensuring the team respects diverse cultural and ethical considerations unique to the hospital’s patient demographics.
Catholic Health Initiatives offers chaplains a dynamic hospital setting with access to specialized centers like pediatric trauma and cancer care. This environment allows chaplains to engage deeply with diverse patient groups and complex spiritual needs, elevating their role beyond traditional chaplaincy into a key part of integrative patient support.
While theological education is foundational, Catholic Health Initiatives highly values hands-on healthcare chaplaincy experience. Practical skills in crisis intervention, emotional support, and interprofessional communication are critical to meeting the complex demands of hospital chaplaincy in Northridge’s acute care environment.
Chaplain salaries in Northridge healthcare typically range from $55,000 to $75,000 annually, depending on education and experience. Given the region’s cost of living and the specialized nature of hospital chaplaincy, compensation reflects the important role chaplains play in supporting patient well-being and multidisciplinary care teams.
Demand for chaplains in Northridge remains steady due to the presence of large healthcare networks like Catholic Health Initiatives. Competition can be moderate, with preference given to candidates with clinical pastoral education and healthcare experience, reflecting the community’s diverse spiritual needs and complex patient care environment.
Chaplains often navigate emotional crises and diverse belief systems, requiring emotional resilience and adaptability. In Northridge’s fast-paced hospital, they must balance urgent spiritual needs with sensitivity to cultural differences and collaborate effectively with medical teams to offer holistic, respectful care.
Yes, candidates with a Bachelor’s in theology or religious studies plus clinical pastoral education or two years’ healthcare chaplaincy experience can qualify. Northridge employers value practical pastoral skills alongside formal education, making chaplaincy accessible to those with varied but relevant training backgrounds.