SMHC expands spiritual and pastoral care services

BIDDEFORD –  Southern Maine Health Care has expanded its Spiritual and Pastoral Care Services and has hired Reverend Shelly Snow, Director of Spiritual and Pastoral Care Services.

Snow’s role as Director of the newly expanded Spiritual and Pastoral Care Services is to implement a comprehensive strategy to offer a more robust spiritual and pastoral care program for SMHC’s patients, visitors and the community. A component of this is to increase integration of SMHC Spiritual and Pastoral Services with community clergy and parishes, fostering relationships with faith leaders in our service areas so we can better provide for the wide range of spiritual care needs of our patients, visitors and staff.

Spiritual and Pastoral Care Services is care of the human spirit, which is critical to health. Chaplains are specialists trained in human understanding, pastoral counseling, and religious and cultural traditions. They are available to all SMHC patients and loved ones to provide a listening presence, guidance in mindfulness and prayer, support through decision-making, and for help finding purpose.

The Spiritual and Pastoral Care Services team is comprised Snow, MDiv, MEd, APBCC, Director of Spiritual and Pastoral Care Services; Reverend Nonie Freeman, MSW, Palliative Care; and Marie LaBreque from the Diocese of Portland, with support from the SMHC Volunteer Services program.

“The Spiritual and Pastoral Care Services team is a valued element of the interdisciplinary care team,” said Nathan Howell, SMHC President. “We are thrilled to be expanding this program to provide even more integral support to our patients, their loved ones and our care team members in times of need.”

Assessment of patients’ spiritual needs is a Joint Commission requirement of hospitals, and meeting these needs has been shown to improve health care outcomes said hospital officials. Emotional support and gentle spiritual guidance is available to all SMHC patients, their loved ones, and our care team members seven days a week.