Paediatric Chaplaincy: Principles, Practices and Skills

Drawing on a range of approaches developed by paediatric chaplaincy teams worldwide, this edited collection provides best principles, practices and skills of chaplaincy work with neonates, infants, children, young people and their families. By engaging with paediatric chaplaincy from an international, multifaith perspective, contributors from around the world and different faith traditions show what good spiritual, religious and pastoral care for children and their families looks like. The book contains contributions from specialists who work with children with mental health issues or profound disabilities, as well as chapters that focus on how best to provide palliative and bereavement care. Includes resources and activities for use in specialist care situations and tools for assessment, making this a must-have for any paediatric chaplaincy team working in a hospital or hospice.

About the Author :
Rev. Paul Nash has worked at Birmingham Children's Hospital since 2002, and has been Chaplaincy Team Leader (Senior Chaplain) since 2004. He is the director of Red Balloon Resources and the co-founder and co-convenor of the Paediatric Chaplaincy Network for Great Britain and Ireland. Chaplain Mark Bartel is the manager of Spiritual Care at Arnold Palmer Medical Center in Orlando, FL. Mark is board-certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains. He is a charter member of the Pediatric Chaplains Network (USA), for which he has served as President. Rev. Dr Sally Nash is Director of the Midlands Institute for Children Youth and Mission and the academic lead for the Birmingham Children's Hospital Chaplaincy team on research, designs spiritual care resources.

Review :
Paediatric Chaplaincy fills a niche in the growing literature on chaplaincy and will prove itself to be a stimulating resource for chaplains working in that field. Yet the book also speaks to chaplaincy issues beyond paediatric care. The comprehensive nature of the editors' vision has produced a collection of papers that will be of value to chaplains in any healthcare field. Paediatric Chaplaincy provides an empathetic and comprehensive guide to the complex work of supporting children and families spiritually during times of serious illness, palliative care, and death. An international array of authors offers evidence-based practices that respect diverse spiritual traditions, family systems, racial/ethnic identities, and sociocultural locations. A must-read for all chaplains and an excellent reference text for all clergy, educational administrators, and non-profit leaders who work with children and youth. Children's chaplains are simply amazing; stepping forward at what can often be the most difficult and desperate time of a family's life to provide loving care. This outstanding book is a brilliant resource to help this special community learn, share practice and inspire each other to new heights for the children, young people, families and colleagues who rely on them every day. I am delighted to endorse this great new resource. Rarely have I found a reference book so enjoyable to read, while providing the reader with a rich source of valuable information on spirituality, religious and pastoral care. This book, with references for further reading and suggested approaches provides a much needed resource for all those working with children and young people to develop understanding and skills. Pediatric chaplaincy finally has what it has so far lacked - a comprehensive text that covers all the major bases of the field combining the best of theory, research, and day-to-day clinical practice. This volume should be on the shelf of every chaplaincy department and every chaplain that sees pediatric patients. This is now the go-to teaching text and reference work in the field. Bravo to the editors and authors.