Spiritual Care Services

About the Program

Our program offers support and comfort to patients, families and staff of all faiths, cultures and walks of life in times of crisis, loss, injury or illness.  To request assistance, dial Ext. 12482, or call (323) 361-2482.

As members of the interdisciplinary health care team, our chaplains provide:

• Compassionate listening
• Visits for patients and families upon request
• Facilitate religious services and rituals, including prayer, emergency baptism, communion, and blessing
• Help clarify questions of meaning and ethical dilemmas
• Respond to crisis and emergency situations 
• Assist patients and families to contact local religious communities and leaders as desired
• Provide sacred literature from diverse traditions
• Conduct Memorial and interfaith services throughout the year
• Celebrate Roman Catholic Mass on Sundays

Interfaith Meditation Room & Chapel

An Interfaith Meditation Room & Chapel is open for reflection 24 hours on the hospital’s first floor across the Giraffe elevator.  Visitors will find sacred literature from diverse traditions, a place for prayer requests, and Muslim prayer rugs there.  We also have electric Shabbat candles and non-perishable kosher foods for unforeseen hospitalization during Shabbat. 

Our Team

We honor everyone’s individual beliefs.  Our staff members include 4 full-time professionals, per-diem chaplains, and chaplain interns of different religious traditions.  In addition, we have relationships with different local religious communities. 

Clinical Pastoral Education

Children's Hospital is an accredited training site of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc., which brings theological students and clergy from all faith traditions into supervised spiritual care with patients and families through the Clinical Pastoral Education Program. 

Supporters

Spiritual Care Services could not be offered at our hospital without generous donations from many community supporters.  The Spiritual Care Guild, is an Affiliate group that raises funds to support the compassionate services provided by this program. 

Meet a Family Touched by our Spiritual Care Services Team

Even under the worst possible conditions, the Martinez Family was able to find hope and healing at our hospital, largely through the use of our chapel, and through attending the annual vigil ceremony held to commemorate children who have passed. 

Now, to commemorate DJ's life, each year they come to our hospital to donate blood on his birthday and near the holidays as a way to give back and help possibly keep another family whole.

Find Out More about DJ Martinez and the Martinez Family's story.