Improving Professional Spiritual Care to Persons With Limited English Proficiency: The Cross-Language Chaplaincy Introduction Guidebook

Emilee Walker-Cornetta; Kelsey B White; Joel Nightingale Berning; Natalie Yip; Matthew R Baldwin

doi:10.1177/15423050221138745

Improving Professional Spiritual Care to Persons With Limited English Proficiency: The Cross-Language Chaplaincy Introduction Guidebook

J Pastoral Care Counsel. 2023 Mar;77(1):19-26. doi: 10.1177/15423050221138745. Epub 2022 Nov 29.

Authors

Emilee Walker-Cornetta¹, Kelsey B White², Joel Nightingale Berning³, Natalie Yip⁴, Matthew R Baldwin⁴

Affiliations

¹ Episcopal Divinity School, Union Theological Seminary New York, New York, USA.
² College of Health Professions, 6889Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
³ Pastoral Care & Education Department, 25065NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
⁴ Department of Medicine, 21611Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.

PMID: 36448205
DOI: 10.1177/15423050221138745

Abstract

Hospitalized individuals in the United States with limited English proficiency (LEP) may experience complications when receiving hospital care. Grounded in the ethical principles of chaplaincy and motivated by the desire to address inequitable health service provision, we developed the Cross-Language Chaplaincy Introduction Guidebook. The Guidebook introduces chaplaincy in 20 different languages with the goal of improving chaplain accessibility. We report on the rigorous development of the Guidebook and how to integrate the resource clinically.

Keywords: chaplain; guidebook; hospital; limited English proficiency.

MeSH terms

Clergy
Humans
Language
Limited English Proficiency*
Pastoral Care*
Spiritual Therapies*
United States