Volunteer Police Chaplain

Summary

Under supervision of the Officer Wellness Sergeant, provide spiritual, emotional, and psychological support to law enforcement officers, their families, and the community, playing a crucial role in crisis intervention and community outreach. Responsibilities span a range of emotional, spiritual, practical, and ethical support functions that reflect a commitment to holistic care and the inherent dignity of every person, officer, or civilian.

Supervision Exercised

None

Essential Duties

• Assist with death notifications, conduct memorial and funeral services, and offer crisis intervention during emergencies like accidents, natural disasters, and line-of-duty deaths.
• Provide compassionate listening, offer moral guidance, crisis support, and foster community trust, all while respecting diversity and maintaining confidentiality.
• Help coordinate faith-related programs, provide spiritual guidance, and ensure that diverse religious needs are acknowledged within the department.
• Responding to natural and accidental deaths, suicides and attempted suicides, family disturbances and any other incident that in the judgment of the Watch Commander or supervisor aids in accomplishing the mission of the Department.
• Responding to all major disasters, such as natural disasters, bombings and similar critical incidents.
• Provide faith-based and non-denominational care to officers, staff, their families, and civilians. They offer prayer or spiritual guidance when requested and participate in memorials or ceremonies that mark significant departmental moments.
• Participating in in-service training classes.
• Willingness to train others to enhance the effectiveness of the Department.
• Provide spiritual and emotional support to victims and survivors of critical incidents, criminal violations, and other traumatic events or crises.
• Build trusting relationships between the police and the community through participation in public events, community outreach, and facilitating partnerships with faith-based organizations.
• Providing liaison with various civic, business and religious organizations.
• Promptly facilitating requests for representatives or leaders of various denominations.
• Making referrals in cases where specialized attention is needed or in cases that are beyond the chaplain's ability to assist.

Qualifications

• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• Written endorsement by the minister or religious leader of their faith where he/she is a member.
• Relevant educational and personal experience in spiritual counseling and sacred teaching.
• A working understanding of police work and the ability to relate to police personnel in a manner which puts them at ease when assisting them with their personal and spiritual needs.
• Above reproach, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.
• Emotionally mature, with ethical integrity, and utmost discretion.
• Belong to a recognized religious community that affirms their readiness for ministry.
• Have a good reputation in the community.
• Successful completion of an appropriate-level background investigation.

Certifications/Licenses:

• Valid Utah Driver's License

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Local mental and physical health resources, as well as community religious leaders.

• Basic Knowledge of major world religions and faith traditions
• Trauma response, grief care, suicide intervention, and cultural sensitivity.

Skill with:

• Deep listening and empathy
• A nonjudgmental and calming presence
• The ability to minister across diverse spiritual or non-spiritual backgrounds

• The capacity to remain steady and compassionate in times of crisis
• Operating modern office equipment including computers with applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Teams, and Word.