hospitals. Outcomes from this research demonstrate many Australians believe spirituality is essential to wellbeing and that 54% of Australians would want to receive spiritual care as part of their hospital care in the future. The report has informed many of SHA’s presentations, social media campaigns and advocacy work.

We acknowledge the work of our members (listed below) and their commitment to providing high-quality and safe spiritual care services, and we welcome new members who have joined us in 2021-2022.

We also acknowledge and thank the organisations and individuals who have worked alongside us and enabled many of the significant achievements you will read about in this report.

Finally, we express our gratitude to Safer Care Victoria and the Victorian Government, as their funding support enables SHA to deliver on our strategic priorities each year.

Spiritual Health Association continues as strong leaders in the health sector for spiritual care and its reputation as a valued contributor to the field grows both nationally and internationally. We are committed to the ongoing move towards a nationally consistent approach for spiritual care that is safe, high-quality and person-centred.

Spiritual Health Association is the peak body for spiritual care in the health sector. Our focus is on advocacy for and promotion of compassionate, person-centred spiritual care in health services.

Since 1974 we have been collaborating with health services, faith communities and other key partners and stakeholders, to expand the availability and accessibility of spiritual care as an integral part of quality healthcare.

We are informed by a growing body of evidence for the value and contribution of spiritual care and involved with international colleagues in the move towards professionalisation of the sector.

We are committed to ensuring patients, carers and staff receive high-quality and safe spiritual care that is responsive to their spiritual needs.

Our Purpose

To advocate for and promote compassionate, person-centred spiritual care in health services.

Respect: We value the humanity and dignity of every person.

Compassion: We value sensitivity to another’s suffering, which motivates healing care.

Inclusiveness: We value the spirituality, perspectives and contributions of all people.

Excellence: We value continuous improvement, innovation and accountability in the provision of spiritual care.

Compassionate, person-centred healthcare.

Key Highlight -

Consultation with Canberra Health Services

In 2022, Canberra Health Services (CHS) undertook a review of its Spiritual Support Services to evaluate it against a best-practice model. There had been staff changes in the department, as well as  Covid 19 impacting their Chaplaincy and volunteer workforce. In addition, CHS recognised that there had been many improvements and changes in the spiritual care sector and they were committed to improve their service.

The project provided a wonderful opportunity for SHA to be involved, with Christine Hennequin consulting with the Project Team and working closely with Lisa Schmierer, Project Officer from Canberra Health Services. A comprehensive stakeholder consultation including focus groups, a staff survey and a benchmarking exercise provided the feedback and data needed to develop both the Review Report and a Model of Care document.

Recent research including a scoping literature review in collaboration with the Spiritual Care in Aotearoa New Zealand Healthcare Ropu and Otago University and The Future of Spiritual Care in Australia report (SHA), contributed current evidence to assist the development of a best-practice approach to spiritual care. We await the implementation of the recommendations and CHS executive’s approval of the new model. 

>> Back to Key Highlights

Building strong relationships with health services

Health services contact SHA regularly for advice and to discuss issues that arise. Directors of Allied Health and other line managers seek advice about recruitment, salary benchmarks and models of care. Spiritual Care management providing spiritual care or implementing a new model engage with SHA to verify how their model align with the  Guidelines for Quality Spiritual Care in Health (SHA 2020) and how they can evaluate, improve or implement changes. In the last year, managers have sought advice on documentation, advocacy, research; credentialling community appointed spiritual care providers; scope of practice and training for volunteers; recruitment of practitioners; and Clinical Pastoral Education student placements and how they align with an Allied Health clinical education model. 

Submissions

Department of Health - Mental Health and Wellbeing

Major Mental Health Reform is underway in Victoria as informed by the Royal Commission Recommendations of March 2021. To enable these changes the Department of Health - Mental Health and Wellbeing Branch called for submissions across a range of service provision areas from stakeholders in the reporting year 2021 - 2022. SHA responded with input into the:

• Mental Health and Wellbeing Act, specifically in relation to the potential of spiritual care practitioners to fulfil a non-legal advocacy role on behalf of inpatients (July 2021).
• Mental Health Workforce Strategy, advocating for significant investment in a specialist spiritual care workforce to enhance multidisciplinary teams and support holistic outcomes in patient care (October 2021).

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACQSHC)

SHA provided a submission in March 2022 to the ACQSHC in response to the draft Stillbirth Clinical Guidelines. The submission highlighted the need to identify spiritual and religious care as part of cultural and psychosocial care after stillbirth and perinatal loss, and its importance during bereavement. The submission highlighted that spiritual care and support is also available to staff who deal with perinatal loss in health services.

Panels and Councils

SHA has provided representation at:

• Allied Health Professionals Australia member collaboratives/forums
• Centre for Mental Health Learning
• Co-editor, Transforming Chaplaincy book series (international)
• International Advisor (request for a Aotearoa New Zealand national review of spiritual care in healthcare)
• International Joint Research Council
• Palliative Care Australia National Expert Advisory Panel
• Peer Specialists Research Steering Committee - Spirituality (International)
• Spiritual Care Australia board member
• Spiritual Care Practitioners Professional Development program steering committee
• Victorian Mental Health Policy Network
• Victorian Transcultural Mental Health reference group

Professional Development

From July – December 2021, SHA continued to coordinate and deliver the Spiritual Care Practitioner Professional Development program, supported by a steering committee with representatives from Spiritual Care Australia (SCA) and the Australian & New Zealand Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ANZACPE).

In the second half of 2021, SHA led the delivery of two CORE units and two additional sessions via the online platform. Participants attended from across the country, with 63% from Victoria, 11% from Western Australia and 9% from NSW. Evaluation survey data shows that 90% feel that the overall program is very good/ excellent.

Thanks for what you provide to

enable and support us to be more

effective and sustainable in our roles.

Spiritual Care Practitioner

In late 2021 the steering committee reviewed the coordination of the national PD program. After 30 years of SHA facilitating the program, in March 2022, SHA was delighted to pass the leadership baton to Spiritual Care Australia (SCA). It was decided that SCA should coordinate and broaden the delivery of the program to support the professional development of practitioners in chaplaincy, pastoral and spiritual care across multiple sectors in Australia.

SHA continues to play an active role on the program steering committee offering leadership for spiritual care in the health sector.

Conferences and Presentations

• Looking back before rushing forward: Turning points in the development of spiritual care - Cheryl Holmes, keynote presentation at the 7th International Spirituality and Health Conference, Trinity College, Dublin, June 2022
• The Future of Spiritual Care in Australia: a national study on spirituality, wellbeing and spiritual care in hospitals - Cheryl Holmes with Cuong La, workshop co-presentation, Spiritual Care Australia Conference, June 2022
• Spirituality for the Common Good - Cheryl Holmes and Gillian Gonda, keynote presentation, Spiritual Care Australia Conference, June 2022
• Spirituality & Diversity Discussions - a reflective practice training initiative for mental health sector workers - Jenny Greenham and Rohan Souter, workshop presentation, Spiritual Care Australia Conference, June 2022
• The Future of Spiritual Care -  Cheryl Holmes, online launch of The Future of Spiritual Care in Australia: a national study on spirituality, wellbeing and spiritual care in hospitals, May 2022
• Spirituality and Diversity Discussions - a reflective practice training initiative for MH sector workers - Jenny Greenham and Justin Kuay, Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH), April 2022
• Spirituality, Spiritual Care and Mental Health, Jenny Greenham and members of the Spiritual Health Lived Experience Advisory Committee (SHLEAC), Department of Health - Mental Health and Wellbeing branch, April 2022
• Bereavement during the holidays - Cheryl Holmes, online Palliative Care Queensland, December 2021
• A new model for healing: the biopsychosocial-spiritual approach and an invitation to reflect and reimagine an empathy led future - Jenny Greenham with Hannah Friebel, TheMHS Conference, October 2021
• What are you capable of? - facilitated presentation by Cheryl Holmes with David Glenister, Paul Hammat and Catherine Carr, for the Spiritual Care Practitioners Professional Development Program, October 2021
• Mental Health and Spirituality - Jenny Greenham, Meaningful Ageing Australia, September 2021

Key Highlight -

Spiritual Health Lived Experience Advisory Committee

Formed towards the end of June 2021, SHLEAC have worked solidly with SHA's Mental Health Leader to announce themselves to the mental health reform space. Between July 2021 - June 2022, the four founding members, Evan Bichara, Maria Dimopoulos, Kevin Treloar and Hannah Friebel contributed in the following ways:

• shared their individual stories in the SHA e-news
• created a Vision and Statement of Purpose
• presented to members of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Branch of the Victorian Department of Health.

The enthusiasm of the Committee for spirituality and spiritual care to be embedded in person centred mental health care models will gradually gather further momentum by the launch of the National Spiritual Health Lived Experience Network of consumers and carers who share this same vision. The Committee look forward to engaging with more people and to continue to represent the voices of people who have traditionally been overlooked in the system.

SHLEAC hope to capitalise on the successes of their first year as they prepare for further productive engagement and strategic input into mental health reform as the next year unfolds.

>> Back to Key Highlights

Spiritual Care Management Network (SCMN)

The Spiritual Care Management Network (SCMN) provides an important and reliable forum for managers to discuss current issues in spiritual care with their peers and SHA staff. Our monthly virtual meetings enable the network to connect with colleagues right around Australia, with an average of 15 members in attendance at each meeting.

Managers build relationships, share resources and hear about the successes, challenges and opportunities in their work. Experienced managers are very generous in sharing what they have developed to assist others in the sector. 

It has been really helpful to be part of this network. Thank you for including me in the good work you do in promoting and supporting Pastoral and Spiritual Care across Australia.

Spiritual Care Coordinator, Western Australia

Our monthly program in 2022 is based on topics from SHA’s yearly evaluation and feedback from spiritual care management. We have focused on the integration of best-practice spiritual care, research, consumer partnership, advocacy, workforce and resourcing including awards and salaries, SHA’s Capability Framework and discussion on innovation including Spiritual Care Australia’s conference  highlights.

Thanks again for all you do in supporting us and scaffolding the work of spiritual care around Australia. What a gift you are!

Spiritual Care Manager, Tasmania

Two Leadership Workshops in October 21 and March 22 have provided a total of forty-three management attendees the opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills. Learnings from the workshops were also discussed more broadly within the network.

The SCMN continues to meet its purpose as an important network for spiritual care in health and will be evaluated once again in December 2022.

SCMN Leadership Workshops 

SHA organised 2 Leadership Workshops for the SCMN, facilitated by Allison Patchett from The Leadership Place. Twenty-five managers attended on 20 October 21 and eighteen attended a longer session on 22 March 22.

Themes covered included:

• Values and principles in leadership
• Adopting leadership language
• Setting expectations for self and others
• Delivering a consistent service
• How to utilise finite resources

 Allison has enough knowledge of the sector to make it work, but is not immersed, so asks the "outside the box" questions. 

Spiritual Care Manager

Attendees were very satisfied or satisfied (94% and 90% respectively) and appreciated the interactive sessions on leadership skills and leadership styles. 

Key Highlight -

Poster series: What is spirituality? What is spiritual care?

To celebrate the 2021 Spiritual Care Week theme Advancing Spiritual Care Through Research, SHA produced two infographic posters, aiming to introduce and demystify the role of spiritual care and its benefits to patients, family members and organisations.

The two infographics address the following questions and areas: 

• Infographic 1: What is spirituality? What is wellbeing? How does spirituality affect our well-being? 
• Infographic 2: What is spiritual care? Why is spiritual care important? What are the benefits of spiritual care? 
  

I think the posters are absolutely brilliant... particularly to raise awareness of spirituality and spiritual care within our staff teams.

Spiritual Care Manager

The posters were available on our website for free download with an option to purchase printed copies. These resources  were well received by spiritual care teams across the country, as well as internationally, and provided an opportunity for them to show case their work during Spiritual Care Week by posting them around health care settings for staff, patients and families to view.

The posters continue to be a popular resource to help advocate for the role of spiritual care within health settings.

>> Back to Key Highlights

Faith Communities Report: Service Provision

There were eleven faith communities in receipt of Government funding for the provision of spiritual care in Victorian public hospitals in 2021-2022. Even with the limitations imposed by the continuing impact of the pandemic, their contribution to the spiritual care of patients across Victorian hospitals was substantial. This workforce included both paid chaplains and volunteers who work with the spiritual care departments of hospitals.

Key Highlight -

Mental Health and Spirituality webpage

June 2022 saw the launch of the Mental Health and Spirituality resource page on the SHA website. As mental health reform is underway both in Victoria and nationally, it was strategic to raise the profile of the connection between mental health and spirituality and support all to grow in awareness and understanding of what a model of true person-centred mental healthcare could be. Information covers some historical links and origins, the shared values of the recovery model, current research, resources, training opportunities and other points of convergence.

>> Back to Key Highlights

Key Highlight -

The Little Book of Spiritual Health

The Little Book of Spiritual Health was launched at the SHA’s Annual General Meeting on 18 October 2021 by Associate Professor Jane Murray and Dr Eric Levi, The Little Book of Spiritual Health was the final instalment of a two-part resource including its forerunner, The Small Gift, launched in May 2021.

The Little Book of Spiritual Health introduces the concept of spirituality and spiritual health to our broader healthcare colleagues. It is written in recognition of the huge burden they have carried being the front-line workforce as the full implications of the Covid-19 health crisis began to unfold. Every aspect of professional working life has been impacted, and this has extracted an enormous toll on our precious human resources and esteemed colleagues.

I loved it being a short read, it suits time poor professionals. But I also found it a deeply unsettling book in a powerful way because it got me thinking about my own self-care in a new way. I hope it will go far and wide. 

Dr Eric Levi, Paediatric Surgeon, Royal Children’s & St. Vincent’s Hospital

It speaks to the collective experience of the pandemic that asked us all to go deeper with our reflections of what it means to be human and how we integrate our spiritual and existential realities into our daily responsibilities and lives. 

When I sat down to read The Little Book of Spiritual Health I reflected on so much about what's important to me... I encourage healthcare workers to take the time to stop and reflect on some of the beautiful questions this little book so eloquently invites us to reflect on.

Donna Markham, Former Victorian Chief Allied Health Officer and passionate wellbeing advocate

The Little Book of Spiritual Health was offered as resource to inspire genuine care of the soul in honour of the dedication, commitment, and continued courage our healthcare professionals bring to their roles in service to the community.

>> Back to Key Highlights

Online Communications

e-News readership:

• 1098 subscribers at 30 June 2022
• 11 eNews campaigns
• Average opens 47.4%
• Australian and international audience including USA, Canada, United Kingdom, India and New Zealand.

Website

12, 538 users accessed SHA's website in the last year. It is accessed by users in all states and territories in Australia, and internationally including the USA, UK, Germany, Canada, NZ and India.