Spiritual Care services provide emotional, mental, and spiritual support to patients, families, and staff.
Our practitioners are skilled in working across cultures and belief systems, offer a non-judgmental, listening presence.
We help individuals cope with illness, find meaning, and navigate end-of-life challenges, promoting holistic healthcare and well-being.
When you or someone you know is in the hospital, many concerns may arise.
We can provide the following support:
- Bereavement support
- Grief, and loss counseling
- Emotional support
- Ceremonial events & rites
- Blessing & naming ceremonies (postnatal)
- Religious care (rituals, prayer, religious/sacred texts, religious clerics)
- Meditation
Even if you’re unsure whether you need to see someone from Spiritual Care, we welcome your inquiries.
What to expect from the service?
Inclusion Criteria:
Spiritual Care is offered freely to all patients, family members, visitors, and staff of Northern Health.
You may wish to contact us if you are:
- Facing the death of a loved one
- Feeling lonely, worried, vulnerable, afraid, or confused
- Facing surgery
- Receiving a new diagnosis
- Experiencing a crisis
- Feeling concerned or troubled about family and/or relationships
- Wanting to discuss a particular issue, problem, or event in confident
- Facing a significant change in lifestyle
- Wanting someone to pray with or for you
- Requiring religious rites or rituals of your faith community
- Wanting to talk about faith and illness or explore the spiritual dimensions of life
- Wanting a guided meditation
Exclusion Criteria:
Our support is provided on Northern Health premises only.
Cost:
There is no cost for this service.
Provision of Sacred Spaces
Northern Health provides places of solace, comfort, quiet reflection, and prayer.
- The Northern Hospital Multi-Faith Sacred Space is available for use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is located between the front reception and Henry’s Café, beside the Spiritual Care offices.
- Broadmeadows Hospital has a quiet room available for use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is located down the main hallway past Degani’s Café.
- Bundoora Centre has a quiet room available for use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It can be accessed by contacting a staff member at Reception. It is located near the Reception area.
These sacred spaces are intended to offer peace and a place for reflection during challenging times.
Locations
Contact us
During Business Hours: These can be made from all Northern Health sites using EMR. These will be reviewed and responded as soon as possible.
Urgent matters: If the matter be urgent and between 08.30 – 16.30 contact the Spiritual Care team phone landline.
or via Lan pagers #012
AFTER HOURS: Please contact Communications for urgent end of life ritual. A list of on-call religious leaders is held by Communications (Switch). Note: subject to religious leaders availability.