Spiritual Care
BC Children’s Hospital has a team of spiritual health practitioners with specialized training to support children and families impacted by illness and injury, who would like additional support in coping.
All practitioners are trained and certified by the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care.
This service is available for people from all religious and cultural backgrounds.
Available supports
Your child’s illness or injury may be one of the most distressing experiences they and you have ever faced. It may raise many intense emotions and often painful questions.
Our spiritual health practitioners offer the following supports:
- Work as part of the health-care team to ensure patients' and families’ spiritual needs are met
- Support patients and families in communicating their spiritual needs to their health-care team
- Offer comfort and compassion
- Listen to individuals and families as they share their health-care journey
- Help with ethical dilemmas families may be facing
- Offer spiritual support and prayer, upon request
- Help families to plan special services
- Contact a local faith leader or spiritual leader to offer additional support
How to connect with a spiritual care practitioner
Speak to your health-care team if you want support from a spiritual care practitioner.
Practitioners make in-person visits across the hospital, or you are welcome to attend the spiritual care office in person.
Location:
Spiritual Care Office
Room 2B69
4480 Oak Street
Vancouver, BC
V6H 3V4
Email: spiritualcare@cw.bc.ca
Phone: Please ask a staff member to page us at 2161.
Hours of service
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Emergency on-call support: Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sacred Space
While you are visiting our hospital, you are welcome to spend some time in our on-site Sacred Space. It is open to people of all faiths and traditions.
Location: Room 2N30, 2nd floor of the Shaughnessy building in BC Women's Hospital.
Other resources
Books and written materials for you and your child are available through the Spiritual Care Office. Materials for a range of faiths and cultures are available. You can also speak to a member of our spiritual care team to request certain materials.