Expanding Access through Representation and Inclusion in the Spiritual Care Workforce: An Exploratory Qualitative Examination of Insights from Somali Muslim Chaplains and their Educators in the USA.

Abstract

Diversifying the chaplain workforce in hospital spiritual care departments and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) programs is essential for meeting the needs of a religiously diverse population in the USA. We interviewed seven total participants, including two Somali Muslim chaplain students and their Muslim and Christian chaplain educators in one CPE program. Participants described their personal journeys and motivations for pursuing careers in healthcare chaplaincy, their impact on hospitalized patients, and the role of expanding perspectives for those with little prior exposure to Somali Muslim faith leaders. Representation and linguistic diversity were viewed as positive attributes despite challenges of racial and religious discrimination. Recommendations include adjusting educational requirements for entry into the field to consider professional equivalencies; engaging community chaplains; and collaborating with local communities. These findings have important implications on creating pathways for spiritual care providers from underrepresented faith traditions to meet local community needs.