Chaplain services
VA Sierra Nevada health care chaplains serve people of all faiths and denominations as well as patients and families looking for non-denominational support. They are here to listen and offer spiritual and emotional support as you struggle with tough questions and ethical decisions.
Spiritual and religious services
Our chaplains help patients and family members through outpatient treatment, hospital stays, and extended care. If needed, they will contact your personal clergy or spiritual care provider in the community. Our chaplains are clinical pastoral care specialists who provide religious and non-religious people with services such as:
- Baptisms
- Bereavement (grief and loss) care
- Comfort and counseling
- Communion
- Funerals
- Weddings
Worship services
People of all faiths and traditions are invited to attend:
- Coming Soon!
Benefits
Research shows that spiritually active patients experience or report:
- Faster healing
- Greater coping skills
- Reduced pain
- Better quality of life
Contact a chaplain
Email us at v21renpastoralcare@va.gov
Interfaith chapel
The interfaith chapel is open to all visitors.
SUPPORT GROUPS
Oncology
Any veteran and/or family member is invited to join this support group designed to provide supportive therapy for those who have been diagnosed with cancer.
Bereavement
Any veteran and/or family member is invited to join this support group designed to provide supportive therapy for those that have experienced the loss of a loved one or are anticipating the loss of a loved one.
SPIRITUALITY GROUPS
Mental Health
The purpose of this group is to discuss the spirituality of each group member and to see how their own spiritual background could improve or enhance their own mental health condition. Spirituality is an essential element of the human experience. It represents the part of us that searches for meaning, seeks out transcendent experiences, and recognizes that a force exists beyond the material world. Spirituality encourages hope and purpose and fosters positive emotions, coping skills and recovery in the face of life challenges and trauma. The current mental health groups are:
- Inpatient Mental Health Service
- Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC)
- Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program (ADTP)
Community Living Center (CLC)
The purpose of this group is to discuss the spirituality of each group member that is a resident of the CLC. The topics for this group varies depending upon the spiritual needs and interest of its group members. For scheduled groups please note the activ-ities calendar posted in the hallway entering the CLC Dining Room or contact the Chaplain Service office.
OTHER SERVICES
Interfaith Worship
Worship is provided for all Veterans and their families for a 20 minute service on Wednesday at 12:00 Noon in the Chapel on the 2nd Floor near the Gold Elevators. The chaplain can also be joined on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am in Community Living Center (CLC) Dining Room. Memorial and funeral services are offered as needed and upon authorization.
Honors Escort
VA employees offer respect in a ritualize passage for Veterans who die in our care from their room to the morgue. Family members and friends are invited to participate.
Ceremony of Remembrance: Last Roll Call
Once each quarter the hospital invites family members of the veterans who have died in our geographic area and honors them in an official ceremony.
Warrior to Soul Mate (W2SM)
This marriage enrichment two-day course is hosted by the Chaplain Service and taught by chaplains and mental health providers one per quarter as scheduled. Contact the Chaplain Service office for the date of the next training scheduled.
Multi-Faith Community Clergy Training
Once a year the Chaplain Service hosts a training opportunity for clergy located in our geographic area on issues and concerns of veterans and their families. This training assists clergy to serve this population more effectively within their religious bodies.