The Patient and Family Services at Phoenix Children's understands that hospitalization affects the whole family. That's why we offer a wide range of services and programs to help the family back to normal. Our specially trained staff can offer patients and their families the emotional, physical and spiritual support needed during the treatment and recovery process.
Spiritual Care Team
What is Spiritual Care?
At Phoenix Children’s, we take a holistic approach to caring for each child and family. We understand that spiritual care is often an essential part of the healing process.
Our goal is to support the unique spiritual needs of each patient and family. The Spiritual Care team is here to help you draw on your individual beliefs and offer support as you deal with difficult questions that often come with hospitalizations.
What We Do
Our team of professionally trained chaplains is available to offer emotional and spiritual support to you during times of grief, crisis, illness or stress – regardless of your religious affiliation, cultural background or stage of life. During seasons of chronic illness or sudden hospitalizations, some families find strength through prayer and religious texts, while others may look to nature or music. Many families find comfort in having someone to talk to about their fears, doubts and questions. Regardless of your background, our goal is to help you connect with what brings you meaning and courage through difficult circumstances.
At Phoenix Children’s, our chaplain staff can:
- Talk with you about how your faith strengthens or challenges you.
- Be present when you need a compassionate, listening ear or shoulder to cry on.
- Discuss spiritual or religious concerns that you are working through.
- Talk through medical decisions and how your faith, values and culture are resources in the decision-making process.
- Facilitate rituals and/or prayers at your request.
- Connect you with outside local clergy of your faith tradition.
- Help the medical team understand how your spiritual background and beliefs impact current medical decisions or circumstances.
- Help you think through issues of spiritual distress such as hopelessness, anger, guilt or abandonment.
- Provide crisis and emergency support.
- Assist staff, families and patients navigate ethical dilemmas.
- Provide sacred literature and items from diverse traditions at your family’s request.
Spiritual Support at Phoenix Children’s
Chaplains can provide spiritual support at your child’s bedside, as an integrated part of the care team throughout rounds, care conferences and ethical consults. At your request, a chaplain can also connect you with your own faith community.
Interfaith spaces, including a chapel on our Thomas Campus and a prayer room on our Arrowhead Campus, are open daily, 24 hours a day, on the first floor of our hospital campuses.
Chaplain services:
602-933-0751
Spiritual Care hours:
Phoenix Children's Hospital - Thomas Campus: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily, on-call 7 p.m. – 7 a.m.
Phoenix Children's Hospital - Arrowhead Campus: Please call 602-933-0751 for a consultation.
Spiritual Care contact:
Referrals through nurse or doctor
Social Work Services
Help starts here. Whether you need help with coping with your child's medical condition or with basic family resources, Phoenix Children's Social Workers have the resources, experience and dedication to help whenever and wherever you need it.
Hospitalization may come at a time when there are already many stressors acting upon a family. Our Social Workers help patients and families overcome life's most difficult challenges and the troubles of everyday living.
At Phoenix Children's, all practicing Social Workers have a Master's degree, with a minimum of two years in supervised field work and are licensed in the State of Arizona. Our highly trained professionals work on nearly 10,000 cases annually and offer a systems approach in the psychosocial assessment of patients and families. Staff works closely with families, taking additional time to answer questions, so they know their child is getting quality medical attention they deserve. Each child's needs are assessed within the context of his or her family, school, greater community and culture to ensure a comprehensive treatment plan is developed.
Social Work Services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and at no charge to all children and families at Phoenix Children’s Hospital campuses. Services are available for both inpatient and outpatient.