Spiritual Care & Palliative Care Website Review
Complete Project Report: Phase 1 & Phase 2
This document fulfills the complete scope of the SerbanCare Consulting engagement with the Catholic Health Association. The table below confirms all Phase 1 and Phase 2 contract deliverables and maps each to the section of this report where it is addressed.
Phase 1 Deliverables
Content Audit, Hyperlink Integrity, Gap Analysis
Phase 2 Deliverables
Strategic Recommendations & Implementation Planning
Report Contents
Phase 1 established the diagnostic foundation through a thorough audit of 142 links across four primary pages of the CHA Supportive Care Coalition Spirituality section. The findings revealed a resource library with genuine institutional value that has remained largely static since 2018 and no longer reads as a curated, current center for palliative spiritual care leadership.
Phase 2 translates those findings into action, delivering strategic recommendations, page-by-page guidance, a Keep vs. Rebuild decision framework, international resource development, and an implementation handoff package ready for CHA's web and content teams.
Phase 1 Site Architecture Reviewed
| Page | Title | Links Reviewed | Phase 1 Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Advocating for Spiritual Care in Palliative Care | 6 | 3 Requiring Action |
| 002 | Spirituality Toolkit: Goals of Care Conversations | 6 | Preserve & Elevate |
| 003 | Making the Case for Spiritual Care in Palliative Care | 27 | 9 Requiring Action |
| 004 | Palliative Care Chaplain Specialty Certification Resources | 99 | 28 Requiring Action |
| Sub-links | Embedded links within PDFs and source pages | ~15 | Reviewed |
The current library retains a credible core, particularly its SCC-authored tools and landmark evidence base. The site retains strong foundations in legacy resources and original SCC materials. However, it no longer reads as a curated, modern resource center. The strategic path forward is a targeted, sequenced refresh that preserves high-value content, corrects credibility liabilities, and reframes the section around current standards, Catholic health ministry identity, and today's user expectations.
Seven Major Content Gaps Identified in Phase 1
The gap analysis revealed these seven strategic deficiencies, each addressed in this Phase 2 report: absence of post-2020 spiritual care literature; no standalone Transforming Chaplaincy presence; missing direct access to the ISPEC framework; outdated job description PDFs; incomplete spiritual assessment tool library; minimal Catholic or CHA-specific theological alignment in the visible resource set; and no patient- or family-facing spiritual care content.
The content audit shows a resource library with real institutional value, especially where SCC-authored materials and established peer-reviewed resources remain intact. The collection is weighted toward material assembled between 2010 and 2018, leaving noticeable gaps in post-2020 evidence, current competency frameworks, and contemporary clinical integration guidance.
- Three-part JPSM 2017 State of the Science series: major evidence anchor
- NCP Clinical Practice Guidelines 4th Edition, verified current
- JAMA and PubMed chaplaincy outcome articles: team-based care evidence
- SCC-authored Goals of Care PDFs, original organizational IP
- 10-Stages Guide, Pocket Card, and YouTube role-play videos
- Spiritual Dimension Assessment Tool (SCC original)
- Weissman Fast Facts 222-227 series, current and clinically practical
- Multiple older references 2002–early 2010s no longer reflect current practice
- Job description PDFs predate the 2024 NACC and APC competency frameworks
- Duplicate and low-relevance clusters reduce clarity and editorial credibility
- Strong resources buried inside long undifferentiated lists
- No post-2020 spiritual care literature present
- Catholic/CHA theological alignment not visible in the resource set
- 004:54: CHA Health Progress 404 on CHA's own platform
- 003:6: Marie Curie Competencies broken link
- 001:5: SCC infographic will not reliably load
- 004:33-39: Bowen Family Systems cluster (low relevance, multiple dead links)
- 004:61-66: General leadership books cluster (off-scope for chaplaincy certification)
Post-2020 Evidence Now Available: Key Addition
Long et al. (2024). "Spirituality as a Determinant of Health: Emerging Policies, Practices, and Systems." Health Affairs, 43(6): 783–790. This peer-reviewed article published in one of the most influential health policy journals in the United States directly addresses the gap Phase 1 identified: the absence of post-2020 evidence on spirituality and health outcomes. It belongs prominently in Section 003.
The Phase 1 findings point toward a clear strategic direction organized around three parallel execution tracks. These pillars are not sequential; a web team can begin all three simultaneously once approvals are confirmed.
Preserve
Protect SCC-authored tools and the landmark evidence base. The 10-Stages Guide, Pocket Card, Spiritual Dimension Assessment Tool, and JPSM State of the Science series are institutional IP. They anchor the refreshed section and should be elevated, not buried.
Correct
Resolve broken links, retire outdated documents, eliminate low-relevance clusters, and replace misdirected URLs. These corrections restore credibility immediately and are largely executable within weeks without structural redesign.
Reframe
Reorganize around current chaplaincy standards, Catholic health ministry identity, and today's user needs. Move from a flat reference list to a curated, purposeful, and clearly CHA-owned resource hub that reflects the Catholic tradition of care.
The CHA Supportive Care Coalition Spirituality section should function as the premier curated gateway for Catholic health leaders seeking to build, advocate for, and strengthen spiritually grounded palliative care, combining SCC's original tools with current evidence, current competency frameworks, and Catholic theological alignment that no other organization delivers in one place.
Of all benchmark gaps identified, the most significant for CHA is not a missing external organization; it is the absence of a clear Catholic theological grounding in the visible content of the section. The ERDs update is the immediate fix. The longer-term opportunity is to author 2–3 paragraphs of CHA-voice narrative on pages 001 and 003 connecting the advocacy and clinical evidence to the theology of human dignity, the ministry of presence, and the Catholic tradition of care for the sick and dying. No other palliative care resource organization can offer this. It is CHA's distinctive.
Each of the four primary pages receives annotated guidance covering required edits, link actions, content additions, and architectural adjustments. All link IDs follow the CHA Dashboard numbering system established in Phase 1.
This page serves as the landing and advocacy entry point for the section. Its strength is the National Palliative Care Registry data and the Spiritual Dimension Assessment Tool. Its credibility liabilities are two outdated job description PDFs and an infographic that does not reliably load.
- 001:1: National Palliative Care Registry data (verified working)
- 001:6: Spiritual Dimension Assessment Tool (SCC original IP, anchor this)
- 001:2: Associate PC Chaplain JD, replace with CAPC JD (capc.org/documents/452/)
- 001:3: Senior PC Chaplain JD, replace with same CAPC source
- 001:4: Making the Case link, update to current advocacy page
- 001:5: Infographic, re-host as stable PDF or redesign
- No full deletions; replacements cover all actions on this page
Add a 2–3 sentence mission-grounding statement at the top of this page connecting the advocacy framing explicitly to CHA's Catholic health ministry mission. The current page leads with data, which is appropriate, but without a mission anchor it reads as generically coalition-produced rather than unmistakably CHA-owned.
This is the highest-value page in the section. The SCC-authored 10-Stages Goals of Care Conversation Guide, Pocket Card, and accompanying YouTube role-play videos represent original organizational IP that no other organization has produced in this format. This content is clinically useful, mission-aligned, and actively downloaded by palliative care teams. It should be elevated, not buried.
- 002:1: Goals of Care Conversation Guide PDF
- 002:2: Ten Stages template
- 002:3: Pocket Card (clinically practical)
- 002:4-6: YouTube role-play videos (rare and valuable)
- 002:0: Main page needs redesign (flag for CHA web team as priority)
- 002:1: Confirm and update title label from dashboard
- No deletions needed on this page
This page deserves featured placement in section navigation. A brief "How to use the 10-Stages" orientation paragraph would dramatically increase practical uptake among teams new to the toolkit. Consider adding a downloadable facilitator guide in a future content cycle.
This page carries the largest concentration of peer-reviewed evidence in the section. The evidence base is genuinely strong, including JAMA and PubMed chaplaincy outcomes studies, the JPSM State of the Science series, and key spiritual assessment tools. Those strengths are diluted by broken links, duplicate tools, and items that send users to dead or misdirected destinations.
- 003:2: Joint Commission BMS Part 2 (verified)
- 003:4: NCP Clinical Practice Guidelines 4th Ed.
- 003:5: JC Advanced Certification for PC
- 003:7-11: JAMA/PubMed chaplaincy outcomes articles
- 003:14-17: SDAT, FACIT-SP-12, Edmonton tool, Are You at Peace
- 003:19: LaRocca-Pitts Four FACTS Tool
- 003:20: EPAC White Paper
- 003:22-25: JPSM State of the Science series (elevate)
- 003:27: Provision of spiritual support study
- 003:1: JC BMS Part 1 (no verified source yet; CHA team action needed)
- 003:13: NACC Assessment Tool, replace with PCHAC 2024 (nacc.org)
- 003:3: Key Quotes BMS (misdirected)
- 003:6: Marie Curie competencies (broken)
- 003:12: SCC Assessment Tool (duplicate of 001:6)
- 003:18: Dignity in Care toolkit (broken)
- 003:21: APC site no article (broken)
- 003:26: 2011 medical costs study
Three items are visible to any user who clicks through: the broken Marie Curie link (003:6), the duplicate assessment tool (003:12), and the APC misdirected link (003:21). These to any user who clicks through. All three should be resolved before any other action on this page. They create the impression of an unmaintained section and undermine confidence in the resources that are working correctly.
Add: Long et al. (2024). "Spirituality as a Determinant of Health: Emerging Policies, Practices, and Systems." Health Affairs, 43(6): 783–790. This directly fills the post-2020 evidence gap and belongs in the Spiritual Care Research subsection of this page.
The largest and most complex page in the section, and the one most in need of structural reorganization. At 99 links, it currently functions as an unsorted repository rather than a curated specialty certification resource. The sheer volume creates cognitive overload. The recommended approach is to reorganize content into clearly labeled subsections: Specialty Certification Pathways, Books, Clinical Practice Evidence, Spiritual Assessment Tools, Family Meetings and Communication, Cultural Competence, Ethical and Religious Directives, Teamwork and Research.
Specialty Certification Links (004:1–5)
- 004:2: NACC Qualifications and Competencies (verified)
- 004:5: CSU Institute Essentials course
- 004:1: Use direct APC PCHAC certification link
- 004:3: Use direct APC competencies page
- 004:4: APC Standards of Practice HPC (superseded)
CAPC Spiritual Care Resources: New Addition
The Center to Advance Palliative Care maintains a dedicated Spiritual Care Toolkit at capc.org/toolkits/spiritual-care/ that includes sample chaplain job descriptions, interview questions, hiring tools, an on-demand webinar on the role of the chaplain on the palliative care team, and a Chaplain Learning Pathway for foundational skills. These resources were updated through 2024–2025 and directly fill the CAPC gap identified in Phase 1. They belong in the Specialty Certification Resources section and on the Advocating page as a primary resource.
Ethical and Religious Directives (004:72)
Replace immediately with the 7th Edition USCCB Ethical and Religious Directives approved November 2025. Verified link: usccb.org/resources/ERDs-7th-ed-Approved_2025-11-12.pdf. Linking to an outdated edition of the ERDs on a CHA-affiliated site is both a content accuracy failure and a Catholic identity liability.
Clusters Requiring Full Removal
Low relevance to palliative chaplaincy certification, multiple dead or no-link entries, dilutes specialty focus. Remove the entire cluster. McGoldrick and Walsh "Living Beyond Loss" (004:39) may be retained only if updated to the 2nd edition and placed within a clearly defined grief/bereavement subsection.
Start With Why, The Coaching Habit, Lead True, Originals, Leadership Is an Art, and Leading from Within have no direct connection to palliative chaplaincy specialty certification. Remove from this page. If CHA wants a leadership resource area, it should exist as a separate, clearly framed section with appropriate context.
Weissman Fast Facts Series (004:55-59): Elevate
The Weissman/Quill/Arnold Fast Facts and Concepts 222–227 series covering family meetings, communication, conflict, and surrogate decision-making are current, clinically practical, and directly applicable to chaplaincy practice. Group them under a clearly labeled "Family Meeting and Communication Resources" subheading and surface them prominently rather than burying them in the long list.
Formal Decision Memorandum
Prepared for CHA leadership review | SerbanCare Consulting, May 2026
Question before CHA: Should the Supportive Care Coalition Spirituality section be incrementally refreshed within its current architecture, or rebuilt from the ground up on a new structural and editorial framework?
Execute Keep, Correct, and Reframe actions within the existing four-page structure. Update links, remove identified deletions, add missing benchmark resources, and improve subheadings and navigational clarity without redesigning the underlying site structure.
Advantages
- Faster to execute; weeks, not months
- Lower cost and less disruption to existing users
- Preserves SCC-authored IP in familiar location
- Visible improvement without structural risk
- Reduces risk of breaking embedded references elsewhere
Limitations
- Does not resolve flat 99-link architecture on page 004
- Does not create audience-centered navigation
- No space created for patient/family-facing content
- Catholic identity improvements limited without content authoring
Redesign the section around audience-centered navigation (For Chaplains, For Palliative Care Teams, For Mission and Advocacy Leaders) with curated subsections, featured resources surfaced prominently, and new original content anchors including a Catholic theological framing statement, updated assessment tools library, and patient/family resource area.
Advantages
- Genuinely modern, user-centered experience
- Positions CHA as definitive Catholic resource hub
- Full benchmark gap integration, including international resources
- Space for patient/family-facing spiritual care content
- Catholic identity built in structurally, not retrofitted
Limitations
- 3–6 months realistic timeline
- Higher investment in web development and content authoring
- Disruption risk during transition
- Requires CHA editorial leadership at each stage
SerbanCare Recommendation
Execute Option A immediately to restore credibility and eliminate active liabilities, achievable in 4-6 weeks without organizational disruption. Simultaneously, use the Phase 2 framework documents to begin planning Option B as a 12–18 month strategic initiative, beginning with the page 004 restructure and the addition of Catholic theological framing. The two-track approach allows CHA to show stakeholders immediate visible progress while building toward a genuinely transformed resource hub.
Visible credibility fixes. Execute before all else.
Replacements with identified sources ready to go.
Cluster removals and structural improvements.
Content additions and architectural transformation.
Phase A Execution Timeline
| Week | Work | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Delete all confirmed broken/misdirected/duplicate links (8 items from Immediate list) | Web Team |
| Week 2 | Replace ERDs 004:72 (7th Ed.) + APC links 004:1, 004:3 + CAPC JD links 001:2, 001:3 | Web Team |
| Week 3 | Replace remaining verified URLs: 004:60, 004:83, 004:84, 003:13 + add CAPC Spiritual Care Toolkit link | Web Team |
| Week 4 | Remove Bowen cluster (004:33–39) and Leadership Books cluster (004:61–66) | Web Team |
| Weeks 5–6 | Improve page 004 subheadings; elevate JPSM series and Weissman Fast Facts; add Long et al. (2024) | Web + Content |
| Week 6+ | Re-host or redesign 001:5 infographic (CHA team sourcing required) | CHA Team |
| Post Phase A | Begin Phase B: Catholic framing, patient/family content, international resources, page 004 restructure | CHA Editorial Leadership |
A recent international palliative care conference highlighted a significant reality: while global palliative care organizations continue to advance in reach and sophistication, few carry explicit spiritual care frameworks as a named priority; the notable exceptions are listed below. The organizations and institutions below represent the strongest internationally credible resources for a refreshed CHA Supportive Care Coalition section, each offering a distinct angle that no domestic resource fully replicates.
The addition of a dedicated International and Emerging Resources section would signal that the CHA Supportive Care Coalition is not merely maintaining a legacy resource list, but actively engaging with the global advance of palliative spiritual care. For a Catholic health association with international mission connections, this is both a credibility statement and a mission statement.
Prof. Dr. Simon Peng-Keller holds the first full professorship of Spiritual Care in the German-speaking world at the University of Zurich. He also serves as a healthcare chaplain at the palliative care unit of the University Hospital Zurich. His research spans interprofessional spiritual care, spiritual needs in palliative care, chaplaincy documentation, and digital spiritual care, including pediatric palliative spiritual care contexts. His open-access book Charting Spiritual Care: The Emerging Role of Chaplaincy Records in Global Health Care (Springer, 2020) is a direct, citable resource. The University of Zurich Spiritual Care research program is arguably the most rigorous European academic center producing internationally relevant chaplaincy and spiritual care evidence.
Add: theologie.uzh.ch, Spiritual Care Research ProgramThe International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care is a global membership organization in official relations with the World Health Organization and in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Its four strategic domains, advocacy, education, research, and information dissemination, span more than 100 countries. While IAHPC's primary focus is access and policy rather than chaplaincy specifically, it held a dedicated webinar series on spiritual care in 2024 and publishes resources on faith and palliative care internationally. For a CHA section with global mission dimensions, IAHPC provides the most credible international advocacy anchor available.
Add: iahpc.org, Global Palliative Care Advocacy PlatformThe International Children's Palliative Care Network is the only global organization working exclusively to improve access to palliative care for children, currently serving an estimated 21 million children worldwide with life-limiting conditions. ICPCN has members in over 140 countries and focuses on communication, advocacy, research, education, and strategic development. In 2025, ICPCN marked its 20th anniversary. Its Education and Membership Hub offers e-learning, webinars, and bespoke training in pediatric palliative care. For a CHA section that currently has no pediatric or patient/family-facing content, ICPCN represents a meaningful and internationally credible gap-filler.
Add: icpcn.org, Children's Palliative Care Education HubThe Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance is the leading international umbrella organization for national hospice and palliative care associations, coordinating World Hospice and Palliative Care Day annually and producing policy frameworks that inform standards globally. The 2024 WHPCD theme, "Ten Years Since the Resolution: How Are We Doing?", reflects the ongoing global accountability conversation around the 2014 WHO resolution on palliative care. Chaplains certified by the Board of Chaplaincy Certification have been able to apply WHPCD conference participation toward continuing education requirements. WHPCA provides the clearest international standards and advocacy link for a CHA section seeking global credibility.
Add: thewhpca.org, International Standards and World Hospice DayThe Montreal International Palliative Care Congress is the oldest and most internationally diverse palliative care congress in existence, founded in 1976 by Dr. Balfour Mount and his colleagues at Palliative Care McGill. Over 1,500 delegates from more than 65 countries gather biennially: physicians, researchers, nurses, psychologists, social workers, spiritual care workers, and volunteers. Dr. Balfour Mount is widely credited with coining the term "palliative care" itself, choosing the word deliberately to describe a philosophy of presence and dignity rather than merely disease management.
The work SerbanCare brings to this engagement is not theoretical. In the early years of this program, when palliative care as a clinical and philosophical discipline was still taking shape, Dr. Mount's team at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal made a decision that defined the soul of their program: that families belonged together at the threshold, including children, at a time when children were not permitted in such units anywhere else. That decision allowed a then-11-year-old girl to be present with her dying father, held by a care team that understood that presence is not a risk to be managed but a gift to be protected. That girl is the spouse of the consultant who produced this report. The compassion that Dr. Balfour Mount's program embodied in its infancy is the same conviction that SerbanCare Consulting brings to this work for CHA today: that every person deserves to be accompanied with dignity at the end of life.
MIPCC is recommended for inclusion not merely as an international convening body but as a named acknowledgment of where modern palliative care began, and the values it carried from the start. Abstract submissions for the 2026 congress opened October 2025.
Add: mcgill.ca/palliativecare/congress, The Congress That Named Palliative CarePhase 1 identified eight significant gaps in the current resource library relative to the authoritative benchmark organizations that shape contemporary palliative spiritual care. Phase 2 provides sourcing and framing guidance for each.
| Benchmark | Current Status | Rating | Phase 2 Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCP Guidelines 4th Ed. | Directly linked and verified | Strong | Keep; update when 5th edition releases |
| Joint Commission | Palliative Care Certification verified current | Strong | Keep; verify annually |
| NACC | Certification page strong; assessment tool outdated | Partial | Update 003:13 to NACC PCHAC 2024; add 2024 competency framework direct link |
| APC | Multiple generic links; no direct PCHAC pages | Partial | Replace 004:1 and 004:3 with direct APC PCHAC certification and competencies pages |
| CAPC | Registry homepage only; clinical resources absent | Gap | Add CAPC Spiritual Care Toolkit (capc.org/toolkits/spiritual-care/); JD resources; chaplain learning pathway |
| GWish / ISPEC | Articles present; ISPEC framework not directly linked | Gap | Add direct ISPEC framework link; note Fr. Richard Bauer as a named relationship and potential CHA partner for GWish programming |
| Transforming Chaplaincy | Referenced only indirectly | Gap | Add as named resource with a direct presence; research-focused chaplaincy is a critical credibility anchor for a specialty certification page |
| USCCB ERDs 7th Ed. | Outdated edition linked | Gap | Replace immediately: usccb.org/resources/ERDs-7th-ed-Approved_2025-11-12.pdf. Catholic identity priority. |
| University of Zurich, Spiritual Care | Not represented | New Addition | Add Prof. Peng-Keller's research program and open-access book to International Resources section; strongest European academic anchor for spiritual care in palliative care |
| IAHPC | Not represented | New Addition | Add to International Resources section; WHO-connected global advocacy; spiritual care seminar programming 2024 |
| ICPCN | Not represented | New Addition | Add to International Resources section; only global pediatric palliative care organization; fills current pediatric content gap |
| WHPCA | Not directly represented | New Addition | Add to International Resources section; international standards and World Hospice and Palliative Care Day anchor |
| MIPCC / Palliative Care McGill | Not represented | New Addition | Add to International Resources section; founding institution of modern palliative care; biennial congress with spiritual care workers as named participants |
The following summary consolidates all findings and recommendations into a ready-to-use handoff for CHA's web development and content teams. It is designed to be actionable without requiring teams to read the complete Phase 1 and Phase 2 reports.
Your primary task in the immediate phase is link-level corrections; no structural redesign is required for Phase A. All replacement URLs are provided in the Priority Action Matrix (Section 06) and the Master Resource Link Index (delivered as a separate working document). Work through Immediate and Short-Term priorities first. The Bowen and Leadership book cluster removals in the Medium-Term phase are straightforward deletions requiring no replacement sourcing. Two items flagged "no source yet" require CHA team action before execution: 001:5 (infographic re-hosting) and 003:1 (Joint Commission BMS Part 1: source or remove).
Three content authoring tasks are recommended for the medium-term phase: (1) a 2–3 sentence Catholic mission statement for the top of page 001; (2) a "How to Use the 10-Stages" orientation paragraph for page 002; (3) revised subheadings for page 004 to replace the current flat list with navigable clusters: Specialty Certification, Clinical Practice Evidence, Spiritual Assessment Tools, Family Meetings and Communication, Cultural Competence, Ethical and Religious Directives, Quality Improvement and Research. No new research is required for the immediate phase; all recommended additions reference existing organizations with verified source URLs.
Consolidated Link Action Summary
| Action Type | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Keep (no action) | ~85 items | Working links with current, relevant content |
| Replace (URL update) | ~14 items | All replacement URLs provided in this report and the Master Link Index |
| Delete (remove from site) | ~28 items | Full deletion list in Section 06 of this report |
| Elevate (reposition in page) | ~6 items | JPSM series, Weissman Fast Facts, Page 002 toolkit materials |
| Source needed (CHA team action) | 2 items | 001:5 infographic; 003:1 Joint Commission BMS Part 1 |
| New additions (benchmark gaps) | ~10 items | CAPC Toolkit, GWish/ISPEC, Transforming Chaplaincy, ERDs 7th Ed., Long et al. 2024, international resources |
Supporting Reference Documents
The following internal working documents were created during this engagement and are available for reference by the web and content teams: (1) CHA Content Review Dashboard in Notion: item-level review with status, action, priority, and comments for all 142 links; (2) 02 CHA Master Resource Link Index, single source of truth cross-referenced with the dashboard numbering system for all 142 links; (3) 002 Master Webpage Guide: visual annotated screenshots of all four pages with link IDs mapped to source content. These tools are internal resources intended for the web team and content editors and are not standalone client-facing deliverables.
A Final Word
The Supportive Care Coalition Spirituality section holds something rare: original, field-tested tools built by palliative care teams over years of collaborative practice. The 10-Stages Goals of Care Conversation Guide, the Spiritual Dimension Assessment Tool, and the landmark peer-reviewed evidence base are genuinely valuable resources that chaplains, palliative care physicians, and mission leaders return to. The work of this engagement has been to make those resources easier to find, more credible to new visitors, and more clearly grounded in the Catholic tradition of care that makes CHA's voice distinctive in this field. The path forward is clear. The momentum is real. The resources are worth the investment.