Iowa Veterans Home searching for temp chaplain

T-R FILE PHOTO
The Iowa Veterans Home is hiring a temporary chaplain after eliminating a full-time chaplain during the August realignment plan. The temporary chaplain cannot work more than 780 hours in a year.

After letting full-time chaplain Ryan Trosen go in August, the Iowa Veterans Home is looking for an individual to fill the void on a temporary basis.

Commandant Todd Jacobus said the state defines a temporary position as one in which the employee works no more than 780 hours per fiscal year, which breaks down to an average of 15 hours per week. The fiscal year begins on July 1.

“That does not mean that the position will work 780 hours in a year, only that they can work up to 780 hours in a fiscal year,” he said.

Trosen said he was happy IVH is adding something as going from 40 hours per week to zero for a chaplain was a big loss for the residents and staff who depend on spiritual care.

“But it lacks the full scope of what spiritual care is, and that is building relationships with the residents and staff,” he said. “That is what will be missing with the temporary chaplain. Building relationships is a big part of that job.”

The temporary position will be used to support the IVH full-time chaplain, Angela Doty, and might include most duties performed by Doty.

“The temporary chaplain role is similar to the role of an on-call pastor that supports and augments the pastor of a church,” Jacobus said.

The previous chaplain held one of the 15 positions affected by the Aug. 15 realignment plan. Jacobus said that decision was the result of an assessment which determined the spiritual needs of residents could be met with one full-time chaplain. The commandant said that while many of the 15 employees who were set to either lose their jobs or go from full time to part time were given the choice to apply for other full or part-time positions, temporary employment was not included.

“However, we will need to fill gaps with a temporary chaplain, when needed, and this temporary chaplain position will fill those gaps,” he said.

Trosen said the maximum of 15 hours is enough to cover one or two services each week, but stressed that strong relationships are a key component. He would form his sermons based off of his interactions with residents and staff, and learning about their struggles.

“My sermons were based on letting people know God was still with them, and giving messages built off of those relationships,” Trosen said.

The decision to have one chaplain was also partly due to a declining resident population. In a previous T-R interview, Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs Spokesman Karl Lettow said the need for two chaplains was necessary when there were more veterans. The reduction in the population had a lot to do with advances in the healthcare industry and veterans being able to remain at home.

According to Jacobus, they knew from the very beginning they would add a temporary chaplain position following the elimination of one of the two full-time chaplains.

“We believe that augmenting our full-time chaplain with a temporary chaplain, including the regular visits by three Catholic priests and 19 ecumenical ministers, will meet the spiritual needs of our residents at the Iowa Veterans Home,” he said.

The temporary position was advertised for 10 days, from Aug. 22 to Sept. 2, and interviews are underway.

Jacobus said the new chaplain will be chosen as soon as the best applicant is determined.

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.