NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull launched the Trauma-Informed Maternal Health Chaplaincy Volunteer Program on July 15, according to an NYC Health + Hospitals press release. The two-year pilot trains seminary students and community-based clergy to support pregnant and postpartum patients through circumstances that regularly show up in a maternity ward but fall outside the scope of clinical care: pregnancy loss, intimate partner violence, previous traumatic births, food insecurity, housing instability, and mental health crises.
The program offers chaplaincy care to patients of all faith traditions and to patients with no religious affiliation, the press release says. Volunteer chaplains also provide emotional support to hospital staff, participate in debriefings after difficult cases, and help build resilience on the care team.
The program is specifically trauma-informed, meaning chaplains learn to account for how past trauma shapes a patient’s experience in the hospital. According to the press release, research shows trauma contributes to anxiety, depression, substance use, reduced engagement with healthcare, heightened stress responses, and poorer maternal and infant health outcomes.
“The Trauma-Informed Hospital Chaplain Volunteer Program at Woodhull Hospital recognizes that healing is not only physical,” said Rev. Dr. Ann Marie Bentsi-Addison, Senior Director of Faith-Based Initiatives at NYC Health + Hospitals, in the press release. “Many patients, families, and even healthcare staff carry the weight of trauma, grief, fear, and uncertainty. By preparing chaplains to provide care that is compassionate, culturally responsive, and grounded in the principles of trauma-informed care, we are creating a ministry of presence that helps people feel safe, seen, heard, and supported during some of life’s most vulnerable moments.”
Volunteer chaplains work at every stage of maternal care, the press release says: prenatal appointments, labor and delivery, postpartum recovery, pregnancy and infant loss, and support for partners, family members, and loved ones who face their own emotional challenges alongside a patient.
“Maternal health is deeply personal, and for many patients, healing and support extend beyond clinical care alone,” said Wendy Wilcox, MD, System Chief Women’s Health Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals and Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Woodhull, in the press release. “This initiative reflects Woodhull Hospital’s commitment to treating every patient with dignity, empathy, and respect.”
“This program strengthens our ability to provide compassionate, trauma-informed support to prenatal and postpartum patients and their families, while reinforcing our commitment to dignity, healing, and patient-centered care for the communities we serve,” said Clifford Miller, Chief Operating Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull, in the press release.
LaWanda Riddick, a volunteer chaplain in the program, described the work in the press release. “Being a chaplain has shown me that ministry often happens in the quiet moments,” she said. “It is not always about having the right words or offering solutions. More often, it is about being present with people as they navigate some of life’s most difficult experiences.” She added, “Simply showing up, sitting with people in their pain, and letting them know they are not alone can be a powerful act of care and service.”
NYC Health + Hospitals has 48 chaplains providing spiritual care across its system, the press release says. The Woodhull pilot builds on the system’s existing Introduction to Hospital Chaplaincy Volunteer program, a 14-week internship that has trained 64 chaplains since its launch in 2022. NYC Health + Hospitals expects the program to expand to additional facilities after the two-year Woodhull pilot; the press release names no facilities and gives no timeline. Seminarians, clergy, and faith leaders interested in applying can reach the Faith-Based Initiatives Team at [email protected].
Featured image: Williamsburger26, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
