Rene Sam Koshy
Chaplain: Spiritual Care Advisor
Toronto,ON
Summary
Spiritual Care Practitioner/Chaplain with extensive experience in transitional housing and immigrant/refugee contexts, offering trauma-informed, interfaith spiritual care to individuals, families, and staff. Provides steady, compassionate presence in crisis, skilled pastoral counseling, grief and loss support, and thoughtful staff check-ins and debriefing. Integrates spiritual assessment, clear and professional documentation, and strategic program planning with a mature pastoral identity, cultural humility, and a deep commitment to dignifying, person-centered, collaborative care.
Overview
3
3
years of professional experience
Work History
Chaplain
Salvation Army Harbor Light
01.2023 - Current
- Provided spiritual and pastoral care to individuals and families in transitional housing and immigrant/refugee programs, addressing trauma, homelessness, displacement, cultural adjustment, and family stress.
- Offered one-to-one and group-based emotional/spiritual support using a trauma-informed, client-centered, and inter-faith approach that respected diverse cultures, languages, and belief systems.
- Planned and led chapel services, devotionals, small groups, and spiritual care activities adapted to residents’ needs, fostering hope, resilience, and a sense of community.
- Developed and implemented annual spiritual care plans and project calendars for both programs, aligning chaplaincy activities with organizational goals and resident needs.
- Facilitated regular group meetings and psycho-spiritual support sessions, creating safe spaces for residents to process grief, loss, identity, and life transition.
- Conducted routine staff check-ins, debriefs, and spiritual support for front-line workers, helping to address compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and workplace stress.
- Collaborated as part of an interdisciplinary team (case workers, social workers, settlement workers, housing staff) to integrate spiritual care into holistic care and discharge/resettlement plans.
- Built and maintained partnerships with local churches, community agencies, and faith leaders to extend residents’ social and spiritual support networks.
- Responded to crises and critical incidents with calm presence and de-escalation, providing immediate emotional and spiritual support to clients and staff.
- Completed spiritual assessments, maintained confidential documentation of pastoral encounters, and contributed to case conferences in accordance with professional and organizational standards.
Education
Masters in Theological Studies (MTS) - Theology
McMaster Divinity College (MDC) At McMaster University
Hamilton, ON 05.2001 -
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
Kristu Jayanti College
Bangalore, India 05.2001 -
Skills
Core Chaplaincy Competencies:Spiritual assessment & care planning Pastoral counselling & active listening Crisis intervention & critical incident support Grief and bereavement care Trauma-informed, client-centred practice Interfaith and multi-faith spiritual care Cultural humility with immigrants and refugees Staff support, debriefing & check-ins Interdisciplinary team collaboration Program planning & evaluation Ethical decision-making & professional boundaries Clear clinical documentation
Timeline
Chaplain
Salvation Army Harbor Light
01.2023 - Current
Masters in Theological Studies (MTS) - Theology
McMaster Divinity College (MDC) At McMaster University
05.2001 -
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
Kristu Jayanti College
05.2001 -
Languages
English
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)