Skip to content
Children's & Women's Hospital Chapel

Spiritual Health and Counseling at USA Health

Our board-certified chaplains offer spiritual care to anyone who comes through our doors, including patients, their families and loved ones, and USA Health associates.

About Spiritual Health

At USA Health, it is our goal to provide holistic care to our patients, which is why the Spiritual Health and Counseling Department at USA Health provides religious, spiritual and emotional support. Our clinically trained chaplains are grounded in a variety of faith traditions and trained to be respectful of those of all faiths, as well as those who may not be comfortable with religious beliefs.

Chaplains meet their care recipients where they are on their journeys and companion them along the way. If someone is experiencing sadness, loneliness, helplessness, anxiety, grief, fear, or has cause for celebration, chaplains are here to offer support. Chaplains also assist in the resolution of conflicts or communication issues, as there often are difficult decisions to make involving next steps and end-of-life. Chaplains are available to provide prayer, communion, anointing, and other observances and rituals.

Learn more about the chaplains and spiritual care extenders who work with USA Health's Spiritual Health and Counseling Department.

Interfaith Chapels for reflection and soothing comfort are located on the first floors of University Hospital and Children’s & Women’s Hospital.
 

University Hospital's chapel
University Hospital's chapel
Children's & Women's Hospital's chapel
Children's & Women's Hospital's chapel

Contact Us

You may request a chaplain by asking a member of your health care team, or by calling:

Kim Crawford-Meeks, BCC
Spiritual Care Manager
(251) 445-9015

kcrawfordmeeks@health.southalabama.edu 

For a word of encouragement from a chaplain, you may call our Meaningful Reflections Line at (251) 445-9016.

To support the Spiritual Health and Counseling Department, please click below. Your gift provides our chaplains with the resources to meet the needs of our patients, their loved ones, and USA Health employees. You also can give to the Employee Emergency Fund (EEF), which helps USA Health employees facing financial emergencies.

Make a Financial Gift

View our Wish List

Donate to the EEF

Volunteering with Spiritual Health and Counseling

USA Health is looking for Spiritual Care Extenders, volunteers who provide a valuable service to the patients, visitors, and staff while enjoying a unique opportunity for growth and experience in providing emotional and spiritual support to others. Extenders are trained specifically to provide support to those of all faiths. We enthusiastically welcome individuals who have specific ministry experience or education, have completed at least one unit from a Clinical Pastoral Education program, or are currently enrolled in an educational program with a focus on spiritual and/or emotional care of others.

Apply Now

Employee Assistance Program

USA Health employees may request up to six free counseling visits per calendar year or request assistance getting a referral to a community provider. Highly trained clinicians will listen to your concerns and help you with any issues.

Learn More

Advance Directives

The Alabama Hospital Association explains advance directives and their importance to patients and their families:

An advance directive is used to tell your doctor and family what kind of medical care you want if you are too sick or hurt to talk or make decisions. If you do not have one, certain members of your family will have to decide on your care. Alabama law says you have the right to decide about your medical care, but if you are very sick or badly hurt, you may not be able to say what medical care you want.

You may call Spiritual Care Manager Kim Crawford-Meeks, BCC, at (251) 445-9015 or ask our nurses or case managers for more information on advance directives.

Please click below for a video, brochure, advance directive forms, and additional legal information provided by the Alabama Hospital Association.

Learn More

Helpful Resources

Emergency Resources

Lifeline Suicide & Crisis Hotline
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

Penelope House - Shelter for Domestic Violence
Penelope House helps victims of intimate partner violence to gain social and economic independence through shelter, counseling, advocacy, and referral to community resources and agencies in Mobile, Washington, Choctaw and Clarke counties in Alabama.

Counseling and Support

10 Breathing Techniques for Stress Relief and More
If you’re dealing with high levels of stress or anxiety, there are several types of breathing techniques that may help you feel calmer and more relaxed. It’s easy to get started. All you need is a quiet space where you can pay attention to your breathing.

Alabama Warm Line
The Alabama Warm Line is available 24/7 to provide callers with a listening, empathetic ear. Certified Peer Specialists use their personal experiences living through mental health challenges, homelessness, suicidal ideations, feeling overwhelmed, substance abuse, loneliness, etc. to support callers. Call 1-844-99-WINGS.

AltaPointe Health
AltaPointe Health is an extensive healthcare system providing primary and behavioral healthcare.

Celebrate Recovery Groups
Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered, 12-step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurt, hang-ups, and habits of any kind. It is a safe place to find community and freedom.

Mental Health America: Resources for Mental Health & Stress
​Information and resources regarding stress, workplace wellness, support, and tools for mental health

One Minute Guided Breathing Exercise
This free tool provides a quick, easy way to begin using guided breathing to relieve stress and anxiety.

"The Sounds of Spring" Tim Janis
This video features relaxing music and beautiful nature scenery. Instrumental music can help you find deep relaxation, relieve anxiety, and find peace. Travel through the beautiful countryside full of flowers, sunlight, deer, and other wildlife, all while listening to peaceful beautiful soft music.

Wysa: An A.I. Chatbot that Makes You Feel Heard
Sometimes you need to talk things through, and all you need is someone who will listen and ask the right questions to help you figure things out. That's Wysa.

Financial and Material Assistance

Catholic Social Services
Material assistance can be provided for food, clothing, household items, and personal hygiene items. Financial assistance is available for medicine, utilities, rent, and transportation. The ministry operates by appointment only. Counseling services also are available to anyone, regardless of religion.

City of Mobile: Resources for the Homeless
List and contact information for non-profit services for the homeless

Community Missions with FBC Tillman's Corner
Community Missions offers help with food, clothes, diapers, hygiene items, and gas vouchers. Eligibility is based on a number of factors. Call their office to make sure you qualify.

Lifegate Ministry - Christ United
Lifegate is an outreach ministry within Christ United Methodist Church. They minister to people in our community in a crisis situation. Priority assistance is given to the elderly and the disabled.

Mobile Community Action
Mobile Community Action serves Mobile, Washington and Choctaw counties. Their programs help educate children, feed the hungry, offer assistance to the homeless, provide heating and cooling assistance, promote adult literacy, provide home repairs, and much more.

United Way of Southwest Alabama
United Way of Southwest Alabama fights for the health, education, financial stability, and access to life’s basic essentials for every person in every community we serve.

General Resources

The Cancering Show Podcast
This show is more than knowing and fighting or beating cancer. It's a platform for knowledge, stories, coping advice, life tips, inspiration, humor, jokes, and even smiles.

JED Foundation: Communication Skills & Healthy Relationship Tips
Tips for improving communication and building healthy relationships

Grief Resources

Center for Loss & Life Transition
Led by death educator and grief counselor Dr. Alan Wolfelt, this organization is dedicated to helping people who are grieving and those who care for them.

Funeral Service Foundation: Guidance in Planning a Memorial Service for Your Child
The Funeral Service Foundation’s latest community care resource, "When a Child Dies: Planning Acts of Love & Legacy," offers guidance to help families say goodbye.

GriefPlan.com with Dr. Jason Troyer
GriefPlan provides information and resources to help you heal, remember, and rebuild after a loss.

GriefShare Daily Emails
When a loved one dies, grieving can take a long time, but you are not alone. GriefShare has daily emails that provide encouragement and reminders of the recovery process.

GriefShare Support Groups in Mobile, AL
GriefShare is for people grieving the death of a family member or friend through weekly support group meetings.

​Rachel's Gift
​No parent should suffer the loss of a baby alone. Rachel's Gift is devoted to validating each child's life.​ Most of those at Rachel's Gift have walked a similar journey, and they don't want you to walk alone. They provide support groups, grief resources, and recommended reading.

Sesame Street: Helping Kids Grieve
Coping with the death of a loved one brings enormous challenges for the whole family. Through support, open conversations, and finding ways to keep the person’s memory alive, families can begin healing together.

Stepping Stones Grief Groups
Stepping Stones Grief Groups meet at various USA Health locations to aid those who are grieving any type of grief or loss. Meetings are lead by USA Health Chaplain Kim Crawford Meeks and EAP Counselor Fletcher Eaton. Participants should select one location where they will attend meetings. Sign up online or email kcrawfordmeeks@health.southalabama.edu for more information.

Can you see it? Click on the "Reveal" button to reveal what we're seeing at USA Health

This link will open in a new tab or window.