The Role of Mission Leaders in Catholic Health and Aged Care

This discussion paper has been formulated at the request of the Taskforce leading Catholic Health Australia’s Pathways Project which is mandated by the members to facilitate a collaborative approach to leader formation. The purpose is to enhance current and future governance and leadership capacity to ensure Catholic health and aged care ministries remain an authentic expression of the healing ministry of Jesus. This paper is intended to generate and inform discussion across the sector that will lead to greater understanding and appreciation for the Mission Leader in health and aged care services.

In particular, this paper intends to assist decision makers in: understanding the evolution of the role of Mission Leader over recent decades; understanding the purpose and responsibilities of the role in contemporary settings; recruiting effectively by clarifying capabilities required for the role; supporting current Mission Leaders so that they can best serve the organisation, and; developing people with potential to fill the role in the future i.e. succession planning.