Beyond the Rite: How to Build a Multidisciplinary Diocesan Deliverance Team

Introduction — Why a Multidisciplinary Team?

Allegations of possession and requests for deliverance typically touch medical, psychological, legal and pastoral domains. A structured diocesan deliverance team reduces risk, clarifies authority and improves outcomes by combining pastoral care with clinical assessment, safeguarding oversight and incident escalation pathways. This article gives diocesan leaders practical templates and an operational casework flow to implement or refine a multidisciplinary deliverance team.

We draw on contemporary diocesan guidance that emphasizes medical consultation, safeguarding integration and episcopal authorization for formal rites, as well as recent interdisciplinary training programs available to clergy and lay ministers.

Team Structure & Job Descriptions

Successful teams combine clear lines of responsibility with multidisciplinary expertise. Below are recommended core roles with concise responsibilities and minimum competencies to include in job descriptions or role profiles.

Core roles (recommended)

• Team Lead / Episcopal Liaison (usually a priest appointed by the bishop) — final ecclesial authority on authorization of formal rites; coordinates case triage, reports to bishop, ensures compliance with diocesan policy.
• Safeguarding Officer (DSA/DSO representative) — leads safeguarding risk assessments, mandatory reporting, background checks and liaison with statutory services. Must be involved in all cases involving vulnerable adults or minors.
• Clinical Consultant (psychiatrist/psychologist) — performs or reviews differential diagnosis, recommends medical/psychiatric interventions, documents clinical findings and advises on capacity/consent issues.
• Medical Liaison (GP/ED contact) — ensures rapid medical assessment for acute or high-risk presentations.
• Pastoral Support Worker / Lay Deliverance Minister — provides non-ritual pastoral care, boundaries awareness, aftercare coordination and record-keeping under supervision.
• Security / EMS Liaison — prearranged contacts for on-site emergency support when risk of harm or medical crisis exists.
• Case Administrator / Records Officer — maintains confidential case files, MOU copies, consent forms and the chain of events log.

Job description template (short)

Make every role description explicit about: required background checks (DBS/clearance where applicable), mandatory safeguarding training, continuing education obligations, and conditions for removal or temporary suspension from the team.

Where present, national or provincial guidance may require the team to include medical consultation before formal rites and to meet regularly with diocesan safeguarding leads to share learning.

MOUs, Confidentiality & Interagency Agreements

Formal memoranda of understanding (MOUs) make expectations explicit between the diocese and external partners (health services, police, chaplaincies, mental health providers, EMS). An effective MOU protects people and clarifies legal exposure.

Essential MOU elements

1. Purpose & scope: Define what kinds of cases the MOU covers (e.g., assessment-only, co-managed care, emergency response for high-risk deliverance sessions).
2. Roles & responsibilities: Identify signatory roles and staff lines of authority for the casework pathway.
3. Information sharing & confidentiality: Specify lawful bases for sharing (consent, safeguarding exception) and secure record-keeping standards (data retention periods, encryption, who may access files).
4. Consent & capacity: Establish standards for documenting informed consent and the process when a person lacks capacity; include minors and vulnerable adults protocols.
5. Escalation & emergency response: Predefine triggers for medical/EMS/police involvement and immediate contact procedures.
6. Insurance & liability: Outline which party carries liability for medical intervention, venue incidents and legal representation.
7. Training & cross-referrals: Commit to reciprocal training opportunities and annual MOU review.

Casework flow — step-by-step

Use a standardized intake form and follow a documented triage flow. Below is a recommended operational flow that can be adapted to diocesan scale.

1. Initial contact & intake

Clergy, parish staff or family members contact the diocesan deliverance team intake line. The Case Administrator logs initial details and schedules a preliminary screening within 72 hours.

2. Preliminary screening

Safeguarding Officer completes an immediate risk screen (self-harm, harm to others, child protection concerns). If red flags appear, escalate to statutory agencies immediately; otherwise, refer for multidisciplinary assessment.

3. Multidisciplinary assessment

Team convenes (virtual or in-person) including Clinical Consultant, Safeguarding Officer and Team Lead to review medical history, medications, substance use, sleep disorder indicators and psychosocial stressors. Medical assessment should be completed before any formal rite is considered.

4. Authorization decision

If the Team Lead determines that a formal deliverance rite may be appropriate, the bishop or delegated authority signs an authorization document conditional on agreed safeguards, informed consent, venue safety and the presence of a clinical liaison.

5. Session protocol & incident planning

Before any session, confirm: informed consent in writing, a prearranged emergency plan (EMS and police contacts), minimum number of team members present, no recording without explicit written consent, and provisions for immediate medical care.

6. Aftercare & documentation

Post-session follow-up includes a clinical review, pastoral support plan, safeguarding check-ins and a closed-case summary filed in the diocesan records archive. Continued mental health care or medication management must be documented and coordinated with the Clinical Consultant.

Adopt a standardized timeline for reviews (e.g., 24–72 hour check, 2-week clinical review, 3-month pastoral review) and ensure families receive written aftercare instructions and a named contact. These operational steps reflect best practice in diocesan guidance prioritizing medical consultation and safeguarding.

Training, Authority & Ethics — Practical Safeguards

Training should be interdisciplinary and competency-based. Programs that blend theology, pastoral care, psychiatry, neurology and legal issues are increasingly recommended so team members can perform differential diagnosis and risk management responsibly. Consider accredited, periodic training (annual refreshers plus scenario-based practicums) and require evidence of completion before active case participation.

Minimum training requirements

• Safeguarding certification for all team members (refreshed to diocesan standard).
• Clinical awareness module for clergy and lay ministers covering psychosis, dissociation, sleep paralysis and substance-induced states.
• Legal & consent module: mandatory reporting, working with minors, data protection and incident documentation.
• Practical scenario workshops: simulated triage, emergency escalation and boundary management.

Authority, governance & accountability

Only persons explicitly authorized by the bishop should perform or participate in formal rites of deliverance. Maintain a written register of authorized personnel and a complaints and remediation pathway (disciplinary panel, removal from register, remedial training). Routine audit meetings with the diocesan safeguarding board create transparency and continuous improvement.

Ethical red lines

• No corporal punishment, no deprivation of medical care and no use of restraints except by trained security or medical personnel in consultation with clinical staff.
• No photography or recording unless expressly authorized in writing and compliant with data-protection rules.
• Protect minors and vulnerable adults by defaulting to statutory safeguarding procedures and medical assessment.

These safeguards reduce harm and legal exposure while preserving pastoral dignity and ecclesial accountability.

Conclusion & Practical Next Steps

For dioceses starting from scratch: 1) convene a steering group including the bishop’s office and DSA; 2) draft role descriptions and a draft MOU for health and EMS partners; 3) adopt a standardized intake form and caseflow; 4) commission or identify clinical consultants and training providers; 5) pilot the model with after-action reviews and formal audits.

Templates and accredited training courses are available from regional providers and specialist institutes; where possible, choose programs that incorporate clinical practicum and interagency simulation. Regularly review MOUs and policy documents (at least annually) to reflect legislative or local health-system changes.

For sample forms, intake templates and a short MOU checklist tailored for diocesan use, contact your diocesan safeguarding office or refer to established course providers and national deliverance guidance.