Clinical Pastoral
Education
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is the accepted model of preparation
for institutional chaplaincy in North America.
St. John’s has been an accredited center
offering CPE since 1974 and is the only CPE center in Missouri currently
accredited by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Commission on Certification and Accreditation (USCCB/CCA).
Information regarding our accrediting agency can be found at
www.usccbcca.org. Further accreditation is being sought via the
Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE)
www.acpe.edu.
As the name of CPE implies, the education received is:
■ Clinical
The training has a strong “hands-on” component and those we serve
are the living human documents that provide the primary means by which
skills and awareness are developed. Unique to St. John’s is the variety
of clinical possibilities and the number of certified chaplain staff who
serve as clinical mentors.
■ Pastoral
While academic theological preparation is typically completed prior
to CPE, the entire context of the experience is pastoral and focused on
putting an individual’s theology into practice. Some refer to CPE as
“doing” theology versus “learning” theology.
■ Education
Above all the CPE experience is meant to be educational. CPE is
offered in units of 400 hours comprised of clinical, didactic and
interactive sessions. Most national certifying bodies require a minimum
of four accredited units prior to application for certification.
Agencies certifying chaplains in the US include: The National
Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC)
www.nacc.org, The Association of Professional Chaplains (APC)
www.professionalchaplains.org, The American Association of Pastoral
Counselors (AAPC)
www.aapc.org and The National Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC)
www.najc.org.
Units experienced at St. John’s are recognized by all of
these certifying bodies.
Units of CPE are typically offered at St. John’s in two formats. The
“Intense” model is conducted during the summer and covers the 400 hour
curriculum over a 10 week period. “Extended” units, conducted over
a longer time frame in the Spring and the Fall, present the same 400
hour curriculum and allow a wider range of clinical options. An intense
year-long residency program with stipend is available and begins each
September.
For more information please contact St. John's Director of Pastoral
Education, Sister Barbara Brumleve, at 417-820-2736 or 417-820-2735.
Download a Program Application form.
Program Mission
Statement
St. John’s
Clinical Pastoral Education Program prepares ordained, professed, and
lay persons for chaplaincy and faith-based ministry. The program
provides experience-based theological education in three key areas:
pastoral formation, pastoral competence, and pastoral reflection.
We value our
Christian heritage which gives expression to the mission of compassion
through the healing ministry of the Roman Catholic Church. We honor the
tradition of the Sisters of Mercy respecting the dignity and the unique
diversity of all CPE students as we prepare them to serve others in
these three key areas. (PCC approval, 5/6/09)
Accredited by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Commission on Certification and Accreditation
3211
South Lake Drive, Suite #317
St. Francis, WI 53235-3702
414.486.0139 : 414.489.0006 (fax)
E-mail:
info@usccbcca.org
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