Clinical Pastoral Education
If you feel called to minister to people in crisis, St. Francis is an outstanding place to develop your skills or hone ones you already have.
Our Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program offers Level I and Level II CPE certifications. We are one of only two accredited programs in Georgia outside of Atlanta, and one of only 350 accredited Association of Clinical Pastoral Education centers nationwide.
Participants are young and old, male and female, laypersons and ordained ministers. In the two programs we offer — a one-year (three-unit) residency and Spring, Summer, and Fall internships — we use supportive guidance to show chaplains-in-training how to bring spiritual refreshment and encouragement to patients and their families.
The program is based on a residency model, similar to what physicians undertake. Participants spend one-third of their time in formal group and individual educational activities. Two-thirds of their time is spent providing pastoral care to patients.
Curriculum Highlights
- Faith development within an ecumenical context in the “Bible Belt”
- Increased self-awareness
- Training in becoming a better listener
- Reflection on the theology of care for others
- Training in use of family systems and object relations as psychological models for brief pastoral counseling
- Emphasis on development of professional competencies
- Growth in pastoral competence and identity through small group reflection, while serving on the
- Chaplain Services team
Columbus, Georgia, is a beautiful city located 90 miles southwest of Atlanta. It sits alongside the Chattahoochee River, where you’ll enjoy the hospitality of an historic Southern town yet with all the amenities of Atlanta easily accessible.
To learn more about the Clinical Pastoral Education program at St. Francis Hospital, call (706) 660-6091.