Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is a graduate-level program that provides chaplains with the knowledge and skills they need to provide spiritual care to patients in a clinical setting. Chaplains who have completed CPE are better equipped to minister to patients and their families and can offer support during difficult times. This guide will provide an overview of CPE, including its history, structure, and goals. We will also discuss the benefits of CPE for chaplains and patients alike!
What is Clinical Pastoral Education?
CPE is adult, graduate-level education done with a peer group in a clinical setting. CPE is about acquiring and developing skills related to ministry within the context of helping relationships. Students are expected to engage in self-reflection and self-criticism as they relate their personal experiences to what they are observing in their patients/clients.
CPE awards “units” for completing the required work. Each unit of CPE requires a minimum of 100 educational hours and 300 clinical hours. These units can be acquired by being an unpaid intern or by being a CPE resident. Most residencies last one year and provide 3 to 4 units over the course of that year. CPE residents are paid employees of the hospitals providing their education through CPE.
Who can take Clinical Pastoral Education?
CPE is available to anyone who wishes to participate, regardless of their religious affiliation, and is considered interfaith education. The National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), and the National Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC) all require CPE through the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education for board certification.
CPE follows an adult learning model, where the student is responsible for setting their own goals and learning through an action-reflection-action model. This means the student will make patient visits and perform other chaplain duties, then reflect on these visits and duties with other students and a supervisor, then go back out to make more visits having learned from their reflection.
CPE is a demanding program, both emotionally and spiritually. It requires students to be vulnerable and honest with themselves if they are to learn and grow from the experience. But for those who are called to chaplaincy, CPE can be a life-changing experience that prepares them for the challenges of ministry.
Different CPE Organizations
When you first start looking into CPE, you might be confused to find several different organizations that offer CPE. Clinical pastoral education began in the 1920s when Anton Boisen was hired at the Worchester State Hospital in Massachusetts. The theological education that Boisen would develop would be the start of clinical pastoral education. Out of this educational model a formal association would form in 1930 and that association would become the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) in 1967.
The Association of Clinical Pastoral Education is accredited by the Department of Education of the United States. This means that ACPE allows you to count your CPE toward a graduate or doctoral degree at an accredited university or seminary.
If you are wanting to pursue board certification as a professional chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) then CPE through the ACPE is the easiest road. Four units of CPE are required for full certification through the APC, though one unit of another organization’s CPE can be given as equivalency.
Link to the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education website
The College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) was founded in 1990 by a group of CPE supervisors who wanted to make changes to the CPE model. CPSP established local chapters in which members are expected to participate in after their CPE training is done. These chapters provide an opportunity for support and continued growth for chaplains and counselors. CPSP also divides the CPE experience into “units” that are roughly the same number of clinical and education hours (400).
Link to the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy website
The Institute for Clinical Pastoral Training (ICPT) was established in 2013. Their educational method combines educational training in an online format with clinical experience in a local opportunity near the student. ICPT is associated with the Spiritual Care Association.
The Institute for Clinical Pastoral Training website
What do you do in CPE?
The educational side of CPE also includes didactic presentations by other chaplains, healthcare team members, and the CPE supervisor. There is also group discussion time, readings, and verbatims. Verbatims are accounts of patient visits by the student that are presented to their peer group and supervisor for encouragement, feedback, and constructive criticism.
Students are expected to process their clinical experiences with their supervisor and peer group in order to gain greater insight and understanding. CPE is not therapy, but it can be therapeutic. The goal of CPE is to produce competent pastoral caregivers who are able to function in a wide variety of settings and situations.
Each unit of CPE requires a minimum of 100 educational hours and 300 clinical hours. These units can be acquired by being an unpaid intern or by being a CPE resident. Most residencies last one year and provide 3 to 4 units over the course of that year. CPE residents are paid employees of the hospitals providing their education through CPE.
The time commitment for CPE is significant, as it runs anywhere from 26 to 40 hours per week for 12 weeks. The first unit of CPE is an introduction and the student’s opportunity to assess whether chaplaincy is the right fit for them. Many CPE residency programs require one unit of CPE before becoming a resident. This helps the CPE program and the student know that the year-long residency program will be a good fit for everyone involved.
The Application Process for CPE
The application process for a CPE residency program has similar aspects to other graduate-level programs. There will be an application fee, and you will need to submit transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement. Where the CPE application can be different from other applications is the submission of written essays that include a life overview, spiritual and religious history, and a narrative of a helping incident. There may also be an interview process as part of the application.
There are several factors to consider when choosing where to do your CPE, here is an article we wrote about questions to ask when making this decision.
If you’re feeling called to chaplaincy, CPE may be the perfect way to prepare yourself for the challenges ahead.
Caleb is an ordained Baptist minister. He has been a healthcare chaplain for 13 years and has visited over 20,000 patients in the hospital over the last 7 years. He is in the process of board certification through the Association of Professional Chaplains. He is currently the senior chaplain responsible for the pastoral care department at two community hospitals in a larger health system.
