Clinical Pastoral Education Program
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)at the Atlanta VA Healthcare System is an experiential, Graduate Medical Education (GME) program designed for professional development of spiritual care providers and aspirants who learn as they engage Veterans, their families, and staff.
Why CPE?
The CPE program at the Atlanta VA Healthcare System is accredited for Level I/ II and Educator CPE by ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education®| 1 Concourse Pkwy, Suite 800| Atlanta, GA 30328|404.320.1472|www.acpe.edu. Guided by the Standards of ACPE®, the CPE student will encounter opportunities to grow in the following areas:
A. Spiritual Formation and Integration which includes exploring personal narrative, socio-cultural identity, and spiritual/values-based orienting system(s)
B. Awareness of Self and Others which includes self-care practices and other trauma-informed approaches to understanding spiritual care, engaging implicit and systemic bias, and developing intercultural and interreligious humility
C. Relational Dynamics which includes use of empathy, recognizing and practicing relational boundaries, and engaging group dynamics
D. Spiritual Care Interventions which includes understanding one's role, power and authority, developing communication skills and conflict management skills while learning appropriate assessment tools, resources, and documentation to aid in the helping relationship
E. Professional Development which includes practicing the action/reflection model for adult learning, professional and clinical ethics, giving and receiving feedback, teamwork and collaboration, and developing chaplain research literacy and practice
Who can apply?
This ACPE-accredited CPE program does not discriminate against persons because of race, ethnicity, religious/spiritual traditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, or disability. General Requirements include but are not limited to:
- Ordination and Ecclesiastical Endorsement or under care & nurture of an ecclesiastical entity
- Graduate level Master of Divinity degree or equivalency accredited by CHEA or ATS (or currently enrolled in an accredited affiliate school of theology/ M.Div. program)
- Completed an introductory unit of CPE for residency program and four units of ACPE-accredited CPE for the Advanced Residency program
- US Citizenship
- Able to manage a degree of chaos, change, and other crisis situations normal to the culture of the learning context
- Open to learning from situations and through relationships (i.e. Veterans, peer group, staff and larger interdisciplinary teams)
- Able to learn and use computer technology, Microsoft software, and document patient encounters
Cost: There are no application fees or student fees, and therefore no refunds. Students may be required to purchase books/reading material for learning and pay activity fees as needed.
See tables below for additional information.
Access CPE Application here: CPE Application Forms
Completed applications for programs beginning in June must be submitted no later than Feb 1st for consideration. Applications for extended CPE are accepted on a rolling basis.
For more information or to apply for CPE at the Atlanta VA Medical Center, please contact:
Phone: 404-321-6111, ext. 206870
or
Send your completed and signed 2-page application, short answers (page 1, #2-6), and resume to VHAATGCPEInquiry@va.gov