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Clinical Pastoral Education Program

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is an educational experience for qualified ministers who learn as they engage Veterans. It is considered the Graduate Medical Education (GME) program for Pastoral Care, which qualifies ministers to become VA chaplains (and any other institutional setting with chaplains).

The feedback includes both support and challenges. Guided by the Standards of ACPE, the CPE student will grow in three major areas:

  1. Pastoral formation
  2. Pastoral competence
  3. Pastoral reflection

Why CPE?

MEDVAMC is a teaching hospital with a variety of disciplines. CPE is considered the Graduate Medical Education (GME) program for Pastoral Care, which qualifies ministers to become VA chaplains (and any other institutional setting with chaplains). The placement rate for graduates of the VA GME CPE programs into VA positions and other hospitals is high.

Who can apply?

Clinical Pastoral Education is post-graduate, professional education for both clergy and lay persons who are called to prepare for pastoral care and pastoral counseling. The full-time, year-long stipend program requires that students:

  • Be ordained or endorsed to ministry by an approved endorsing body
  • Have completed a Graduate Level Master of Divinity from an approved and accredited school, and
  • Have completed at least one prior unit of CPE (though that can be waived for certain persons).

The part-time without compensation program (Extended CPE) requires that students be enrolled in a Master of Divinity Program at a minimum.

Preference is given to Veterans for all programs, though non-Veterans are encouraged to apply.

The CPE Program at MEDVAMC is accredited to provide Level I/II  CPE by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE):

The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education
55 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., Suite 835
Atlanta, GA 30308
Phone: 404-320-1472
https://acpe.edu/

For more information or to apply for CPE at MEDVAMC, please contact:

James E. Duke, DMIN, BCC, ACPE Certified Educator

Chaplain & Clinical Pastoral Education Program Director

VA Houston health care

Phone: 713-791-1414, ext. 222523

Email: james.duke2@va.gov