Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Heartland is accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) to offer Levels 1 and 2 CPE. We offer summer, extended and year-long extended units. Clinical Pastoral Education is interfaith professional education for ministry which brings theological students and ministers of all faiths into supervised encounter with persons in crisis. As a student in CPE, you will experience intense involvement with persons in need, and with feedback from peers and teachers, will develop new awareness of yourself as a person, and a better understanding of the needs of those to whom you minister. Through theological reflection on specific human situations, you will gain a new understanding of ministry. You'll become a member of an interdisciplinary team dedicated to the healing process. Through working alongside doctors, nurses and other medical professionals with whom your opinions will count, you will develop skills in interpersonal and inter-professional relationships.

After a unit of CPE, students typically find that they are more self-aware, thanks to the process of daily theological reflection and feedback from peers and supervisors.

The Heartland Clinical Pastoral Education program offers you:

• Actual practice ministering to people
• Detailed reporting and evaluation of your work
• Pastoral supervision by certified faculty in an ACPE accredited CPE center
• A process method of learning
• A small group of peers in a common learning experience
• A specific time period of learning
• An individualized contract for learning consistent with ACPE's Outcomes and Objectives, focusing on:
  • Pastoral Formation - focus on personal and pastoral identity issues in learning and ministry.
  • Pastoral Competence - deepening and unfolding of competence in pastoral function, pastoral skills and knowledge of theology and the behavioral sciences.
  • Pastoral Reflection - reflection on one's self as person and pastor in relationship to persons in crisis, the supervisor, and peer group members, as well as the curriculum and institutional setting 

CPE develops the capacity for pastoral and spiritual care of individuals, families, and systems. CPE serves as a part of one's preparation for parish ministry, chaplaincy, lay ministry, teaching, and counseling. A student's learning contract may be focused toward integration of theological, psychological, and pastoral insights into pastoral functioning for parish work. Or the contract may be designed with a career goal of chaplaincy or pastoral counseling.

Many theological schools require one unit of CPE as a part of a theological degree program. Other schools accept a year of CPE as the required intern year of ministry for a theological degree program. Some denominations require CPE for ordination or endorsement for ministry.

Program Objectives and Methods

Clinical Pastoral Education is designed to help you:

• Learn basic pastoral care skills, both informational and experiential and apply academic knowledge in a clinical context.
• Take part in highly individualized learning and move toward the development of self-initiated goals.
• Understand how spiritual health influences physical, mental and emotional healing.
• Gain awareness of common health problems.
• Function as a member of an interdisciplinary health care team.
• Reflect on relationships with other people, i.e. peers, patients, families, health care staff.
• Develop an ability to ask for, to receive and to offer consultation in ministry with colleagues.
• Develop a basic understanding of medical/ethical issues in today's health care.
• Interpret the impact of your ministry upon the health care system with examination of the cultural, political and economical issues.
• Translate learning in this environment to post-CPE life ministry, with regard to the local parish, church or synagogue.

About the Faculty at Heartland Regional Medical Center

The Rev. Jacqueline DeKoster Thomas manages the CPE program and provides primary supervision for summer and fall extended units. Jackie is an ordained Presbyterian (PCUSA) minister, an ACPE Certified Supervisor and certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains. The Rev. Sally A. Schwab leads Spiritual Health Services, which includes the CPE program. Sally is an ordained United Methodist Minister, an ACPE Certified Supervisor, and certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains. She provides primary supervision for students in the year-long extended unit.

Who Is Eligible To Apply?

1. Individuals who, through the application and admissions process, demonstrate the ability to participate in the CPE. Usually, applicants will have successfully completed at least one year of theological school or have demonstrated the ability to think theologically about clinical work.

2. Lay persons who have demonstrated their ability to do meaningful pastoral work, although they may not have formal theological training.

2009 - 2010 CPE Units

Admission Procedure
Each applicant must submit the standard ACPE application form, obtainable from any CPE center or from the ACPE Web site, and have an official interview with a CPE supervisor. If it is not possible to interview at Heartland, a transcript of an interview with an ACPE supervisor will be sent to this center, and a telephone interview will be conducted by the Heartland supervisor. For information, or to get an application for the program write, call or e-mail us:

Heartland Spiritual Health Services
5325 Faraon Street
St. Joseph, MO 64506-3398
(816) 271-6040 or Toll Free: 1-800-447-2487

Apply today. Your ministry will be enriched, you'll be enlightened and those you minister to will be blessed

CPE at HRMC is accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc., 1549 Clairmont Road, Suite 103, Decatur, GA, 30033; (404) 320-1472