Chaplaincy Programs in California
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)
What is Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)?
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is interfaith professional education for ministry which brings students into supervised encounters with persons in crisis. Out of intense involvement with people in need, and feedback from peers and teachers, students develop an awareness of themselves as persons and of the needs of those to whom they minister. Through reflection on specific human situations, they deepen their understanding of ministry. Within the interdisciplinary team process of helping people in need, they develop skills in interpersonal and professional relationships.
Clinical Pastoral Education includes:
- Spiritual Formation and Integration- focusing on personal and pastoral identity issues in learning and ministry.
- Awareness of Self and Others - includes learning about oneself and developing greater awareness of the experiences and values of others.
- Relational Dynamics - Spiritual care and education require empathy and healthy relational boundaries grounded in warmheartedness for self and others. Empathy includes caring about and taking the perspective of others’ experiences, values, beliefs, and practices. Healthy relational boundaries include respect for differences in spirituality.
- Pastoral Reflection - reflecting on oneself as a person and spiritual caregiver in relationship to others in crisis, the Educator, and peer group members, as well as the curriculum and institutional setting.
- Pastoral Competence - deepening competence in spiritual care skills and knowledge of faith traditions, human personality, development and behavior.
- Spiritual Care Interventions - Understanding one’s role and the power and authority embedded within it are essential to providing spiritual care interventions. Learning practical communication styles and skills are necessary to develop spiritual care relationships.
- Professional Development - Professional Development in the CPE process includes engaging the Clinical Method of Learning, abiding by Ethical Practice and Professionalism, growing through Consultation and Feedback, investing in Teamwork and Collaboration, and becoming Research literate.
The essential elements of CPE include:
- Spiritual care with people in crisis
- Learning through action and reflection
- An individualized contract for learning
- Written reflection and evaluation.
- Peers in a shared learning experience
- Individual and group supervision
What does CPE prepare a person to do?
CPE may be a component of one's preparation for ministry within a religious community, chaplaincy, lay ministry, teaching, health ministry and counseling. Some students, after completing several units of CPE, choose to enroll in Educator CPE, working toward certification as an Educator.
USC Arcadia Hospital is accredited to offer Level I and Level II and Education CPE by ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education. ACPE, is an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
ACPE may be contacted at:
We Work, Floor 4
120 West Trinity Place
Decatur, GA 30030
404-320-1472
http://www.acpe.edu
The USC Arcadia community is culturally and religiously diverse. Our chaplains practice cultural humility with respect to the social locations and faith traditions of their patients, even as they develop a deeper understanding of their own faith and cultural uniqueness.
Full-Time CPE units are offered quarterly. Students meet Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. and have on-call duties on evenings and weekends.
Extended CPE units are offered in the fall and early spring, students may enroll for 22-week units which involve approximately 20 hours per week education and spiritual care visitation. Usually, these units meet on Thursdays for educational components and on the weekend days for service in the hospital.
CPE interns are not eligible for stipends, housing, or meal tickets.
Education CPE units are available to a limited number of qualified applicants as positions become open. Educator CPE entails a full-time commitment over several years. Requirements for admission into Educator CPE include sufficient ministry experience to demonstrate pastoral competence, the successful completion of Level II outcomes (usually four or more units of CPE), and membership in the ACPE. Educator Candidates are eligible for yearly stipends plus health benefits.
Admission to CPE
Our center is committed to giving fair and thorough consideration to all qualified applicants and to enhancing the educational experience by selecting students with a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. We select students who are seminarians, clergy and laypersons according to aptitude for learning, capacity for self-reflection and potential for ministry without regard to age, gender, race, national origin, disability, religious affiliation or sexual orientation. Successful applicants generally have completed at least one year of graduate theological education or specialized training in their particular faith traditions.
Clinical Pastoral Education Schedule 2023-2024
Dates Tuition
2023 Fall Fulltime Unit
Tuition: $750
September 25 - December 15, 2023
2023 Fall/Winter Extended Unit
Tuition: $900
September.28, 2023 - March. 14, 2024
(Thursdays & Weekends)
Clinical Pastoral Education Schedule 2024-2025
2024 Winter Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750
January 3 - March 15, 2024
2024 Spring Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750
April1 - June 21, 2024
2024 Spring/Summer Extended Unit
Tuition: $900
March 28 - September 5, 2024
(Thursdays & Weekends)
2024 Summer Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750
July 1 - September 20, 2024
2024 Fall Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750
September 30th 2024 - December 20, 2024
2024 Fall/Winter Extended Unit
Tuition: $900
September 19th 2024 - March 12, 2025
(Thursdays & Weekends)
Clinical Pastoral Education Schedule 2025-2026
2025 Winter Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750.00
January 6th 2025 - March 28th 2025
2025 Spring Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750.00
April 2th 2025 - June 20th 2025
2025 Spring/Summer Extended Unit
Tuition: $900.00
March 20th 2025 - September 4th 2025
2025 Summer Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750.00
June 25th 2025 - September 12th 2025
2025 Fall Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750.00
September 17th 2025 - December 5, 2025
2025 Fall/Winter Extended Unit
Tuition: $900.00
September 18th 2025 - March 12th 2026
Full-Time CPE hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and overnight on-call on evenings, weekends and holidays, as assigned.
Apply Early! CPE Program information and application material is available
at Chaplaincy Programs in California | USC Arcadia Hospital
The application fee is $50.
You can E-mail the application to
spiritualcare@med.usc.edu or mail with your application fee to:
USC Arcadia Hospital - Spiritual Care Dept.
300 W. Huntington Drive
Arcadia, CA 91007
Clinical Pastoral Education Faculty
The Rev. Brenda Simonds
Director, Spiritual Care
ACPE Certified Educator
Brenda.simonds@med.usc.edu
(626)574-3715
The Rev. Stephen Wilson
Manager, Spiritual Care Department
ACPE Certified Educator Candidate
Stephen.wilson@med.usc.edu
(626)898-8195
The Rev. Bruce Whyte
Supervisor, Pastoral Education
ACPE Certified Educator Candidate
Bruce.whyteIV@med.usc.edu
(626)898-8815
For more information please contact our Spiritual Care Department at
626-574-3433.