Faculty—Senior Scholars

An innovator in multifaith pastoral care, education, research, and consulting in the United States, The HealthCare Chaplaincy has a bold new vision—to transform the quality of graduate education for multifaith professional chaplains, especially those working in healthcare institutions. Toward this end, we have established the Graduate Faculty of Clinical Pastoral Education and, over the next five years, we plan to create the nation’s first doctoral program for clinical pastoral education (CPE). This program may be in collaboration with a regionally accredited university nearby, or separate accreditation may be sought.

Senior Scholars Sought for the World’s First College for Chaplains

We seek two senior scholars to lead a small graduate faculty and to help create the world’s first college for chaplains. Ideally, we would like one of the appointees to be a recognized leader in CPE. It would be helpful for the other appointee to bring comparable recognition in theories of supervision, adult education, ethics, or spiritual development to the position.

The doctoral program will build on the remarkable strengths of CPE, a rigorous method of experiential learning—one that asks students to explore and understand their own feelings and to study group dynamics so that they may best serve the needs of the sick and dying, as well as the healthcare institutions entrusted to their care.

CPE has become the professional standard for the certification of chaplains, and The HealthCare Chaplaincy is the largest and most successful center in the country for providing this level of professional training.

The Dynamics of CPE in Caring for Persons in Spirit, Mind, and Body

Over the past 40 years, CPE has evolved to become a remarkable training regimen to help both clergy and laity refine a skill set that we have found to be essential for multifaith pastoral work, whether in healthcare institutions, congregations, colleges, or corporations.

The training uses lectures; role plays; participation on interdisciplinary healthcare teams; clinical seminars in which students present their pastoral work for peer review; and intensive, individual supervision in regional hospitals. The curriculum includes the following subjects:

• Spiritual presence
• Open-ended and non-judgmental communication with patients and their loved ones
• Pastoral care for individuals of different religions—as well as those who profess no faith
• Spiritual assessment
• Development of emotional range and resilience in the face of suffering
• Bioethics, including those involved with end-of-life issues
• The art and science of chaplain supervision

When done well, CPE training helps clergy and laity develop deep and effective human relations skills that can prove immensely beneficial in times of crisis—with a diverse population in diverse settings.

The Need for Higher Education for a Higher Calling

Chaplain educators are badly needed in New York City, where The HealthCare Chaplaincy is based, and throughout the country. In fact, the current training model, while innovative and effective, has not been able to keep pace with the demand for CPE by seminarians. Neither has it been able to meet the demand for the chaplain educators who supervise multifaith chaplains.

This is why The HealthCare Chaplaincy devised a new curriculum for CPE, instituted in September 2007. The curriculum expansion includes new studies in cognitive and emotional development, adult and spiritual development, learning and motivation, research design and statistics, palliative medicine, and end-of-life care.

A More Sophisticated Model Needed for Pastoral Research and Education

The emerging profession of “multifaith chaplain” requires new theory and research. In some respects, the discipline is in its adolescence with respect to the quality of research published. Likewise, it has not kept up with the interest and ability of hospital chaplains to apply new theory and research in their clinical work.

For this reason, The Chaplaincy created the Spears Center for Pastoral Research in 2000, which has two full-time researchers and two postdoctoral fellows. A description of the Spears Center, and its notable productivity, can be found via the “research” tab on our homepage. Published studies have multiple authors, often including a chaplain from an area hospital. The senior scholars we seek will find eager and able colleagues with whom to conduct both qualitative and quantitative studies, the intent of which is to transform an entire profession.

Massive Increase in the Elderly Population will bring Huge Challenges

Why is the transformation of pastoral care needed? The American population, like others worldwide, is aging, and we are woefully unprepared. As “Baby Boomers” retire over the next dozen years there will be unprecedented demands—for 20 years in a row—on healthcare systems, retirement institutions, recreational services, and the economy as a whole. The younger generations will struggle to support the needs of their parents and other older relatives.

Given the tremendous changes we face, here are a couple of important items to consider:

• A recent study suggests that the supply of doctors who are specialists in aging is not adequate for today’s elders, much less for the far larger numbers about to need help.
• A majority of Americans consider themselves religious or spiritual, even if their religious practices are uneven and diverse, which portends an even greater need for professionally trained chaplains at the bedside of the sick and dying.

If advance planning is not being done carefully enough or fast enough to meet the special health and spiritual needs of the new seniors—or isn’t being done at all—we face enormous problems in caring for this age group in the years ahead.

Your Opportunity to Influence the Next Generation of Chaplains Worldwide

Based on the data from the last U.S. Census, New York is now the most culturally and religiously diverse city in the world. In fact, it may be the most diverse city that has ever existed.

At The HealthCare Chaplaincy we train students from all over the United States, as well as many other countries. We educate more than twenty faith groups each year, including Jews, Christians of every denomination, Buddhists, and Muslims. This diversity, which is also evident throughout New York City, is both a great challenge and a great inspiration. This is why we’ve built a chaplaincy staff that is multicultural and multifaith. And we want it to become even more so on both accounts. In addition, our mission is international in scope, for we prepare clergy and chaplains who will return to their home countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa to help create their own pastoral care programs.

Summary of the Application Process and Deadlines

The HealthCare Chaplaincy seeks two senior scholar practitioners for appointment in 2008. In these individuals we are looking for inspiring teachers and advisors, as well as productive researchers interested in spirituality, healthcare, pastoral education, and research. Compensation is competitive and The Chaplaincy’s benefits are comprehensive.

Selected candidates will be in residence at our midtown Manhattan campus. They will teach one graduate seminar, supervise students, work with colleagues to build the curriculum, and conduct research consistent with the mission of The Chaplaincy and the needs of professional chaplains.

Required

• An earned doctorate from a regionally accredited institution in pastoral counseling, psychology, social work, adult education, or religion
• For the CPE position, 5 years of experience as a supervisor, certified by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Care (ACPE)
• A record of innovative scholarship, with expertise in quantitative and/or qualitative studies
• A successful track record of securing and conducting funded research
• 5-10 years of experience in graduate teaching and advising
• Good standing within an ordaining body at time of appointment and throughout employment
• Active membership in good standing in the ACPE and/or the Association of Professional Chaplains at the time of appointment and throughout employment

Desirable

• Experience with distance education
• Scholarly interests in the theory and practice of clinical supervision, adult development, spiritual development, and pastoral reflection and formation

Address all inquiries to: Edward F. Haran
Director, Human Resources
307 E 60th Street
New York, NY 10022-1505
Phone: 212-644-1111, extension 203
Fax: 212-486-1440
Email: eharan@healthcarechaplaincy.org