The HealthCare Chaplaincy Takes Lead Role at Historic International Spiritual Care Symposium

The Rev. Dr. Yvonne Valeris, the Rev. Michael Carter, Rabbi Charles Rabinowitz, and Rabbi Beth Nadich were certified at a banquet during the EPIC conference.

The Rev. Dr. Walter J. Smith, S.J., The C h a p l a i n c y ’s CEO, leads an anointing of the sick service and Catholic mass.
The Rev. George Handzo, The Chaplaincy’s director of clinical services and institutional relations, speaks to the conference’s 1200 attendees at the welcoming banquet.
Rabbi Shira Stern, director of The Chaplaincy’s Jewish Institute for Pastoral Care, leads a workshop on boundary issues and self-care for chaplains.
Chaplaincy researchers the Rev. Dr. Andrew Weaver (left) and Dr. Kevin Flannelly conduct a well-attended workshop on professional chaplaincy and scientific research.
Chaplain Michael Moran, staff chaplain at Brooklyn Hospital Center, leads a workshop on developing a volunteer chaplaincy program; over 100 people attended.
(Left) Chaplaincy Librarian Sharon Brown (right) talks with a participant in her workshop on building a pastoral care library.

" Ten years from now, you won’t recognize the face of professional chaplaincy, and it’s because of the incredible work done at this conference," said the Rev. George Handzo, HCC’s director of clinical services and president of the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC).

The HealthCare Chaplaincy provided an important presence of leadership and support at this "EPIC Experience: Charting the Future of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling" held in Toronto from February 23 to February 26. Thirty-five HCC chaplains and staff appeared on panels, led workshops, attended organizational board meetings, and led worship services. "HCC’s presence made a very positive impression on the conference," said Rabbi Stephen Roberts, HCC chaplain at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and president of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC).

This first international conference of chaplains from diverse faiths was attended by some 1,200 individuals from the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Virtually all agreed that conference workshops, plenary sessions, services, and fellowship meetings were a solid foundation for the future.

An Unprecedented Celebration of Diversity
The symposium for multifaith spiritual caregivers marked the first time in history four of the major professional chaplaincy associations in the United States and Canada, comprised of chaplains of all faiths, came together to collaborate on the future of professional pastoral care. The APC and NAJC, each led by Chaplaincy staff members, were joined by The Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education (CAPE) and the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) as conference sponsors.

Sharing Practical Wisdom
The diversity of the conference provided unique opportunities for participants to learn about each other’s faiths and cultures. In over 60 workshops and panels, participants learned about topics that included ministering to Buddhist, Muslim, and Jewish patients;about developing cross-cultural competence; cultural and spiritual needs of Hispanics; and spiritual care for the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender communities. Chaplaincy staff workshops included discussion of ministry to AIDS patients, boundary issues for chaplains, and an exploration of recent scientific research in pastoral care.
Many of the workshops were hands-on, designed to provide participants with tools they could take home and immediately put to use. Imam Yusuf Hasan’s workshop focused on end-of-life issues for Islamic patients, noting the importance of particular text and ritual. After attending a workshop on organizing a pastoral care volunteer program led by The Chaplaincy’s Michael Moran, Rabbi Bernie Barsky was enthusiastic about what he had learned. "I’ve wanted to learn to mobilize people in the community, and this was extremely helpful," he said.

Certification of Chaplaincy Staff and Students
Three of The Chaplaincy’s newer staff and a former residency student were certified at the conference: the Rev. Michael Carter, staff chaplain at New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens, and the Rev. D r. Yvonne Valeris, former supervisory resident and CPE supervisor at The Brooklyn Hospital Center were certified by the APC; Rabbi Beth Naditch, former CPE resident, and Rabbi Charles Rabinowitz, former CPE resident and staff chaplain at North Shore University Hospital, were certified by the NAJC.
"Board certification is an achievement that I’m very proud of," said the Rev. Carter, "and I’m thrilled to be recognized in the presence of so many of my Chaplaincy colleagues."

Collaboration and Progress
" We are pleased to have provided a strong level of support for this important event," said the Rev. Dr. Walter J. Smith, SJ, The Chaplaincy’s president and CEO. In a remarkable gesture of support, Father Smith offered a challenge grant of $100,000 from The Chaplaincy for the development of four proposals ratified at an historic joint meeting of the boards of the four associations. The proposals call for the establishment of universal standards for pastoral care, education, and ethics, allowing the four distinct associations to speak with one voice on issues of professional spiritual care. "This is a momentous step in the professionalization of chaplaincy," noted the Rev. Handzo.

Rabbi Bonita Taylor, staff educator and ACPE supervisor at The Chaplaincy, sits on the board of the NAJC and was on the conference planning committee. Rabbi Taylor noted that meeting the worship, dietary, cultural, and other needs of each of the four organizations was a major challenge.
" I am very proud of the way we were able to meet with integrity the needs of each association and also the needs of the group as a whole," she said. "This conference showed real diversity at work."