Clinical Pastoral Education

The Rev. Paul D. Steinke, Supervisor Clinical Pastoral Education, Bellevue Hospital Center, NYC makes a strong case of an ACPE Forgiveness Project. Steinke argues the ACPE has done a good job covering the "legal and ethical bases" and that there are "processes are in place to deal with offenders." However, Steinke states the forgiveness project he has in mind is not something the ACPE Board of Reps can or should plam off on lawyers. Steinke comments "I propose to the ACPE family a long over due forgiveness project. In the last ten years we have had good and smart counsel in bringing our association up to snuff ethically and legally. Who would have ever thought that we would come to a time where some of our hospitals run a complete security check on potential CPE students. Were you ever arrested? is a common initial interview question. We have also learned how to operate as men and women in a professional setting. We have learned about the proper boundaries betw...

Executive director, Jo Schrader, indicates APC members complain about high costs of conference. In the May/June edition of the APC News Jo Schrader, executive director of the APC, indicates that out of the 4000 membership only 800 members attend the annual conference. Schrader relates that equates to only 20% of the total APC membership. The Executive director went on to relate that high costs of the conference are cited by members as to the reason they cannot attend. Read Schrader's comments at link below: https://www.professionalchaplains.org/uploadedFiles/pdf/APC%20News%20Final%20Proof%20May-June%202007.pdf

The 2008 Plenary of the College of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy will be held March 31 through April 2, 2008, at the Wyndham Riverfront in North Little Rock Arkansas. Carolyn Cassin is an internationally recognized expert in end of life care, organizational management, and the efficient, effective delivery of healthcare services. Long considered a leader in the national healthcare community, in 1983 she helped guide the first Medicare reimbursement for hospice successfully through Congress. Since then, Carolyn has taken on the challenge of advancing both the quality and accessibility of hospice care. She has consulted with many principal healthcare leaders and advocates, including President Bill Clinton, Senator Bob Dole, Governor John Engler, Senator Carl Levin and Representative Leon Panetta. In 2002, Carolyn joined Continuum Hospice Care in New York City. Almost immediately and for the first time in its history, she led the hospice to profitability. In only four years, av...

We write on behalf of the Executive Committee of the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) to inform you of the current struggle between CPSP and the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) and to request your assistance and consultation. It has become clear in the past year that the ACPE has shifted its position vis-à-vis the CPSP from one of rigorous competition to one of a vicious campaign to discredit CPSP altogether. Our first thought was to counter this new campaign with a laundry list of ACPE shortcomings and failures. We are quite capable of this. Such a response would escalate the conflict far beyond what is now taking place. The thought of two religious groups fighting each other for the right to do the same kind of work frankly is unacceptable. We imagine what would be gained, for example, were the Methodists to launch a campaign to discredit the Presbyterians, and the latter responding in kind. The end result would be a disgrace to both parties...

In May of 2006 the ACPE Board of Representatives at it's spring meeting in Atlanta, a motion was adopted that ACPE accredited centers can no longer offer CPSP units of CPE training.The following reasons were presented as to the rational for the motion: MOTION # 43: ACCREDITATION OF DUALLY ALIGNED (CPSP AND ACPE) CENTERS Whereas, the Accreditation Commission has consistently received reports from students and seminaries of a lack of informed consent about the contrast of ACPE CPE and CPSP CPE; And whereas, the Accreditation Commission has experienced a lack of consistent application of the program standards of CPSP CPE programs, And whereas, the Accreditation Commission finds a lack of transparency with the organization of CPSP, its curriculum processes, And whereas, the Accreditation Commission has received reports ofACPE CPE centers who hire CPE Supervisors who have membership inboth organizations being dropped from the ACPE roster and offering only CPSP CPE after telling the hosp...

In its recent meeting with the Department of Education the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education reported that it had 254(1) accredited centers while claiming to have 350(2) accredited centers on the associations website. In the same vein the association’s website indicates there are about 600 CPE Supervisors(3) while reporting in its various newsletters that its active pool shrank from 588 to 536. The ACPE is currently unable to fill positions in some “19 centers across the country and this does not take into account multi-supervisor Centers who might currently be short staffed.” Notes: (1) Transcript ACPE/DOE December 2006 Hearing: “Currently, this Commission accredits 254 centers along with their programs. Recognition by the Secretary enables ACPE and its accredited centers and programs and/or students of these programs to participate in non-HEA programs, such as the International Exchange Visitors Program administered by the Department of State and the Veterans Educational Be...

Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) certification process experienced as "subjective and adversarial, without definable processes for advocacy and mentoring of candidates." REPORT OF THE ACPE PRESIDENTIAL TASK GROUP ON TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION AUGUST, 2006 Regarding certification: While our certifiers provide high quality and dedicated assessment, our standards for certification are open to subjective interpretation and often reflect differing understandings. Dominant and emerging concepts in supervisory education lack articulation and uniform understanding. The certification experience is sometimes surprising and painful and is occasionally perceived by candidates as failing to reflect the core values of our organization. The presenter's report, while typically reflecting a high level of insight and skill on the part of the writer, remains a tool of arguable value that demands a great deal of work from one person. At its best, the report clarifies and fo...