Types of CPE Offered

Residency

Description

Full-time, twelve-month, four-unit CPE program from late August to late August, intended for persons aiming at a level of competence that permits them to attain professional board certification as chaplains and/or admission into Certified Educator Training.

Pre-requisites:

  • Education: Graduate theological degree (Master of Divinity; may be theology, religious studies, pastoral ministry, pastoral studies, spirituality if accepted by certifying body). If a person has not yet completed such a degree when beginning a residency it is understood that (s)he would be able to be certified within 24 months of completing the residency.
  • Experience: Pastoral experience. Successful completion of one previous CPE unit.
  • Skills and knowledge: appropriate to, and sufficient for, expectations and realities of the program. Evidenced in application materials, interview, and references.

Stipend and benefits:

CPE Residents receive a stipend and benefits. They are Ascension St. Vincent Hospital Associates for the time that they are in the program.

Tuition:

$150 per CPE unit, payable at the beginning of the respective unit, unless financial payment plan is worked out in advance with ACPE Certified Educator.

Calendar:

Limited group work on breaks between CPE units and around holidays, but clinical responsibilities continue.

Applications:

are accepted after October 1 of the previous year. Application deadline: when program is full. No application fee.

Certification:

consult www.nacc.org or www.professionalchaplains.org for chaplain board certification requirements. Consult www.acpe.edu for certified educator training process and requirements.

Extended Unit

Description

Part-time, five-month program for CPE Interns. One unit of CPE. Intended for qualified persons—lay and ordained—who wish to discern their future ministry options, hone their ministry skills, or prepare to do a CPE residency. The program seeks to accommodate persons with commitments (e.g. job or profession) that do not permit fulltime CPE.

Pre-requisites:

  • Education: Bachelor’s degree or other professional designation; e.g. RN, with sufficient theological background for program. Any person who has two units of CPE is expected to do a consultation for Level II CPE and not to amass any more CPE units before completing graduate theological degree as explained above.
  • Experience: Pastoral experience sufficient for program.
  • Skills and knowledge: Appropriate to, and sufficient for, expectations and realities of the program. Evidence in application materials, interview and references.

Stipend and benefits:

No stipend or benefits.

Tuition:

$500 per CPE unit, payable at the beginning of the unit, unless financial payment plan is worked out in advance with ACPE Certified Educator.

Applications:

are accepted year-round. Application deadline: when program is full. No application fee.

Certification:

consult www.nacc.org or www.professionalchaplains.org for chaplain board certification requirements. 

PROGRAM CALENDAR
Duration 2 programs per year: Fall (August-December) and Spring (January –May)
Orientation Five (5) full days (8:00-4:30) at beginning of unit.
CPE Group Work 4 hours weekly, currently on Wednesdays, 1:00 pm-5:00 pm, extended to full day three times during the program.
Individual Educational Supervision One (1) hour every other week.  Schedule negotiated between ACPE Certified Educator and
Intern.
Clinical Work 14 hours weekly. Schedule negotiated between ACPE Certified Educator and Intern.
On-Call No On-Call; Six (6) eight hour weekend shifts on site as Chaplain on Duty.

Summer Unit


Full time, intensive summer program, late May to mid-August. One unit of CPE. The summer unit is intended for seminarians as part of their ordination process and for other qualified persons—lay and ordained—who wish to discern their future ministry options, hone their ministry skills, or prepare to do a CPE residency.

Pre-requisites:

  • Education: Bachelor’s degree, with sufficient theological background for program. Any person who has two units of CPE is expected to do a consultation for Level II CPE and not to amass any more CPE units before completing graduate theological degree as explained above.
  • Experience: Pastoral experience sufficient for program.
  • Skills and knowledge: Appropriate to, and sufficient for, expectations and realities of the program. Evidence in application materials, interview and references.

Stipend and benefits:

No stipend or benefits.

Tuition:

$500 per CPE unit, payable at the beginning of the unit, unless financial payment play is worked out in advance with ACPE Certified Educator.

Applications:

are accepted year-round. Applications will be reviewed beginning in December.

Certified Educator Training 

At this time we do not have any openings for Certified Educator Training, and do not anticipate such an opening until 2024 or 2025.   Should a position become available an update will be made to our website as well as a posting on the Ascension Careers website. 

Consult https://acpe.edu/programs/cpe-educator-certification for more details about the ACPE process.

For more information, please contact Sean Doll O'Mahoney, Manager of CPE, at 317-338-9874 or ININD_StVincentCPE@stvincent.org