Students who come to the Emory Center for Pastoral Services for Clinical Pastoral Education have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a profound clinical learning environment.  Whether it's with a child dealing with a chronic illness, a patient awaiting a transplant, or a person with Alzheimer's and her family, students have many opportunities to learn about providing pastoral presence and care in a variety of settings.  A key component of this learning is the student's reflection about the unique "presence" that he/she brings to the experience of caring. 

Our center values diversity and learning from diversity, from the diversity of life experience as well as the cultural, racial and religious diversity among patients, families, staff, peers, and supervisors. This learning is important as we continue to define and redefine how to provide quality pastoral care and education in a changing healthcare environment.  Through the integration of service and education we learn both about ourselves and about the needs of others. 

Clinical Pastoral Education offers an invitation for each student to learn from their own experience and faith journey as well to learn from the experience and faith journeys of patients, families, staff, peers and supervisors.  This is a rich journey of discovery and growth. 

The Emory Center for Pastoral Services is fully accredited for Level 1, Level 2 and Supervisory CPE by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. (ACPE).  The address for ACPE is 1549 Clairmont Road, Suite 103, Decatur, GA 30033.   You may reach the ACPE by phone at 404-320-1472 or by email at acpe@acpe.edu .  The web site for ACPE is www.acpe.edu .

• What is CPE?
• Internships in ACPE - Clinical Pastoral Education
• Applying for Clinical Pastoral Education
• Intern
• First Year Residency Program
• Supervisory CPE

What is CPE?

Clinical Pastoral Education is interfaith professional education for ministry. It brings theological students and ministers of all faiths (pastors, priests, rabbis, imams and others) into supervised encounter with persons in crisis. Out of an intense involvement with persons in need, and the feedback from peers and teachers, students develop new awareness of themselves as persons and of the needs of those to whom they minister. From theological reflection on specific human situations, they gain a new understanding of ministry. Within the interdisciplinary team process of helping persons, they develop skills in interpersonal and professional relationships.

Internships in ACPE-Clinical Pastoral Education

During the course of the year, we offer several internships. Fall and Spring Intensive internships are full-time programs which require a commitment of forty hours a week plus on-duty time.  The Extended Internship is a part-time program (sixteen hours a week) that begins in late September and continues through early April of the next year. The educational seminars are scheduled for Mondays. The visitation and on-duty times are negotiated between the student and the supervisor. Our internships meet the standards of ACPE. Admissions requirements include a completed application form, an admissions interview and a $25.00 application fee. The tuition for both the intensive and extended program is $500.00. Checks are made paayable to Emory Center for Pastoral Services. Please do not mail cash.

Applying for Clinical Pastoral Education

To apply for Clinical Pastoral Education at the Emory Center for Pastoral Services, click here for application form.

Please print the form and complete the face sheet and answer the questions on the second page.  Please send a hard copy of your application with a check for $25 made payable to Emory Center for Pastoral Sevices:

The Rev. Maureen Shelton
Director of Clinical Pastoral Education
Emory Center for Pastoral Services
550 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA  30308
404-686-2828 phone
404-686-4889 fax
maureen.shelton@emoryhealthcare.org

Following the receipt and positive review of your application, you will be contacted regarding an interview for admissions.

If you have any questions about the application or interview process, please call 404-686-2828 or email (maureen.shelton@emoryhealthcare.org) Maureen Shelton, Director of Clinical Pastoral Education for the Emory Center for Pastoral Services.

Admission Procedures include:

• Completion of ACPE  Application Form #1
• Paymen of the processing fee
• Graduation from college preferred, or satisfaction of faith group's educational expectations. (Exceptions will be considered by CPE Steering Committee)
• Favorable admission interview by a CPE Supervisor or other qualified examiner
• Favorable review of application by the CPE Steering Committee, which includes certified supervisors
• Acceptance by a certified Supervisor

First Year Residency Program

The first year ACPE-CPE residency program at ECPS is an intensive full-time program that normally begins in late August and continues through the following August. The program involves ministry at one or more sites in our center and rotating on-duty coverage. The program alson includes individual and group supervision, reflection seminars, special seminars focused on specific pastoral care issues, case conferences,etc. It is a very rich and demanding program that meets the standards of ACPE.

The 2005 residency program begins on August 24, 2005 and continues through August 31, 2006. However, we anticipate having one or two openings in mid-January.

Admission Procedures include:

• Completion of ACPE Application Form
• Payment of the processing fee
• Graduation from seminary preferred, or satisfaction of faith group's educational expectations. (Exceptions will be considered by the CPE Steering Commmittee)
• Successful completion of one or more units of CPE
• Copies of final evaluations of previous CPE
• Favorable interview with at least two staff supervisors
• Favorable review of application by the CPE Steering Committee
• Acceptance by a Certified Supervisor

Supervisory CPE

Supervisory CPE at our center is designed for the qualified person with demonstrated pastoral, professional and clinical competence to learn the art of supervision.  

Admission Procedures include:

• Completion of ACPE Application Form #1
• Payment of processing fee
• Completion of at least fiv unis of CPE
• Statement of motivation for pursuing supervisory training.  Statement of proposed timetable and other particulars needed for supervisory training
• Statement of theory of pastoral care with two verbatim accounts of pastoral care given
• Statement of faith group status
• Other supporting information as necsessaryrequire the completion of a minimum of four (preferably five) units of ACPE-CPE