APC e-News
news and information from the Association of Professional Chaplains
 February, 2012 - Vol. 14 No. 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
The Need for Specialty Certifications |
by David C. Johnson BCC
In our increasingly technical and specialized world, the leadership of APC has come to understand that certification as a board certified chaplain (BCC) is an important, but beginning, step in the professional life of any chaplain. In the past few years, we have made changes to the peer review and continuing education processes. We have begun to offer webinars to supplement the education offered at our conferences. Yet, as we look at the horizon, we see a greater need for specialized knowledge. That need translates into specialty certifications, such as pediatrics, palliative care, hospice/end of life, long-term care and mental health to name just a few.
Palliative care was picked as our beginning point due to the work of HealthCare Chaplaincy in that field and their willingness to undertake a joint project with APC, sharing knowledge and resources. Once finished, this work can serve as a template for future specialty certifications for other branches of professional chaplaincy.
The task is not as easy as it may appear. There is work to be done in the area of defining competencies, creating curriculum and establishing the process of evaluation. Currently, competencies have been defined and standards are being developed by the APC Standards Committee. When that task is completed, BCCI will begin to outline the certification process while another task force will look at the needed educational curriculum.
It is our hope that an individual's professional journey with APC will look somewhat like this:
After finishing training and being hired as a chaplain, the individual will move toward recognition of his/her professionalism by becoming board certified. That certification is recognition of a level of professional achievement in the world of chaplaincy. It is a generalist designation of one's work ethic, training and desire to maintain standards of professionalism.
That individual finds that his/her talents are well suited for the emergency department, pediatrics, hospice or palliative care. Soon, an institution opens a palliative care unit or creates a palliative care team. The physicians, nurses and social workers on the palliative care team all have specialty certifications to attest that they are prepared for this particular type of service within the institution. We believe that APC needs to be able to provide the palliative care chaplain the same credibility and support as the other professionals have.
Be certain that we are not too far from pediatric hospitals, hospices and palliative care teams asking for that level of experience and recognition from any chaplain who applies to be a part of their service and program. APC would be remiss if we were not ready to help our members say "yes" to that request.
Whether we view specialty certification as an opportunity for enrichment or as yet another obligation, we can be certain it will become a reality for chaplaincy. We live in a highly technical and specialized world. My elderly parents go to a family practice physician who specializes in geriatrics. It appears that even our generalists are specialized. So it is with our BCC recognition.
Rev. David C. Johnson DMin BCC is the assistant director for operations in the Pastoral Care and Education department of Carolinas Medical Centers in Charlotte, NC. He serves as president of APC and may be contacted at David.Clark.Johnson@carolinashealthcare.org,
back to top |
|
Contribute to the Work and Mission of APC | |
Serving in leadership is one of the most important ways for members to contribute to the work and mission of APC. If you were to ask any one of the current board members, they would likely tell you that when they began volunteering for APC their knowledge of the profession grew, and so did their passion for APC and its success.
Each member has gifts and talents that can contribute to the ongoing success of our organization. Please consider the following APC leadership positions with terms beginning Nov. 1, 2012.
- President-elect, two-year term
- Treasurer, two-year term
- Board member, three-year term (two positions)
Applications are due Feb. 20, 2012. To apply for a national leadership position, see the Volunteer Leadership Opportunities page of the APC website.
Members of the Nominating Committee include: Chair Jim Stevens BCC, Lynn Burgess BCC, Harry Burns BCC, Dick Haines BCC and Joe Perez BCC.
For more information, please contact the APC national office or Jim Stevens, jim56@gci.net.
back to top |
|
|
|
|
Enhance Your Professional Competence | |
by Jodie Futornick BCC
The 2012 APC Annual Conference Workshops Committee has assembled a collection of high-quality presentations designed to enhance chaplains' professional competence. We sought to incorporate the most timely topics in quality pastoral care, including: research, spiritual assessment, charting, work with diverse populations, ethics and palliative care.
For each workshop, we have identified relevant APC Standards of Practice. Our intention is to guide our chaplains in the development of their individual continuing education programs.
Complete workshop information and conference registration will be available on the APC website at the end of the month under Annual Conference.
Rabbi Jodie Futornick BCC is a staff chaplain at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, IL. She serves APC as the 2012 Conference Workshops chair, member of the Education Committee and state representative for Illinois. She may be contacted at jodie.futornick@advocatehealth.com.
back to top |
|
Transforming APC for the Future | |
by the APC Governance Implementation Task Force
Last fall, the board approved a new governance model proposed by the Governance Task Force (GTF). The GTF looked at other professional societies, researched best practices in nonprofit governance, and came to the conclusion there is a better way to govern. The new governance model will move the board from a management focus to a governance and stewardship focus, allowing board members to focus on strategic visioning. This model is a transformative change necessary to ensure APC's relevance to our members and to our profession both now and in the future.
This new governance model was based on the following principles:
- Creating a more nimble organization with the ability to make quick decisions, allowing APC to seize rather than miss opportunities.
- Providing more flexibility through shorter terms for volunteers, fewer standing committees and more task forces dedicated to projects and goals with a specific focus and time frame.
- Decreasing the time commitment of APC leaders by developing a board succession plan.
- Revising the current nominating process to ensure APC attracts the best-suited members to serve on the board and executive committee.
- Utilizing volunteers as thought leaders and content experts rather than project managers or administrators.
The following is a brief overview of the new governance structure:
- The APC board will be comprised of nine board members, four officers and the BCCI representative. The Chief Executive Officer will be an ex-officio non-voting member of the board of directors. Each board member will serve a three-year term.
- Executive Committee members will be the president, president-elect, treasurer, secretary and BCCI representative. Each officer will serve a one-year term.
- The officer succession plan will be secretary to treasurer to president-elect to president.
- The Nominating Committee will vet all candidates and prepare a slate of candidates.
The board appointed a Governance Implementation Task Force to develop a transition plan to implement this new model by Nov. 1, 2012. The transition plan will accommodate those already serving in elected or appointed positions.
The task force has been meeting the past few months and will present its implementation plan to the board at its June 2012 board meeting. The membership will be appraised as further details develop.
We hope that you will join us in embracing the exciting opportunities our new governance model will bring. The future holds great possibilities for us, and our new governance structure will enable us to be ready for them.
The Governance Implementation Task Force is chaired by Valerie R. Storms MDiv BCC. Also serving on the task force are Margie Atkinson DMin BCC, Richard B. Haines DMin BCC, Rev. Robert L. Hendricks MDiv BCC, Kimberly Murman MDiv MBA BCC, Darryl I. Owens MDiv BCC CT, and Patricia Appelhans, CEO. Questions may be directed to Patricia Appelhans. She may be contacted at pat@professionalchaplains.org.
back to top |
|
What a Difference a Companion Makes | |
by Teresa S. McIlwain DMin BCC
When my 19-year-old daughter came home for Christmas break from Tuskeegee University, she asked me to watch animal kingdom with her. She is an animal science major and is fascinated with anything pertaining to animals. I reluctantly agreed to watch an episode on lions with her. However, the more I watched, the more I became interested in how the lions were living and acquiring their food. The lions never attack a group of animals. It is only when their prey is alone that the lions will strike. A herd of elephants was walking to the water hole for water. All made it safely except the one going to the water hole alone. As soon as he passed the lions in hiding, one lion after another jumped onto his back. Soon, the big elephant was on the ground and devoured by lions.
As APC's Multicultural/Multiethnic chair, I began to think about the many chaplains of diverse ethnic backgrounds and different cultures who have not reached their professional goals and experienced the successes they have desired because they are going to their "water holes" alone. I wondered how many more would be board certified if they had a companion to walk them through the process. I wondered how many would still be working at their institutions if they had a companion to help them adjust to and understand the culture of their work environment.
As chair, I would like chaplains of diverse backgrounds and different cultures to be companions to one another. I would like for us to journey together, and share information, skills and experiences that will help us all reach our "water holes." The Racial Ethnic Multicultural Network of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education is celebrating its 25th Annual Invitational Feb. 8-11, 2012 because a few African American clinical pastoral education students decided to journey to their "water hole" together. What a difference a companion makes! Let's start our journey together. Contact me today.
Teresa S. McIlwain DMin BCC serves on the APC Membership Services Council as the Multicultural/Multiethnic chair. She may be contacted by phone at 704.379.7501 or e-mail at tsmcilwain@bellsouth.net.
back to top |
|
JHCC Publishes Studies of Chaplaincy Research in US | |
by Kevin J. Flannelly PhD
The most recent issue of the Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy contains two very significant, complementary reviews of research on chaplaincy in the US, "Testing the Efficacy of Chaplaincy Care" and "A Methodological Analysis of Chaplaincy Research 2000-2009." I believe these articles are so important to the field that I have asked JHCC's publisher, Taylor & Francis, to make them available for free at the journal's website. I invite APC members to go to our website to download these articles for free: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/whcc20/current.
Members are also invited to go to the following website, where they can download a free copy of an important article by George Fitchett about the use of case studies in chaplaincy, which appeared in JHCC earlier this year: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/whcc20/17/1-2.
Kevin J. Flannelly PhD is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy and the associate director of research at the Spears Research Institute in New York, NY. He may be contacted at kflannelly@healthcarechaplaincy.org.
back to top |
|
Funding Opportunity for Chaplaincy Research in Palliative Care | |
HealthCare Chaplaincy, New York, NY has released a Call for Proposals for a pioneering grant-making initiative aimed at growing the field of chaplaincy research in palliative care. HealthCare Chaplaincy welcomes applications from interdisciplinary research teams comprised of health, behavioral or social scientists, and board certified chaplains who are affiliated with educational or health care institutions, research organizations, or other types of nonprofit organizations in the U.S. or Canada. Consortia of such institutions or organizations are also welcome to apply.
The deadline for submitting applications is Mar. 15, 2012 at 3:00 pm ET. HealthCare Chaplaincy will select and fund six to10 interrelated and interdisciplinary research projects at a total of $1.5 million that will:
- Develop and explore hypotheses about chaplains' contributions to palliative care;
- Team experienced health, behavioral and social scientists with chaplains to develop their research skills by becoming active participants in the research enterprise;
- Involve aspiring chaplain-researchers whose projects are not selected for funding through the competitive RFP process, but who, nonetheless, show considerable promise as researchers
These grants are made possible through the John Templeton Foundation. The foundation's support will help HealthCare Chaplaincy advance scientific research on professional chaplaincy's contributions to health and health care, particularly palliative care.
If you have additional questions, please contact Robert Wolf, HealthCare Chaplaincy senior vice president of innovation and development, e-mail jtf-applicant@healthcarechaplaincy.org, phone 646.597.6934. back to top |
|
Chaplaincy Case Studies Resource | | John J. (Jack) Gleason BCC (retired), is building a free online spiritual care knowledge base as a resource for anyone to use in challenging spiritual care situations, such as issues of aging or fear of cancer recurrence, with over 200 samples in 24 categories. See case studies of what someone actually did and learned in a situation similar to yours. At http://www.acperesearch.net click on "Ideal Intervention Project." Locate your category in the Table of Contents, and then proceed to the appropriate page. E-mail Jack at mariejohn50@att.net regarding how to contribute your own experiences.
back to top |
|
Upcoming APC Professional Chaplaincy Webinars | |
Mar. 6, 2012. Webinar Journal Club: Religious Meaning-Making Coping with Chronic Illness, presented by George Fitchett PhD BCC and Patricia Murphy PhD BCC. Registration deadline Feb. 24, 2012.
Mar. 22, 2012. Disenfranchised Grief and Health Care Chaplains, presented by Rev. Steven Spidell DMin BCC. Registration deadline Mar. 13, 2012.
Apr. 24, 2012. End-of-life Care: Education of the Interdisciplinary Team, presented by Rev. George L. West DMin BCC and Cynthia Forrest PhD. Registration deadline Apr. 13, 2012.
May 8, 2012: Webinar Journal Club: An Intervention to Address Religious Meaning-Making, presented by George Fitchett PhD BCC and Patricia Murphy PhD BCC. Registration deadline Apr. 27, 2012.
Visit the APC Store for details.
back to top |
|
|
|
|
E-Chaplain Ministry Extends Hospital's Mission into the Community | |
by Jenny Tillay BCC
Every morning at 6:00 am, Chaplain Mark Woolfington boots up his computer at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital and checks his e-mail in-box for "please pray for me" messages.
Then he does.
"There aren't a lot of people who walk in here and say, 'Pray for me,'" says Woolfington. "This is a way for us to bring our ministry to people who really need it, but maybe for a variety of reasons, just can't ask for it."
Adventist Midwest Health recently launched an E-Chaplain ministry program at all four hospitals, fulfilling its mission of "extending the healing ministry of Christ" electronically to people who need it the most.  | | AMLH Pastoral Care Dept. Back row: Chaplain Colleen Narbone, Chaplain Fr. Deus Byomuhangi, E-Chaplain Mark Woolfington. Front row: CPE Supervisor Jan McCabe, Chaplain Jenny Tillay, Administrative Assistant Mimi Giles. |
Adventist Midwest Health chaplains provide spiritual and emotional care with Christian compassion and thoughtful service. They are on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week and try to see all new patients. Information about the E-Chaplain service is given to patients with their discharge packets, and an Adventist Health Care at Home chaplain can make a home visit if that is desired.
The E-Chaplain ministry prayer request service is accessible from the organization's keepingyouwell.com website and on the AMH intranet for employees.
People submit prayers on everything from grief to relationship issues. As requested, the E-Chaplain will respond to e-mails and offer chaplain services through counseling, answering questions, explaining biblical truth, simple encouragement and following up with phone ministry, which many prefer. If a professional counselor is needed, that information is provided along with their prayers. A Spanish-speaking chaplain helps out with the Spanish requests.
The E-Chaplain ministry serves employees when tragedy strikes not only their patient's lives but also their own. Recently, after the sudden death of an employee's mother, the employee reached out to the E-Chaplain to express thanks for the support and care she received from her department and the chaplains during her time of crisis. She wrote, "I just want to share how wonderful it is to work in a Christian environment. With the passing of my mom, I am so blessed with so many friends who really care. Our chaplain was able to be there with my family, spoke at my mom's funeral and checks on me frequently. I spend more time with my coworkers than with my own family, and they are holding my hand through this all. Please share this with the Pastoral Care department and Administration as a real compliment."
The E-Chaplain ministry allows staff members who may be uncomfortable seeking out a chaplain in person to share what is really going on in their lives. They are able to receive support and guidance in a non-threatening way, and the ministry provides the chaplains one more point of contact with the staff they serve.
People don't have to be patients or staff to use the E-Chaplain ministry. In fact, about 90 percent of patient contacts at Adventist Midwest Health are not admissions to one of the four hospitals; instead they are through outpatient services, Adventist Health Care at Home or Adventist St. Thomas Hospice. A recent request dealt with a man in New Jersey who contacted the E-Chaplain when his daughter came to La Grange's Emergency Department. He was hoping that a chaplain could visit and convey a message to her in person, which Mark was happy to accomplish.
Adventist Midwest Health's mission is to "extend the healing ministry of Christ" to everyone we serve, and this ministry is a major extension of spiritual care into the communities that we serve. With E-Chaplain ministry, support is available whenever our staff, our patients or our community needs us.
Chaplain Jenny Tillay MDiv BCC is the manager of Pastoral Care at Adventist La Grange Hospital in La Grange, IL. She may be contacted at jenny.tillay@ahss.org.
|
|
History Corner | |
Featuring historical news briefs, significant facts and interesting trivia from the pastoral care past, brought to you by the APC History Committee.
1981 - The role of women in chaplaincy and in the College of Chaplains was becoming increasingly evident. Terry Ruth Culbertson invited all women chaplains to a special women's caucus during the college's annual meeting and of the 58 chaplains certified in 1981 year, eight were women. Women were also appointed to serve on councils for the first time.
back to top |
|
|
