Clinical Pastoral Education
The mission of the Norton Healthcare Clinical Pastoral Education program is to utilize our multi-institutional hospital setting to educate and train pastoral practitioners to be competent, caring, integrated professionals, able to self-evaluate, reflect theologically and consult while providing spiritual care to patients, their families and staff.
The Education
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is theological and professional education for ministry. While caring for “living human documents,” students learn about themselves and acquire pastoral skills in a clinical setting under qualified supervision. CPE emphasizes the integration of pastoral ministry, theology, psychology and other behavioral sciences.
CPE is open to seminary and divinity school students, clergy, qualified laypersons and members of religious orders. Growth in pastoral reflection, pastoral formation and pastoral competence is the expected outcome.
CPE is a dynamic and experiential educational process. Students provide pastoral care to patients, families and staff, and then reflect on these interactions with peers and their supervisor. Each participant is encouraged to develop learning objectives relevant to his or her needs. These objectives are addressed through direct pastoral care, seminars, case conferences, interpersonal relations groups, individual supervision, weekly written reflection and assigned readings.
CPE seeks to help students understand how their personal history and faith tradition affect the nature of the pastoral care they offer. Participants learn to increase their pastoral effectiveness through personal growth and the development of professional competence.
CPE at Norton Healthcare continues the tradition of caring and preparation for ministry that is at the heart of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education’s mission. CPE at Norton Healthcare gives students the opportunity to:
Develop and clarify pastoral identity
- Recognize strengths in ministry
- Develop skills in crisis ministry
- Develop skills in grief counseling
- Minister to the needs of hospitalized persons and their families
Accreditation
CPE at Norton Healthcare is accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) and is recognized and affirmed by the United States Department of Education.
The Setting
Norton Healthcare is a not-for-profit, four-hospital system in Louisville , Ky. The downtown hospitals include Norton Hospital for adults and Kosair Children’s Hospital for pediatric patients. One of the top children’s hospitals in America , Kosair Children’s Hospital is the region’s only full-service, free-standing pediatric hospital and trauma center. Norton Hospital is known for its cardiology and orthopaedic care. Both Norton Hospital and Kosair Children’s Hospital are affiliated with the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
In 1998, Norton Audubon and Norton Suburban hospitals joined Norton Healthcare. Norton Audubon, in southeastern Louisville , is known for its cardiology services and has the busiest emergency room in the area. Norton Suburban is known for its women’s services (nearly 6,000 babies born there in 2007) and oncology services. Both of these hospitals have strong community ties: Norton Audubon is surrounded by strong Catholic neighborhoods, and Norton Suburban was the first Louisville “East End ” hospital.
Norton Healthcare has a rich heritage of ecumenical support. Individual hospitals were founded by various faith groups: Norton Hospital by Episcopalians; the Norton Healthcare Pavilion (formerly Methodist Evangelical Hospital ) by the United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ; Kosair Children’s Hospital by Kosair Charities and Presbyterians; and Norton Audubon (originally St. Joseph ’s Infirmary) by a Roman Catholic religious community. This heritage expresses itself in the present commitment to pastoral care and Clinical Pastoral Education.
CPE students have opportunities to serve throughout all four hospitals. A major strength of the CPE program is the diversity of ministerial experience offered. The culture of each hospital presents its own unique learning opportunities.
The Curriculum
The curriculum for both the residency and intern programs is guided by the standards of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education. The program has a strong commitment to understanding life from a theological perspective that is informed by the behavioral sciences and educational theory.
An intern CPE unit offers an overview of pastoral care ministry in a hospital setting. The emphasis is on pastoral identity and pastoral helping skills. Didactics on crisis ministry and bereavement as well as on building staff relationships equip students for both intensive and extensive ministry.
While basic skills and invitation to self-reflection are the foundation of the curriculum, there also is time for personal narrative theology and theological reflection. Exploring one’s personal spiritual journey enhances a person’s ability to help others explore theirs. Using the book resource of Mighty Stories Dangerous Rituals helps weave together narrative theology, developmental psychology and pastoral care rituals.
Chaplain residents train for a year in Norton Healthcare’s health care system. Our commitment is to help our chaplain residents become fully equipped to serve as competent pastors or chaplains at the end of their training. Resident curriculum includes spiritual assessment and interventions, systems theory, multidisciplinary experiences and greater depth in pastoral skills and self-reflection. In the final unit of a residency year, the educational focus is on transitions, interview skills and resumé writing as residents move toward “what’s next.”
Curriculum planning is ongoing and flexible at Norton Healthcare. We offer a dynamic program in which students learn about themselves, their relationships and their professional potential for ministry.
The Staff
The Rev. Ronald C. Oliver, Ph.D., BCC, associate vice president, Pastoral Care, is an ordained Baptist minister. Dr. Oliver has been with Norton Healthcare for 18 years, beginning as a chaplain resident, then becoming Kosair Children’s Hospital staff chaplain, director and division director. He was named an associate vice president in 2007.
CPE Supervisors
As CPE manager, The Rev. Mary Burks-Price, M.Ed., M.Div., directs the Norton Healthcare CPE programs. Rev. Burks-Price joined the Norton Healthcare Pastoral Care staff in 1994 from Baptist Hospital East, where she was oncology chaplain for five years. She completed her supervisory training in the Louisville Cluster. An ordained Baptist minister, she is an ACPEcertified supervisor.
The Rev. Ann A. Letson, M.Div., began her chaplaincy career at Norton Healthcare in 1986, first as chaplain resident then as staff chaplain and CPE Supervisor. She completed her supervisory training in the Louisville Cluster. She returned to Norton Healthcare in 2003 from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem , N.C. , where she was on the supervisory staff for six years. An ordained Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) minister, she is an ACPEcertified supervisor.
Professional Pastoral Care Staff
All four Norton Healthcare hospitals are served by professional staff chaplains. The chaplains are diverse in denominational background, professional credentials and clinical expertise, which enriches both the education program and the lives of those served in each hospital. This gifted staff has a commitment to mentoring students and participating fully in their educational experience.
Definitions
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE):“Learning by doing” ministry under Association for Clinical Pastoral Education supervision in an accredited CPE center
Intern CPE: 400 hours of training as an unpaid student chaplain
Resident CPE: An employee on year-long stipend who takes three additional CPE units
Former students speak:
“The CPE program at Norton Healthcare is exceptional. The diversity of the hospitals and patient populations allowed for the practice of various types of ministry.”
–Tara Nicholas, hospice chaplain, former chaplain resident, Presbyterian Church USA minister
“My CPE experience at Norton Healthcare has been deep and rich. Ann and Mary are gifted and wise supervisors; my chaplain colleagues and the Norton Healthcare staff had a clear understanding of the role of chaplain and invited me as a student to walk in that role. My fellow students offered me invaluable insights into myself as a minister.” –Shannon Queenan, staff chaplain, Kosair Children’s Hospital, Roman Catholic minister
“The CPE program at Norton Healthcare allowed me to discover and learn in the areas of my ministry that I wanted to strengthen. I have been able to take what I have learned in CPE and adapt it to my own ministry in teaching pastoral care/counseling and in working with university students.” –Anne Windus, Baptist missionary, Manila, Philippines
“As a minister who is in transition, the CPE program at Norton Healthcare has been an excellent place to be. The group and individual supervision is the best quality available anywhere. The clinical assignments provide the laboratory where helping skills that are being learned can be put into practice. The pastoral care staff here is more than willing to help reinforce the learning. The following descriptor words would best describe my experience here: challenging, comforting, buttressing, self-revealing, confronting, caring, life-changing, learning, growing, helping, equipping, soul-stirring.”
–Joe Bradley, former chaplain resident, Church of Christ minister, chaplain, Clark Memorial
“At Norton Healthcare I was not treated as a student but rather as a full-fledged chaplain! The program instills in students a sense of self-worth, value and authority in the role. In addition to a variety of cases, people and circumstances, Norton offers a supervisory team with excellent talents – I was listened to, valued, challenged and supported! This program was invaluable to me!”
–Angela Madden, former CPE student, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
“I was sorry I was only able to take one unit of CPE. I loved the environment and the people.”
–Ken Evans, former CPE student, Methodist minister, spiritual retreat director
Admission Procedure
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Complete ACPE application
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CPE Supervisor will schedule admission interview within one month of application
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Interview with Pastoral Advisory Board Members (for residency positions only)
Information and Application
Contact: The Rev. Mary Burks-Price
Norton Healthcare Pastoral Care
Medical Healthcare Pavilion Ste 525
315 East Broadway
Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: (502) 629-3152
E-mail: maryb.price@nortonhealthcare.org
Or: Send a complete ACPE application, including all requested attachments and $25 application fee to Norton Healthcare at the address above.
Intern Units
Chaplain interns are student volunteers. A CPE unit consists of 400 hours of clinical training. Two programs are offered each year.
Upcoming dates:
- Jan. 12 - May 4, 2009
- May 18 - July 27, 2009
Tuition : $650 per unit, plus $25 application fee
Deadline: One month prior to unit beginning date or until the program is full
Residency Positions
Prerequisite: 1 ACPE Unit
Chaplain residents are paid employees for a one-year training program. Seven positions are available.
- Applications accepted until positions are filled
- Employment begins: Aug. 18, 2008 for the 2008-2009 residency
- Three CPE units included
- Tuition: $400 per unit
- Health care benefits available at employee rates
- Stipend: $24,000 annually
