Summer Intensive Unit Program - Clinical Pastoral Education

This CPE Summer Intensive Unit is primarily for students who are enrolled in an accredited seminary and who are taking this unit to fulfill a denominational or seminary requirement for CPE as field education placement. This option can also be chosen by ordained clergy, members of religious orders or qualified lay persons who plan to move towards professional chaplaincy.

Students will provide spiritual care coverage to their assigned units in cooperation with a staff chaplain. In addition, students will participate in on-call duty (weekend/holiday) an average of 3 to 4 times a month. The clinical site will be on of the hospitals in Ochsner Health including Ochsner Medical Center, Jefferson Highway, New Orleans.

The summer unit begins the first week of June and concludes in mid-August. The unit comprises a minimum of 300 hours of clinical work (patient care) and a minimum of 100 hours of group education. This program integrates training in a clinical setting with verbatim, integrative seminars, interpersonal relationship seminars (IPR), case study reflection, didactic presentations and one-on-one work with an accredited CPE supervisor/educator. Consequently, CPE students actively serve people in crisis while strengthening their personal, professional and theological capacities through reflecting upon, understanding and growing from lived experience of ministry. Intensive interaction with peers, staff, seminar leaders and the educator helps students to develop new awareness as persons and professional pastoral care providers.

Summer Intensive Unit Dates

• 1st week in June through 2nd week in August
• Tuition: Covered for all students completing their clinical hours at Ochsner locations. For all others, the cost is $250 that is due at the midway point of the unit.

Benefits

• Meal tickets while serving on-call duty

Requirements

Required:

• High school graduate and some theological education from your religious tradition.

Preferred:

• Undergraduate degree from the CHEA-member organization with concentration in divinity/ theology/religious studies and/or a master’s degree with concentration in divinity/theology/religious studies from a CHEA-member organization.
• Ordination or commission to function in ministry/pastoral care or in the process toward.

Note: If your spiritual/religious tradition does not prioritize/recognize traditional graduate education, provide proof of mentorship/training in that tradition in the form of a letter of endorsement.