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What is the difference between a chaplain and a spiritual care practitioner?

They are the same.  The title differs depending on where you are.  In Canada "Spiritual Care Practitioner" has mainly replaced the word "Chaplain". In the US, "Chaplain" is still widely used. Other common terms are Spiritual Health Practitioner and Spiritual Care Provider. 

 How do I become a Spiritual Care Practitioner?

• Spiritual Care Practitioners (SCP) are part of the professional care team who are clinically trained to address spiritual needs with a wide variety of people.
• They work in diverse contexts such as health care, mental health, corrections, educational settings and industry. Like other allied health team members they have a graduate degree and specialized training in their field of expertise.
• A Certified SCP has two basic and two advanced units of Clinical Psychospiritual Education (CPE).
• After CPE training, they have completed 1000 hours of supervised experience and passed a rigorous certification process.
• A Certified SCP also has a graduate degree (MDiv or equivalent- MA Theology, MA in Spiritual Care,  MA in Religious Studies, MPS – Masters of Pastoral Studies). These are offered by many academic institutions across Canada.
• Click here to view the sites that offer CPE across  Canada

How do I become a Psychospiritual Therapist?

• Psychospiritual Therapists (PST) are often part of the professional Care team who are clinically trained to address spiritual needs with a wide variety of people.
• They can work in private practice or in diverse contexts such as mental health clinics and facilities, or faith based institutions. Like other allied health team members they have a graduate degree and specialized training in their field of expertise.
• A certified PST has two basic and two advanced units of Psychospiritual Therapy Education (PTE).
• Certification requires completing 500 hours of supervised counselling at the Advanced level of CASC/ACSS training and a rigorous certification process.
• Click here to view the sites that offer PTE across Canada
• A graduate degree (MDiv or equivalent- MA Theology, MA in Spiritual Care,  MA in Religious Studies, MPS Masters of Pastoral Studies) is offer by many academic institutions across Canada.

How long does it take?

• Certification as either a Spiritual Care Practitioner (SCP) or a Psychospiritual Therapist (PST) requires a graduate degree (MDiv or equivalent) and four units of either Clinical Psychospiritual Education (CPE) or Psychospiritual Therapy Education (PTE). 
• Graduate level degrees usually take two to three years of full-time study.
• CPE training can be done full time or part time while PTE training is only offered part time over extended periods of time. Each unit requires 400 hours of classroom and clinical time (200 hours of each).
• A full-time unit is eight hours/day, five days per week, and takes 12 weeks. An extended unit is eight hours/day, two days per week and takes 30 weeks (usually from September to April).   
• It is possible to take three or four full time units back-to-back in a "Residency" and complete all required CPE units in under a year. A bursary or stipend is available for residencies. Residencies fill up quickly!
• ​Click here to view residency programs across Canada

How much does it cost?

• Prices for CPE and PTE vary across Canada. A typical unit costs anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000.  Contact individual sites to ask about their fees. 
• Click here to see list of programs that offer CPE/PTE courses.

Are there jobs available?

• ​Click here to see a list of current positions advertised across Canada with CASC/ACSS
• Employment patterns often run in cycles depending on the economy and the environment where positions are offered. Most Spiritual Care positions are found in the health care sector.  If a provincial government is reducing funding to health care, it is likely that positions in Spiritual Care will be reduced. If a government strongly supports funding for health care, spiritual care positions will be increased.
• Other factors that increase one's chance of finding a position: if you possess a needed attribute such as a preferred language, a specific religious background, or a desired cultural familiarity. 

Can I get a job with less training than suggested?

• When there is competition for scarce positions, the person who is most qualified for the job will succeed.  CASC/ACSS works collaboratively with the largest health networks, institutions and organizations offering spiritual care/psychospiritual therapy across the country. Many of these organizations seek employees who are Certified or who have pursued training with CASC/ACSS.  
• Other factors that increase one's chance of finding a position with less than the required qualifications are possessing a desired attribute such as a preferred language, a specific religious background, or cultural familiarity. 

Do I have to be ordained?

• ​No. Ordination is not required to be a Spiritual Care Practitioner or Psychospiritual Therapist​

Where are Training Programs Located?

• Training programs for Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and Psychospiritual Therapy Education (PTE) are found across Canada.
• Click here to view a list of CPE and PTE programs.

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I have been a clergy person for many years.  Can I get a job in spiritual care?​

• There is a great overlap between the skill set of clergy persons and Spiritual Care Practitioners (SCPs). It is an advantage that clergy often already have a graduate degree in theology or a related discipline. Clergy often have strong listening skills, an ability to quickly establish caring and safe relationships and are familiar with the need for professional boundaries and confidentiality.
• A key distinction is that SCPs are trained to provide spiritual care outside of a specific denomination or faith group. Ministering across denominations and faiths and to persons of no faith requires additional training and experience. SCP's are also trained to work with the medical or mental health care team and are familiar with the specialized systems and processes involved in providing holistic care to persons in crisis and distress. For this reason additional Clinical training-- Clinical Psychospiritual Education (CPE) or Psychospiritual Therapy Education (PTE)--is required.