Alberta Health Services
Clinical Pastoral Education
Hospital Chaplaincy Training ProgramsAlberta Health Services offers a hospital chaplaincy training program with teaching centers in Calgary and Edmonton. This Clinical Pastoral Education program (CPE) is offered according to the certification standards of the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care.
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is an experience-based approach to learning practical skills and competencies for ministry. It combines qualified supervision and group reflection with clinical learning about spiritual and pastoral care. CPE programs are open to ordained and lay persons studying in theological education. As well, students in other disciplines who seek to learn in the field of spiritual assessment and care, and are keen to walk in the shoes of spiritual care practitioners, are welcome to apply. CPE aims to assist learners in achieving their full personal, vocational and professional potential for ministry.
Programs are offered at facilities throughout Canada, including general, pediatric and psychiatric hospitals, correctional centres and a variety of other locations. Each Centre is connected to a theological college. Teaching Supervisors are certified by the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC.)
In Alberta, Basic, Advanced and Supervisory levels of CPE education are offered. Unique to this province-wide health Region, there are two major CPE learning centres: one in Calgary and one in Edmonton. Both centres feature programs where supervised groups gather in a central location for learning seminars and then go out to diverse clinical placement sites for provision of spiritual care. In Calgary these placement sites include: Alberta Children’s Hospital, Foothills Medical Centre, Peter Lougheed Centre and Rockyview General Hospital. In Edmonton, placement sites include: Alberta Hospital Edmonton, Royal Alexandra Hospitals, and University of Alberta Hospital (which includes Stollery Children’s Hospital & Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute complex). There are a total of three Teaching Supervisors in each of the two urban locations. As well, supervisors at the Associate and Provisional level may participate in the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) programs.
For more information, please contact Chaplain Helen Chan at [email protected].