We are pleased to assist our community in reaching a higher level of healing through use of spiritual resources.

Chapter II

Chapter II, a six-week grief support group, is provided several times each year by the Department of Pastoral Care, free of charge.  If you are interested in attending such a support group, please call our offices at 405/949-3195, and someone will arrange for you to receive additional information and will assist you in signing up for the group.

ACPE Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)

Dr. Richard C. Cabot conceived Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) as a method of learning pastoral practice in a clinical setting under supervision. The Rev. Anton Boisen enlarged the concept to include a case study method of theological inquiry—a study of the person as a “living human document.”

As CPE developed, other CPE leaders expanded integrate pastoral practice with a knowledge of medicine, psychology, and behavioral sciences. Today, many supervisors emphasize the importance of pastoral relationships being formed through an integration of personal history, behavioral theory and method, and spiritual development.

ACPE CPE is theological and professional education for ministry. In ACPE CPE, theological students, ordained clergy, members of religious orders, and qualified laypersons minister to people in crisis situations while being supervised. Out of intense involvement with supervisors, other students, people in crisis and other professionals, ACPE CPE students are challenged to improve the quality of their pastoral relationships.

As an action/reflection program of theological education for theological students, parish clergy, and select lay persons, ACPE CPE offers an opportunity for a different kind of learning. ACPE CPE at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center offers students the opportunity to gain a stronger understanding of pastoral ministry through a unique learning experience. As members of an interdisciplinary health care team, students provide pastoral care to patients, families, and staff who are in crisis.

The clinical experience is examined in both an ecumenical peer group and in consultation with a chaplain supervisor. Using the action/reflection process, students evaluate the effectiveness of their styles of ministry in relation to theological perspectives, faith practice, religious traditions, and the needs of the person served. The insights and pastoral skills derived from the education process are then integrated into new experiences for ministry and learning.

Through pastoral practice, case studies and verbatim, individual supervision, seminar participation, and relevant reading, students are encouraged to develop genuine caring pastoral relationships. Through viewing complicated life situations from different viewpoints, students can gain understanding and new insights about the human situation. Theological reflection is important in ACPE CPE as pastoral people seek ways to integrate theology with life experience. Essential elements in ACPE CPE include an accredited ACPE CPE center, a certified ACPE CPE supervisor(s) to provide pastoral supervision, a small peer group engaged in common learning experiences and providing pastoral care to people in crisis, detailed pastoral practice reporting, a specific period for learning, and an individual learning contract.

INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center is the flagship hospital in a system of hospitals statewide. Baptist is a 600-bed acute care facility that houses six Centers of Excellence including cancer, transplant, heart, burn, women’s health, otology, and oncology. The Clinical Pastoral Education program at Baptist began in 1978 and has run continuously since that time. Five full-time staff chaplains and a director comprise the Department of Pastoral Care, and they, along with chaplain residents, provide 24-hour support for the hospital.

ACPE CPE at Baptist has specific strengths. We consider them to be a large hospital setting with opportunity for emergency and intensive short-term care as well as long-term pastoral relationships, emphasis on developing one’s personal gifts and using one’s history in ministry, flexibility in programming, and a diverse pastoral care and counseling staff available as a continuing education resource to students.

Curriculum for ACPE CPE includes individual supervision, didactics designed to meet the individual learning needs of the group, verbatim seminar using pastoral visits for discussion, and interpersonal relationship seminars which provide opportunity for group discussion and support.

The prerequisite for entrance to ACPE CPE is theological education or expertise sufficient to enable a student to benefit from this postgraduate educational experience. Ministers—pastors, ministers of education, music, youth, children—seminary students, and pastoral counselors are invited to apply.

Students serve as pastors to hospital patients, their families and staff or in parishes or other institutions. Since active involvement in doing and reflecting upon ministry is required, a primary goal is “ministry formation,” the discovery and acceptance of unique gifts and skills in pastoral care. We encourage this through experiential learning: doing ministry, studying theoretical materials, receiving feedback, personal reflection, and applying one’s learning to ministry relationships. ACPE CPE programs offered include CPE (Levels I & II) and Supervisory CPE.

• Summer CPE—an intensive, eleven-week program. Students work 40 hours per week at the hospital and receive opportunities in varied hospital settings.
• Parish-Based CPE—a one-day-a-week program, students serve in parishes as clinical areas. The supervisor meets with members of the parish.
• CPE Residency—a year-long residency from August to August with salary and benefits. A Master of Divinity degree from an institution accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) is required.

Prospective candidates will submit an application packet with a non-refundable $25 application fee. After review of the application, an interview at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center may be arranged at the candidate’s expense. If offered acceptance into the program, the candidate must submit an acceptance letter with a $100 confirmation fee to be applied to tuition. Applications are accepted and interviews conducted until all positions are filled.

Application procedures are:

• Completion of an ACPE application
• A screening interview with a qualified interviewer.

To receive an application and brochure or to obtain more information about the details of ACPE CPE at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center, please contact our offices at 405/949-3195.

For more information about ACPE Clinical Pastoral Education, please go to http://www.acpe.edu/ .

General Information

• Application Fee:  $25.00 (This fee is non-refundable.)
• Confirmation Fee $100.00 (This fee is due upon acceptance or readmission to the program and is applied to first unit’s tuition.)
• Tuition $350 (This fee is required for each unit.)
• Residency Salary $25,600 for one year.
• Benefits are available.

Dates for CPE in 2008 (Dates are subject to change)

Winter:  November 27, 2007—February 12, 2008

Spring:  February 26, 2008—May 6, 2008

Summer:  May 27, 2008—August 5, 2008

Fall:  August 26, 2008—November 11, 2008

Supervisory Staff

The Rev. Karrie A. Oertli
Board Certified Chaplain and ACPE Supervisor
Director, Department of Pastoral Care


Information and Applications

The Rev. Karrie A. Oertli
INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center
Department of Pastoral Care 100 7465
3300 N.W. Expressway
Oklahoma City, OK 73112-4481
405/949-3195; 405/949-3358 (fax)
Karrie.Oertli@integris-health.com

This ACPE CPE Center is accredited by:

The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc.
1549 Clairmont Road, Suite 103
Decatur, GA 30033
404/320-1472; 404/320-0849 (Fax)
http://www.acpe.edu/