Chaplains in American society run the gamut in terms of background and training. Many belong to specific religions or faith groups. Others are interfaith chaplains with no religious affiliation. Some are second career men and women with no seminary education. Others are volunteers, from various walks of life. There are humanist chaplains who believe in caring for their fellow human beings without a belief in God or a Higher Power. And, of course, other men and women from a broad range of religious backgrounds, who have come into chaplaincy through more traditional channels. Most have been trained by a variety of different organizations and are certified or credentialed in many different ways.

The Spiritual Care Association (SCA) was formed in 2016 to standardize the fragmented field of chaplaincy training by providing resources, education, and certification that are backed by evidence-based practice and indicators of quality care. Consulting with leaders in the field, we developed a set of Common Standards and Quality Indicators in spiritual care to ensure that the skills and performance of SCA-trained chaplains and spiritual caregivers can be measured objectively. To deliver all of this knowledge, we developed an online Learning Center, which has grown to become the most extensive and successful online chaplain education program in the world. To visit our Learning Center, click here.

At SCA, our commitment to every chaplain, no matter who you are, what you believe, or where you work, is that you will find a company of like-minded men and women engaged in the spiritual and emotional support of people who are suffering or in crisis and committed to excellence and growth in their chosen field.