Communities of Chaplains FAQ
SCA Communities of Chaplains are groups of no more than 12 Spiritual Care Association chaplains who come together for regular online meetings to promote collegial connection, ongoing development, and mutual support.
The purpose of Communities of Chaplains is to offer:
- peer support for professional chaplains
- mentoring opportunities between members
- a safe community for mutual accountability and peer supervision
- opportunities to enhance professional and spiritual development
The benefits of community life can be profound, including:
- connecting with others who are working in the same profession
- opportunities to increase spiritual life and well being
- hearing new strategies and information to improve chaplain work
- sharing experiences with others who have similar or different backgrounds
- learning from real-life case studies of fellow chaplains
The values that characterize these communities include:
- diversity of religion, spirituality, and thought
- diversity of chaplain service settings represented
- diversity of backgrounds, from advanced professional to no CPE
- mutual respect and tolerance for all community members
- common support for evidence-based best practices
Communities meet monthly for 60 to 90 minutes via Zoom. Each community chooses a moderator to act as the focal point for planning and communicating meeting times, agendas etc. A rotating facilitator may lead each monthly meeting. Where possible, communities are encouraged to meet quarterly for longer sessions in which more in-depth discussion and peer learning may take place.
Initially, communities are organized by geographic region. As the program grows, there will be opportunities to organize along specialty service lines, such as first responder, hospice, palliative care, pediatrics and psychiatric settings.
Yes, meeting time can count towards annual CEU requirements.
Any member of the Spiritual Care Association may join a community, regardless of years of experience or level of certification. In community, new chaplains with little or no CPE can be mentored by their more experienced colleagues.
No. Communities are supported through the Spiritual Care Association as a benefit of membership at no additional cost.
Send an email to Chaplain David Pascoe, Director of Chaplain Community Life at communitylife@spiritualcareassociation.org indicating your interest. Include your full name, level of certification, city and state where you work and the area in which you currently serve as a chaplain (e.g. hospital, hospice, police, elder care).
