Your calling to ministry can take many paths, but helping others with their spiritual needs can be part of whatever road you take.
What is clinical pastoral education?
Our Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program consists of residency, internship and supervisory programs for those seeking to serve in ministry. Our program is designed to emphasize the importance of the pastoral relationship and each person's sacred story. The curriculum integrates pastoral skills with:
- personal history
- theology
- behavioral sciences
- spiritual development
As part of a clinical setting, our residency will expose you to individuals in periods of high stress and worry. You’ll engage with patients, family members and our team members to help them with their well-being and spiritual needs.
Our CPE experience is based on the action-reflection-action model of education. This model allows us to study the "living human document" — a term pioneered by the Reverend Anton T. Boisen — which helps us approach our interactions from a case study method in theological education.
We are accredited by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) to offer Level I CPE, Level II CPE and Supervisory CPE.
Training Environment
WellSpan York Hospital
WellSpan York Hospital clinical assignments link students to patients (inpatient and outpatient), families, and staff of a service line. Service lines include Behavioral Health, Cardiovascular, Medical, Neuroscience, Oncology, Surgery, Trauma and Emergency Services, and Women and Children. There is also an Oncology service line at WellSpan Surgery and Rehabilitation Hospital and WellSpan York Cancer Center, both located at Apple Hill.
WellSpan Health's CPE Program also includes training in a $2.3 million 4,500 square feet medical simulation laboratory to facilitate pastoral development, enhancing theological reflection and articulation of the action reflection model of Clinical Pastoral Education. We use professional actors in the simulation environment to re-create common pastoral care scenarios. Simulation involves using high tech cameras, a sound system, and video to view and record a pastoral encounter with simulated patients, families, and staff.
More than 120 medical residents throughout WellSpan train in the simulation laboratory along with nurses, students, chaplains, attending physician and other health care personnel.
Throughout the Residency, students will discover, explore, research, and implement experimentally a method of providing effective spiritual care. Students will present resultant project in the third unit.
Focus of residency units
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Unit 1
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“The Relational and Cultural Context of Spirituality and Spiritual Assessments”
Focus: Orientation to the Clinical Work in York Hospital, Resources for Spiritual Care, Models of
Spiritual Assessments, Praxis of theological, relational, and contextual awareness in spiritual care.
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Unit 2
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"The Developmental and Psychological Contexts of Spiritual Care"
Focus:Study of developmental and psychological models, self-assessment tools, trauma-informed
care, ethics training, and Consultation.
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Unit 3
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"The Integration of Pastoral Formation, Competence, Reflection in Leadership."
Focus: Study of Leadership, integration of cognitive and affective knowledge in spiritual care
and formation of future ministry plans and demonstrated use of research tools.
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This focused experience is augmented by the experience of being the "on call" chaplain. The "on call" chaplain is responsible for provision of pastoral care throughout the hospital 24/7 on days, nights, weekends, and holidays.
Programs available at WellSpan York Hospital are Extended CPE, Summer CPE and CPE Residency. See application and admission process.
WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital
WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital is a community hospital. Student assignments are in settings that provide diversity, with the emphasis on community health and extensive involvement in clinical placements outside the hospital. Through individual supervision and a variety of seminars, we provide the CPE student with an opportunity to learn from experience, through active reflection on ministry.
Programs available at WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital are Extended CPE and Summer CPE.
Our curriculum
Our Clinical Pastoral Education Program is accredited by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). We use ACPE Outcomes and Indicators and can be viewed in the ACPE manual. The Outcomes and Indicators apply to five categories:
- spiritual formation and integration
- awareness of self and others
- relational dynamics
- spiritual care interventions
- professional development
We also utilize ACPE competencies for our CPE certified educator program. The competencies for certified educator training are also available in the ACPE manual.
CPE leadership
Supervision
The Rev. Peter Kuhn, director of Spiritual Care and Education, WellSpan Health, is an ordained minister in the Protestant Church of the Rhineland in communion with the United Church of Christ and part of the Protestant Church of Germany. He holds an M. Div. from the University of Heidelberg in Germany. Peter was trained at North Carolina Baptist Hospital and has served as pastor of different congregations in Germany. Peter is an ACPE Certified Educator and a Board Certified Chaplain of the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC).
The Very Rev. Vasyl E. Marchak, PhD, MDiv, MTh, MBA, MHA, BCC-E, manager of Spiritual Care and Education at Gettysburg Hospital, is an ordained priest and holds ecclesiastical endorsement in the Catholic Church of Byzantine rite. He holds a M.Div. from Odessa Theological Seminary, Ukraine, and M.C.L. and Ph.D. from Pontifical Gregorian University, Institute of Law, Rome, Italy. He did his post-doctoral studies and research at Oxford University, U.K. He obtained a M.H.A. degree from Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, MD and is certified as a LEAN Six Sigma green belt. Dr. Marchak finished his M.B.A. degree with concertation in finance at Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business, Mount St. Mary’s University, Frederick, MD. Very Rev. Dr. Vasyl Marchak received his Master degree in Theology with Concentration in Bioethics and Ethics from the Holy Apostles College and Seminary, Cromwell, CT. He also obtained certification from the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, PA. Vasyl is ACPE Certified Educator and a Board-Certified Chaplain of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains.
The Rev. Angela Flack, Manager of Clinical Pastoral Education, WellSpan Health is an ordained minister in the Baptist Tradition. She holds an M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Currently, she attends both Episcopal and Unitarian churches. Angela was trained at University of Virginia Hospital. Prior to coming to WellSpan, she served as the Director of Education, Assistant Professor, at the Virginia Commonwealth University for fifteen years. She is an ACPE Certified Educator and serves the ACPE Accreditation and Certification Commissions, respectively, in various capacities.
Professional Advisory Group
A Professional Advisory Group assists the director of spiritual care and education and the managers of spiritual care in the supervision of the program. Summer CPE units and extended CPE units are available at WellSpan York Hospital and WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital. The CPE residency program is only available at the WellSpan York Hospital site. Please review the requirements for CPE residency.
Contact Us
Mail
WellSpan Health—Spiritual Care and Education
1001 S. George St.
P.O. Box 15198
York, PA 17405
Fax: (717) 851-4714
WellSpan Health—Spiritual Care and Education
The Rev. Peter Kuhn, Director
ACPE Certified Educator
Phone: (717) 851-2305
Email: pkuhn3@wellspan.org
WellSpan York Hospital—Spiritual Care and Education
1001 S. George St.
P.O. Box 15198
York, PA 17405
Phone: (717) 851-2305
WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital—Spiritual Care and Education
The Very Rev. Vasyl E. Marchak, PhD, MDiv, MHA, BCC-E, Manager
ACPE Certified Educator
147 Gettys St.
P.O. Box 3786
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Phone: (717) 337-4300
Fax: (717) 339-2037
Email: vmarchak@wellspan.org
WellSpan Health is accredited by ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care & Education, 1 Concourse Pkwy, Suite 800, Atlanta GA 30328, (404) 320-1472, www.acpe.edu, to offer Level I CPE, Level II CPE, and Certified Educator CPE.
