Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Laura Myers | 180928-N-IY469-135 – Capt. Dale White, Chaplain of Navy Medicine, delivers the...... read more read more
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, in conjunction with Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center (HVAMC), held a graduation ceremony for the nine members of the 2018 class of the Pastoral Care Residency Program, Sep. 28.
The year-long Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training, sponsored by Navy Chaplain Corps and Navy Medicine, is a joint initiative between the Navy and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and it prepares chaplains for a wartime environment where they could be called upon to provide mental and emotional support.
“Formed in 1984, the Hampton Roads Clinical Pastoral Education Center united the efforts of the Navy Chaplain core and the Veteran’s Health Administration’s National Chaplain Center to provide clinical pastoral education for both the United States Navy and Veteran’s Administration chaplains,” explained the master of ceremony, Lt. Cmdr. Chad McIntosh, Navy Chaplain Corps. “During the course of the past year, these residents completed a combined total of 3,500 pages of reading, over 400 hundred (hours) of structured group and individual supervision, and more than 1,200 hours of clinical practice in patient and veteran care.”
The program is primarily for Navy and VA civilian chaplains, but can include reservists and members of the other services. This year's class was comprised of four Navy, one Royal Navy, and four civilian chaplains.
Dr. Kim Nielson, HVAMC education supervisor, has been with the program for the last 33 years, and he spoke about the importance of CPE. “The miracle here is what these students have participated in,” said Nielson. “It’s the miracle of being able to look past the way someone asked fulfillment of their need to the need itself. One of the goals for CPE is that we create some good discerning abilities to see other’s needs.”
The Navy CPE training graduates are now eligible for a Navy 1440N sub-specialty designation. “But you’re all eligible for board certification,” said Capt. Christopher Culp, NMCP’s commanding officer. “And I challenge you all to pursue and attain that.”
“I challenge you to use this year, this set of skills, this enhanced insight that you have , to do what you do in the chaplain community like what we do in the medical community…to heal, to teach, to inspire, and, most importantly, to provide joy,” added Culp. “We need that. We need that on the Navy side, need that in America, and we need that in our society.”
The graduates included Cmdr. Paul Greer, Chaplain Corps; Cmdr. Chris Hester, Chaplain Corps; Lt. Cmdr. Todd Mallory, Chaplain Corps; Lt. Jared Smith, Chaplain Corps; Reverend David Calhoun, Master of Divinity; Reverend Holly Heikkila, Master of Divinity; Reverend Dallas Jones, Master of Divinity; Reverend Jacqueline Nicholson, Master of Arts; and Chaplain Tutor Botwood, Royal Navy (not in attendance).
As the U. S. Navy's oldest, continuously-operating hospital since 1830, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth proudly serves past and present military members and their families. The nationally acclaimed, state of the art medical center, including its ten branch and TRICARE Prime clinics, serves the Hampton Roads area; in addition to premier research and teaching programs designed to prepare new doctors, nurses and hospital corpsmen for future roles in healing and wellness.
| Date Taken: | 09.28.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 10.03.2018 07:39 |
| Story ID: | 295225 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 454 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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