CHRIS 180 Institute For Spiritual Health

About the Institute for Spiritual Health

CHRIS 180’s Institute for Spiritual Health focuses on educating and developing the next generation of pastoral care ministers, spiritual advisors, and spiritual caregivers. We believe education is a journey that develops personal and professional core competencies using a student-centered, action-reflective model of learning. We are accredited by ACPE with several clinical placement sites.

Our students and our CPE Educators come from diverse denominations, faiths, cultures, and backgrounds. Our inclusive environment supports this diversity and strengthens our shared learning from each other.

The Institute of Spiritual Health is intimately connected to the mission and vision of CHRIS 180 to heal children, strengthen families, and build community. We believe that relevant, effective, Clinical sPiritual Education is part of our mission with a focus on the spiritual health and wellbeing of children, families, and communities.

We are an ACPE (Association of Clinical Pastoral Education) accredited Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Center with ACPE Certified Educators providing the direct supervision and training for all the CPE interns and residents.

What is CPE?

CPE is interfaith hands-on professional education for ministry and spiritual caregiving. It brings students into supervised encounters with persons in crisis. Out of an intense involvement with persons in need, and the feedback from peers and educators, students develop new awareness of themselves as persons and of the needs of those to whom they minister. From theological reflection on specific human situations, they gain a new understanding of ministry and develop skills in interpersonal and interprofessional relationships.

Our premier CPE program creates a learning environment that is relational, fostering mutual respect, openness, challenge, conflict, constructive confrontation, and dignity. We seek out placements in hospital settings and in community placements with different types of situations. We want our students to both learn and practice the art of pastoral care in a variety of settings.

Contact Information

[email protected]

404-817-6207

1030 Fayetteville RD SE, Atlanta, GA 30316

Now Accepting Applications for Enrollment

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Current Educational Placement Sites

Program Details

Residency Year: September to August (May 1 | Priority Application Deadline* June 15| Application Deadline)

Extended Internship (FALL): September to December (May 1 | Priority Application Deadline* June 15| Application Deadline)

Extended Internship (SPRING): January to May (October 1 | Priority Application Deadline* November 15 Application Deadline)

Summer Intensive Internship: May to August (February 1 | Priority Application Deadline* March 15

*Applying by the priority application deadline can increase your chance of having your application reviewed early and being accepted into our CPE Program.

Types of CPE Experiences

Extended Internship

Successful completion of a 16-to-18-week unit for one credit unit of CPE meets the standards of the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) for Level IA, Level IB, Level IIA, and Level IIB. Students must satisfy the following requirements for course credit:

4-6 hours of group work one day per week
1 hour of individual supervision weekly
10-17 hours of clinical experience weekly
On-call experience at the site assigned (if applicable)

Completion of ACPE accredited CPE units is applicable towards eligibility for certification through ACPE and the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC).

CPE extended internship units are offered twice yearly, January to May and August to December.

Summer Intensive Internship

Successful completion of a 10-14 full-time week unit for one credit unit of CPE meets the ACPE standards for Level IA, Level IB, Level IIA, and Level IIB. Students must satisfy the following requirements for course credit:

6 hours of group work 2 to 3 times per week
1 hour of individual supervision weekly
40-plus hours of clinical experience weekly
On-call experience at the site assigned (if applicable)

Completion of ACPE accredited CPE units is applicable towards eligibility for certification through ACPE and the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC).

CPE extended internship units are offered twice yearly, January to May and August to December.

Residency

Successful completion of 52 full-time weeks of CPE Level IB, IIA, and IIB training for three credit units of CPE meets the ACPE standards.. Students must satisfy the following requirements for course credits:6 hours of group work weekly
1 hour of individual supervision weekly
40-plus hours of clinical experience weekly
On-call experience at the site assigned (if applicable)

With the prerequisites of one initial unit, the completion of the residency program will give a CPE resident three additional units of CPE.

Four units of CPE is part of the requirement for a person to qualify for board certification with the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC).

Certified Educator Candidate Program

The CPE program of the Institute for Spiritual Health at CHRIS 180 occasionally has openings for Certified Educator Candidates.

CEC applicants need to have met (or be able to meet within a reasonable time frame) the following prerequisites:

Ordination/religious certification by an ecclesiastical body
Denominational/faith group endorsement to train in the program
Graduation from an accredited seminary, rabbinic or divinity school, and conferment of an M.Div. degree or M.Div. equivalency as confirmed by an ACPE certification committee
Successful completion of Level IA, Level IB, Level IIA, and Level IIB CPE and distinguished progress addressing the outcomes for Level IA through Level IIB.
Successful pastoral experience as a professional minister after completion of the initial theological degree, usually not less than three years. It is preferred that one’s pastoral experience be in both an institutional and congregational context.

For additional information and requirements please see CHRIS 180’s current admissions policy. To inquire about current or future CEC openings please contact the CPE program office at [email protected] or 404-817-6207.

CPE Level Offerings

The Institute for Spiritual Health offers Level IA, Level IB, Level IIA, and Level IIB CPE, which focuses on spiritual formation and integration, awareness of self and others, relational dynamics, spiritual care interventions and professional development.

Level IA and Level IB

Addresses basic competencies and issues of spiritual formation and integration, awareness of self and others, relational dynamics, spiritual care interventions, and professional development in one or more units of CPE.

A CPE student must meet Level IA CPE outcomes, as documented in the supervisor’s evaluation, as a prerequisite for acceptance in Level IB CPE.

Level IIA and Level IIB

Addresses advanced competencies and issues of spiritual formation and integration, awareness of self and others, relational dynamics, spiritual care interventions, and professional development.

A CPE student must meet Level IA and Level IB, as documented in the supervisor’s evaluation, as a prerequisite for acceptance in Level IIA. A CPE student must meet Level IIA, as document in the supervisor’s evaluation as a prerequisite for acceptance in Level IIB.