Launching The Chaplain Employment Process To Professional Chaplain Employment

The chaplain employment process is dependent upon Chaplain Certification, whereby the chaplain candidate meets the Association of Professional Chaplain Requirements, leading to chaplain employment.

When met, these chaplain certification requirements through an association of professional chaplain organization, will qualify you for chaplain employment, making you more employable as a spiritual caregiver in the chaplaincy profession.

In the chaplain employment process a Board Certified Chaplain (BCC in Association Of Professional Chaplain lingo) has completed the following requirements on the way to chaplain employment:

Demonstration of Competencies Essay

For chaplain certification, the Association of Professional Chaplain, asks you to write and submit an essay that demonstrates your competence in each of the following four areas.

Whether chaplain employment is as a hospital chaplain, a hospice chaplain, or even as an a workplace/industrial chaplain, these basic competencies will be required to meet the spiritual care duties of a professional chaplain.

Personal Competence As A Professional Chaplain

1. Awareness of an ability to fulfill personal growth
2. Ability to understand and articulate relevant aspects of one's history and personality, and the manner in which these are reflected in one's behavior and relationships
3. Ability to effectively utilize one's authority in relationships

Pastoral Competence As A Professional Chaplain

1. An awareness of strengths and limitations in ministry to various types of persons and situations
2. Familiarity with and integration of various pastoral functions
3. Ability to provide leadership in pastoral care within an institution and community with diverse faith and cultural traditions
4. The ability to integrate the insights of theology and the behavioral sciences into pastoral care assessments and practice
5. The ability to describe one's model of spiritual assessment, plans of care, and demonstrable outcomes.

Professional Competence As A Career Chaplain

1. Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective professional relationships
2. Satisfactory understanding of the principles and procedures of management, including budgeting, personnel supervision, quality improvement
3. Conceptualization and development of a comprehensive job description
4. Ability to articulate the relationship of the Department of Pastoral Care to other professionals and departments within one's institution (may utilize an Organizational Chart in the description)
5. Ability to develop a comprehensive program of services appropriate to the setting of one's ministry
6. Ability to discern and involve oneself with ethical issues relevant to the setting in which one's ministry is practiced, including familiarity with the APC Guidelines for the Chaplain's Role in Health Care Ethics
7. Ability to conceptualize and communicate theologically the meaning of the crises experienced by persons in the setting in which one ministers

Chaplaincy Continuing Education and Peer Review Expectations

1. Evidence of awareness of areas for growth or learning and a plan for meeting such needs
2. Participation in programs of continuing education and peer review

Completing the Chaplain Employment Process

Is it possible? Yes! I have met the above Association of Professional Chaplain requirements for chaplain certification and completed the chaplain employment process, having chaplain employment with LightBridge Hospice. I received my certification in the Spring of 2005.

Meanwhile, I am launching into a new area of chaplaincy -- being an Internet Chaplain! This ministry website is designed to provide both ministry through pastoral care, as well as to offer strategies for funding ministry.

No, I won't quit my chaplaincy day job, after finally completing the chaplain employment process and receiving my chaplain certification. I am thankful for having met the association of professional chaplain requirements, and appreciate having chaplain employment.

But I do look forward to the day my chaplain career ministry will be self-funded.

And with budget cuts taking place in the spiritual care departments of hospitals, you too, as I have in the past, just might have the experience of being "set free".

I have found that there are internet strategies which deliver an income stream whereby I can support my ministry efforts.

Through the internet and this chaplaincy website I can share the chaplain employment process, point out the need for chaplain certification, highlight the many association of professional chaplain organizations, and help others begin and complete the chaplain employment process.