Pastoral Care
© Copyright 2017 Art by Roxanne
Pastoral Care was the beginning of my ministerial call as a US Navy Family Ombudsman and remains the center of my ministry today, whether I am supporting a grieving congregant, visiting with a new member during coffee hour, or leading a committee meeting.
During my 2-year chaplain residency, I completed a total of four 400-hour Clinical Pastoral Education units, totally 1600 hours of pastoral care at the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the county (Level 1 is the most acute trauma). During the majority of my clinical hours, I was the sole chaplain on duty for this 300-bed hospital, responsible for all Level 1 traumas, code blues, and staff requests (spiritual care for patients and/or family, healthcare power of attorney, and expirations). While the majority of my hours were spent as a generalist, my specialty area was Behavioral Health (partial hospitalization, inpatient adult, inpatient geriatric, and inpatient intensive care):
In my congregational internship, I assist our senior minister in leading our pastoral care team and making pastoral care visits. In the fall, I collaborated with our senior minister to create and lead a learning retreat for our pastoral care team. During our senior minister's upcoming sabbatical (April -July), I will become the pastoral care minister. In addition to the pastoral care team, I support our Mental Health Awareness Team (MyHAT) and have helped them create a small group ministry for individuals who have lived experience with mental illness and their loved ones. I also offered my suicide awareness and prevention workshop twice to the congregation and once to our youth group. It all has been deeply rewarding work.
If I had to pick my superpower, it would be empathy.
During my 2-year chaplain residency, I completed a total of four 400-hour Clinical Pastoral Education units, totally 1600 hours of pastoral care at the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the county (Level 1 is the most acute trauma). During the majority of my clinical hours, I was the sole chaplain on duty for this 300-bed hospital, responsible for all Level 1 traumas, code blues, and staff requests (spiritual care for patients and/or family, healthcare power of attorney, and expirations). While the majority of my hours were spent as a generalist, my specialty area was Behavioral Health (partial hospitalization, inpatient adult, inpatient geriatric, and inpatient intensive care):
- Facilitated 3 spirituality groups per week in partial hospitalization and inpatient units.
- Created, developed, and Implemented Improvisation for Healing curriculum in spirituality groups.
- Collaborated with Vice-President of Mission and Spiritual Care to create and present suicide awareness presentation for local Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) diaconate students and interns.
- Expanded my suicide awareness and prevention workshop into the thesis project for my Master of Arts in Leadership Studies (MALS) thesis.
In my congregational internship, I assist our senior minister in leading our pastoral care team and making pastoral care visits. In the fall, I collaborated with our senior minister to create and lead a learning retreat for our pastoral care team. During our senior minister's upcoming sabbatical (April -July), I will become the pastoral care minister. In addition to the pastoral care team, I support our Mental Health Awareness Team (MyHAT) and have helped them create a small group ministry for individuals who have lived experience with mental illness and their loved ones. I also offered my suicide awareness and prevention workshop twice to the congregation and once to our youth group. It all has been deeply rewarding work.
If I had to pick my superpower, it would be empathy.
On My Bookshelf (Or in My Earbuds)
One of the greatest gifts my mother gave to me as a child was her love of books. I have made an electronic list of the important books on my bookshelf, in my electronic reader, and/or playing in my earbuds. These books have significantly influenced my ministerial formation.
You will find my list of pastoral care books below. For significant books on subjects other than pastoral care, please go to my Bookshelf.
You will find my list of pastoral care books below. For significant books on subjects other than pastoral care, please go to my Bookshelf.
- Armstrong, Karen, Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life
- Coste, Joanne Koenig, Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease
- Dykstra, Robert C., Images of Pastoral Care: Classic Readings
- Gawande, Atul, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
- Goleman, Daniel, Emotional Intelligence
- Lerner, Harriet, The Dance of Anger: A Woman’s Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships
- Miles, Al, Domestic Violence: What Every Pastor Needs to Know
- Singh, Kathleen Dowling, The Grace in Dying
- Tutu, Desmond, The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World
- Van der Kolk, Bessel, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma