Clinical Pastoral Education at UVM Health

Program Status

The Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Program at UVM Health is currently on hiatus and is not accepting applications at this time. The information below is provided for those interested in learning more about the program and its educational approach. Please check back for future updates regarding program availability.

About Clinical Pastoral Education

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is an experiential spiritual care education designed to develop one's ability to provide spiritual care for patients, families and staff. The guiding principles and underlying assumptions include the following:

• Spiritual care takes place in the context of relationship.
• One's own personhood is the most important tool one has for providing spiritual care.
• One must be open to personal and professional growth, including increasing one's self-awareness.
• One must understand one's own spiritual or faith perspective and be willing to engage the spiritual or faith perspectives of others with curiosity and compassion.

One must be aware of how personal history may impact the role of chaplain. Chaplain interns who join us in the study and practice of spiritual care do so in an atmosphere of respect, honest communication and meaningful connection. We value our interns' contributions to the spiritual care provided to patients, families, loved ones and staff. Our aim is to support both professional development as spiritual care leaders and personal growth through reflective practice. 

The Clinical Pastoral Education Program at UVM Health is accredited by ACPE, The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education.

Contact Us

For more information about the CPE program, please contact our Culture, Experience, and Community Health Department: CECH@uvmhealth.org.