The CPE Residency Program is a full-time four-unit program designed for clergy, seminary students, and qualified laypersons. CPE residents are salaried and benefited employees with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of employment at PPMC. Upon successful completion of each unit, and on the recommendation of the CPE certified educator, a student’s participation in the program will be registered with the ACPE.

The objectives of the CPE Residency Program are four-fold: We seek to assist the resident in building both a foundation and expertise in spiritual care skills and knowledge sufficient to minister to a broad range of patients, their families, and staff; to increase self-awareness as it relates to the art of pastoral ministry; to engage in the practice and understanding of the clinical method of learning; and, to prepare for a vocation in professional chaplaincy. Crucial to this process is the awareness of one’s strengths and growing edges in ministry. Through individual and group supervision, the resident will be invited to explore how personal identity and history informs one’s style of ministry. They will be asked to articulate the theological themes of their practice and to develop spiritual assessments of pastoral encounters. Given the context of the hospital setting, residents will be confronted with the inevitable social and structural dimensions of health care as well as issues of economic status, race, gender, family systems, and religious diversity—all of which will provide the context and content for reflection in group and individual supervision and educational seminars.

One unit of Clinical Pastoral Education consists of at least 100 hours of structured education and up to 300 hours of supervised clinical practice for a total of at least 400 hours. In order to receive credit for the unit, the student will be expected to spend an average of 25 hours per week in direct ministry to patients, families and staff, and 10 hours per week in structured educational activities. In addition to ministry on the assigned unit, residents provide solo spiritual care coverage on Saturdays or Sundays as part of their 40 hour work week.

The CPE Residency Program is normally designated for one year.

• Annual stipend of $50,000 subject to federal and/or other taxes.
• Residents are considered temporary employees of Providence Portland Medical Center. The position ends after one year.
• Health, dental, vision, paid time off, and extended illness benefits.

• Education: A Master’s Degree (M.Div. or M.A. in Theology or an equivalent degree in other related disciplines) from an accredited college, university or theological seminary or institute. Completed or well in progress, is preferred.
• Licensure/Certification: Ordination and/or endorsement by an established faith tradition or religious superior is preferred as evidence of good standing within a faith group.
• Other Qualifications:
• A CPE Resident will have a proven aptitude for interpersonal work, sound mental/emotional health, and the ability to minister in cross-cultural, interfaith settings. This includes the capacity to consistently establish and maintain relationships, to be open to learning, change and growth and an openness to developments in faith and theology, spiritual and personal growth, outreach through compassion and justice. It also includes the capacity to endure at least moderate amounts of organizational stress with a flexibility and openness to rapid change in acute care hospital based ministry. Strong written and interpersonal skills are required as well as the abilities to actively listen and project an open, nonjudgmental attitude toward all people of diverse ethnic, social, cultural and spiritual traditions.
• Previous experience in ministry in pastoral care and/or health care settings is preferred.
• Completed ACPE application submitted with an application fee of $35 payable to Providence Portland Medical Center CPE Program.
• We are currently not accepting international students.

The CPE resident is expected to:

• Actively participate in all aspects of the clinical pastoral education program.
• Share clinical rotations with peers, other students, permanent staff, providing spiritual care to patients on assigned units.
• Participate in the on call rotation, including weekends and holidays.
• Complete written assignments such as verbatim reports, reflection papers, evaluations of each CPE unit and other assignments as required.
• Participate in a mid-year consultation and assessment process to move to Level II CPE.

• Application fee: $35.
• Non-refundable down payment fee at acceptance: $100.
• Tuition: $500 per unit of CPE residency (less down payment) is due the first day of the unit.

The CPE Extended Unit Program is a part-time 24-week program designed for clergy, seminary students, and qualified laypersons. CPE interns are not salaried or benefited employees of PPMC.

Two extended units may be offered each year: a fall/winter unit beginning in September and ending in March and a spring/summer unit beginning in March and ending in August. Students applying for their first unit of CPE will only be admitted to the fall/winter unit. CPE extended unit interns may take up to four consecutive units over the course of two years. However, students must apply for admission to each consecutive unit and there is no guarantee that a student will be accepted into consecutive units. Upon successful completion of each unit, and on the recommendation of the CPE certified educator, a student’s participation in the program will be registered with the ACPE. Units of ACPE CPE are recognized as graduate theological education by member seminaries of ACPE.

The part-time nature of the CPE extended unit provides an opportunity for persons who are otherwise unable to enroll in a full-time program. Some applicants are hoping to take one unit of CPE to gain basic pastoral care skills. Others are in the process of discernment concerning their future vocational goals. Still others are hoping to complete four consecutive units of CPE as a prerequisite for board certification.

The objectives of the CPE Extended Unit Program are five-fold: We seek to provide students with an opportunity for vocational discernment and reflection; to assist them in building both a foundation in spiritual care skills and knowledge sufficient to allow them to minister to a broad range of patients, their families, and staff; to increase self-awareness as it relates to the art of pastoral ministry; to engage in the practice and understanding of the clinical method of learning; and/or, if applicable, to prepare for a vocation in professional chaplaincy. Crucial to this process is the awareness of one’s strengths and growing edges in ministry. Through individual and group supervision, students will be invited to explore how their personhood informs their style of ministry. Students will be asked to articulate the theological themes of their ministry and to develop spiritual assessments of their pastoral encounters. Given the context of the hospital setting, students will be confronted with the inevitable social and structural dimensions of health care as well as issues of economic status, race, gender, family systems, and religious diversity—all of which will provide the context and content for reflection in group and individual supervision and educational seminars.

One unit of CPE consists of at least 100 hours of structured education and up to 300 hours of supervised clinical practice for a total of at least 400 hours. In order to receive credit for the unit, students spend an average of 12 hours per week in direct ministry to patients, families and staff, and at least 5 hours per week in structured educational activities. In addition to ministry, extended unit students participate in weekend spiritual care coverage on Saturdays or Sundays

• Education: Bachelors Degree is required from accredited college. Masters Degree is preferred or well in progress.
• Licensure/Certification: Ordination and/or endorsement by an established faith tradition or religious superior is preferred as evidence of good standing within a faith group.
• Other Qualifications:
• The CPE extended unit student will have a proven aptitude for interpersonal work, sound mental/emotional health, and the ability to minister in cross-cultural, interfaith settings. This includes the capacity to consistently establish and maintain relationships, to be open to learning, change and growth and an openness to developments in faith and theology, spiritual and personal growth, outreach through compassion and justice. It also includes the capacity to endure at least moderate amounts of organizational stress with a flexibility and openness to rapid change in acute care hospital based ministry. Strong written and interpersonal skills are required as well as the abilities to actively listen and project an open, nonjudgmental attitude toward all people of diverse ethnic, social, cultural and spiritual traditions.
• Previous experience in ministry in pastoral care and/or health care settings is preferred.
• We are currently not accepting international students.
• Contact the CPE manager for the PPMC CEC application.

The CPE extended unit student is expected to:

• Actively participate in all aspects of the clinical pastoral education program.
• Share clinical rotations with peers, other students, permanent staff, providing spiritual care to patients on assigned units.
• Participate in the on call rotation, including weekends and holidays.
• Complete written assignments such as verbatim reports, reflection papers, evaluations of each CPE unit and other assignments as required.

• Application fee: $35.
• Non-refundable down payment fee at acceptance: $100.
• Tuition: $500 per unit of CPE (less down payment) is due the first day of the unit.

The CPE Certified Educator Residency Program at Providence Portland Medical Center is designed for the spiritual care provider who has demonstrated excellence in practice and is motivated to develop advanced skills as a CPE Certified Educator. Participation in the program will be registered with the ACPE national office. Our program is designed to assist the student to move to certification within three to four years. Though the contract is negotiated annually, it is expected that the student making appropriate progress will remain with the center for a second and if needed, a third year. For a detailed description of this program, the applicant is invited to contact the CPE Certified Educator.

• Education: A Master’s Degree (M.Div. or M.A. in Theology; or an equivalent degree in other related disciplines) from an accredited college, university or theological seminary or institute.
• Licensure/Certification: Ordination and/or endorsement by an established denominational or church authority/or religious superior is preferred as evidence of good standing within a faith group.
• Other Qualifications:
• Completed an ACPE application submitted with a fee of $50 payable to Providence Portland Medical Center CPE Program.
• Membership in ACPE.
• Completion of at least four units of CPE and demonstration of having met the outcomes of Level I and Level II CPE.
• Familiarity with the Spiritual Care common qualifications and competencies.
• Pastoral experience.
• Personal integrity and pastoral identity.
• Capacity to consistently establish and maintain professional relationships at significant levels and to be open to learning, change, and growth.
• Capacity to endure at least moderate amounts of organizational stress, which is a normal part of institutional culture.
• Consultation for the student and CE with a professional committee chosen by the CE supervisor as specified in the ACPE Certification Manual. This manual is available online at acpe.edu.
• We are currently not accepting international students.

The CPE Certified Education Resident will:

• Actively participate in all aspects of the clinical pastoral education program.
• Share clinical rotations with peers, other students, permanent staff, providing spiritual care to patients on assigned units.
• Participate in the on call rotation, including weekends and holidays.
• Complete written assignments such as process notes, student summaries, case studies, theory papers, certification materials, evaluations of each CPE unit and other assignments as required.

• Residents receive an annual stipend of $50,000 subject to federal and/or other taxes.
• The resident is considered a temporary employee of Providence Portland Medical Center.
• Health, dental, vision, paid time off, and extended illness benefits.

• Application fee: $50.
• Non-refundable down payment fee at acceptance: $100.
• Tuition: $2,000 per year.