What is CPE?
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is interfaith professional education for spiritual care in various contexts, including, but not limited to healthcare. CPE brings theological/philosophical students and ministers/practitioners of all faiths - some who are ordained and some who are not - into supervised encounters with persons in crisis. Out of intense involvement with persons in need, and the feedback from peers and teachers, students develop a new awareness of themselves and the needs of others. Engaging in reflective practice on specific situations, CPE students gain a new understanding of providing effective spiritual care. Within the interdisciplinary team process of helping persons, they develop interpersonal and interprofessional relationship skills.
What is a unit of CPE?
A unit of CPE includes a minimum of 100 hours of structured group and individual education and a minimum of 250 hours of supervised clinical practice in spiritual care. While individual centers must meet these minimum hour requirements, they may utilize the remaining 50 hours as best supports their program. To become a board-certified chaplain by the Association of Professional Chaplains, applicants need a minimum of four units of CPE. Aspiring board-certified chaplains commonly take one unit as an unpaid intern and then enter into a paid three-unit residency. Others will complete four unpaid intern units over the course of several years.
What types of CPE programs does Stony Brook offer?
Stony Brook University Hospital received pre-provisional accreditation from the ACPE to provide Level 1 and 2 CPE programs in November 2022. We offer CPE units to CPE Interns and CPE Residents.
What is the difference between a CPE Intern and a CPE Resident?
CPE Interns are unpaid and considered "affiliates" by Human Resources. Since CPE Interns are not employees of the hospital, they must purchase professional liability insurance and pay CPE fees. CPE Interns enroll in the extended unit(s) of CPE (typically 17-20 weeks) in the spring and fall.
CPE Residents are employed by the hospital for approximately 9 months, during which they complete three units of CPE. As employees, CPE Residents do not purchase professional liability insurance and do not pay CPE fees.
What do the essential elements of CPE include?
- Visiting patients and their loved ones to provide spiritual care
- Detailed reporting of spiritual care visits by students to their educator and peers for feedback
- Clinical supervision by an ACPE-certified educator
- A small group of peers in a shared learning experience
- An individual learning contract guided by the learning objectives of the ACPE
Who enrolls in CPE?
CPE students include lay and ordained persons from various religious, spiritual, and philosophical backgrounds and identities. No prior CPE is required of CPE Interns. CPE Residents must have completed at least one CPE unit to be eligible to apply.
At which campuses does Stony Brook offer CPE?
Stony Brook University Hospital is the only CPE site within Stony Brook Medicine.
How much does CPE cost at Stony Brook?
CPE costs $550 per unit for new CPE INterns. Returning CPE Interns receive a $100 discount and only pay $450 per CPE unit. CPE Residents are exempt from paying CPE fees.
Is there an application fee?
There is no application fee.
Are there any additional costs?
Yes, CPE Interns at Stony Brook must purchase their own liability insurance and provide proof of insurance before beginning the CPE program. The ACPE offers a discounted rate on professional liability insurance for CPE students. More information may be found here. CPE Residents do not need to purchase professional liability insurance since they are employees of the hospital.
What are the application deadlines?
Please see the application page for deadlines.
Am I guaranteed a spot in Stony Brook's CPE program if I submit a CPE application?
No. Unfortunately, we cannot accept everyone who applies to Stony Brook's CPE program. In most cases, we receive more applicants than the number of openings.
Does CPE at Stony Brook take place in-person or online?
Stony Brook's CPE program meets in person for educational seminars. Clinical time must be provided onsite at Stony Brook University Hospital.
Will I need to work on-call if accepted into the CPE program?
No. Stony Brook's Department of Spiritual Care provides 24/7 in-house spiritual care coverage, so CPE Interns are not required to be on-call. However, CPE Interns may request an overnight or weekend shift to gain experience working in a hospital outside the typical business hours.