ACPE Pastoral Care Specialist Training Program

Next Training Starts August 30th, 2021
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In times of crisis, the first place many turn to is their local church or faith community. Studies show that 25% of those seeking help for mental illness first turn to a clergyperson. This is higher than the percentage of people who first go to a psychiatrist or medical doctor.*

​The ACPE Pastoral Care Specialist (PCS) Training Program is a 16 week, 48-hour live course providing the knowledge and skills pastoral caregivers in churches and faith communities need to help others effectively, ethically, and safely. Issues and topics covered include:
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  • Ethics of Pastoral Care
  • Marriage and Family Issues in Systemic Perspective
  • Spiritual Assessment and Diagnosis 
  • Listening in the Service of Healing 
  • Grief, Loss, and Resilience
  • Mental Health and the Role of the Faith Community
  • Understanding and Responding Effectively to Domestic Violence 
  • Trauma-Informed Spiritual Care
  • Substance Abuse, Addiction, and the Role of the Faith Community 
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The PCS Training program is a new curriculum developed by the Psychotherapy Commission of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). The course will be taught by Tres Adames, MDiv, BCPC who currently serves on the ACPE Psychotherapy Commission and is co-chair of the Pastoral Care Specialist Task Force. 
​*Health Services Research (2003):ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1360908

Learn More About the PCS Program

The ACPE Pastoral Care Specialist Training Program was recently featured on Spiritual Care Today, the official podcast of the Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling in an interview with Aaron Pawelek, chair of the program.

Starts August 30th, 2021

The program runs 16 weeks with the first session being Monday, August 30th, 2021 from 6:00PM-8:00PM (MST). The course will run through December 2021. The entire training costs $600, but can be billed in three monthly installments of $200. No additional books are required and all materials will be provided. Sessions will be conducted by Zoom. Students must have access to a computer with an internet connection in order to participate. At the end of the course, students will receive a Certificate of Completion.

For more information, click below to read the course overview (syllabus):
Read Course Overview (PDF)

    Enrollment Application