ACPE Pastoral Care Specialist Training Program

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 48-hour 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 and Loss
• 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.

Listen Now

Important Information 

Session Dates
The program runs 16 weeks with the first session being Monday, January 25th, 2021 from 6:00PM-9:00PM (MST). The following sessions will be held the following Mondays at 6:00PM-9:00PM (MST): 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/22, 3/29, 4/12, 4/19, 4/26, 5/3, 5/10, 5/17, 5/24. The group will NOT meet on 2/22 or 4/4.

Cost and Requirements.
The entire training costs $300 if paid before January 1st, 2021. After that the fee will be $350. 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. Space is limited to 10 students. The first 10 students who pay for the training will have their spot secured. 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)