Sites:

"We are thrilled to partner with Caring Community Ministry Education to provide placements for the Clinical Pastoral Education program. CPE students are a tremendous asset to our ministry at Bon Secours and CCME provides an excellent learning environment to develop your skills in hospital-based pastoral care. We are grateful for Dr. Jan Humphreys for partnering with us as we provide God's Good Help to Metro Richmond and beyond. "

 -- Peter J. McCourt, Administrative Director of Spiritual Care, Bon Secours Richmond Health System

"Having had seminary students for the past ten plus years, I have found that those associated with CCME have had the advantage of receiving formal clinical knowledge/skills while gaining hands on experience.  Previous students came with little to no training and were informally taught by me.  CCME is providing the accredited training that is enabling them to provide an increasingly more professional level of spiritual care within the hospital.  Jan is easy to work with and allows the flexibility needed for each site.  As the interns progress through her CPE program, they are better able to meet the needs of patients, families and staff.  Our affiliation with CCME has definitely enriched our Pastoral Care program over the past few years as students benefit from multiple mentors."

 --Charles B. Hunt, M.Div., Director of Pastoral Care, Johnston-Willis Campus of CJW Medical Center

"The service rendered to Lakewood Manor Retirement Community by Caring Community Ministry Education, LLC, has been most rewarding.  They have sent CPE students to us with superior qualifications.  Our partnership has been mutually beneficial to our residents and the interns." 

-- Chaplain Frank Schwall, Chaplain Lakewood Manor Assisted Living Facility

"For the past two years, Lucy Corr Village Healthcare Facility has partnered with the CCME program under Rev. Jan Humphreys.The two students who served their time with us were very compassionate and caring with our residents.  They served as Pastoral Care assistants in our Healthcare and Assisted Living sections.  They also participated in our Memorial Services which we have quarterly.Many residents are recommended to have pastoral care weekly by a family member, a doctor, nurse or the resident themself.  We do our best to accommodate each of them.  The students are a major part of this program. I recommend this program to all who are planning futures as Chaplains in the healthcare field."     

--Jean Russell, Volunteer Coordinator, Lucy Corr Healthcare Facility

"One of the recurring advantages of the CCME offerings is the flexibility of its schedule for ministers who are already very busy. In addition, the "CPE in the Parish" program also provides a very needed responsible clinical supervisory arm for ministers "in the trenches" offering pastoral care in the local community; and the supervisory staff in the hospital settings has been regularly commended for their skills in combining useful confrontation with compassionate nurture for developing ministers. I commend the program as outstanding and practical in every measure."       

--Dan Bagby, Theodore F. Adams Professor of Pastoral Care, BTSR, CCME  PCC Board Member

 

STUDENTS:

 "Reverend Jan Humphreys is an experienced and exceptional clinical supervisor.  She has a gift for thoughtfully and sensitively challenging her students without overwhelming them, using the action-reflection-action learning model.  In my three units with CCME under her supervision, I have found her to be an advocate as well as a mentor---someone genuinely invested in my personal and professional growth and success, even beyond Clinical Pastoral Education.  I look forward to completing my fourth unit in her program and wholeheartedly recommend CCME and Reverend Humphreys to anyone considering Clinical Pastoral Education."

 --Igmara Sanchez Prunier, BSRHS, Suumer 2008, Fall 2009, Spring 2010

"I have done first degree and post graduate degree in theology but a single unit of Clinical Pastoral Education/CPE/ has changed my life. I developed paradigm shift in ministry through the help of my supervisor and peer group discussion at the Providence Hospital in Washington, DC. Clinical Pastoral Education/CPE/ made me to be aware of myself, compassionate and confident in giving clinical pastoral ministry service to everyone; from the church to a hospital and to every setting.  Clinical Pastoral education broadened my mind and my approach to help people within their diversified setting. It helped me how to pray and deal with different issues seen among different cultural groups. CPE helped me to treat issues within their cultural setting, enabling me that the Lord is not bound to any culture but acts within a culture. I also came to realize that ministry without CPE is impossible. To engage in ministry without CPE is to try to walk without a leg. We can walk in the absence of our legs through the help of machineries yet we cannot do ministry by any means in the absence of clinical pastoral education from our studies or without taking a unit of CPE."    

 --Wasihun Gutema, Providence Hospital, Spring 2010

"My experience at CCME, LLC, was a rich and rewarding one. Dr. Humphreys and my colleagues provided a unique sacred space for growth, dialog and the sharing of spiritual angst and expression. Our shared experiences helped my heart to learn the language of compassion and I saw distinct growth in myself. I was particularly gratified to find a place where interreligious dialogue was welcomed and encouraged." 

--Rabbi Eitan Allen, Spring 2010, BSRHS

"CCME was an extremely beneficial experience for me on a variety of fronts. For instance, it helped me realize that the wall between emotion and reason (which I had always assumed to be massive) really does not exist, since at a fundamental level, emotions drive us all and it's just a question of how much we enlist reason to manage and pursue them as fruitfully as possible. CCME also helped me become a less anxious communicator by teaching me that I don't always have to say the perfect thing, I just need to provide a sincere caring presence. This respectful and empathetic attention is what allows people the opportunity to discern and address what truly matters to them, not some magic words from me. Overall, CCME offered me an excellent chance to grow personally, professionally, and pastorally, and I highly recommend it."                                           

--Nelson Reveley, Extended Unit, Parish CPE, 2009-2010

 "My experience at CCME was one of growth and learning surrounded by supportive and caring people. I was able to work on my goals of ministering to people near the end of life, and becoming a listening pastor."

 --Denise Watkins, Lucy Coor, Extended Unit 2009-2010

"I was able to complete four units of CPE with CCME, and I gained far more than I ever anticipated.  Initially, CCME provided me a unique opportunity to enroll in CPE while the institution where I was working did not have its own CPE program.  I was enriched by the experience of learning among a diversity of students sometimes working in different contexts.  In CCME, I truly found a caring community out of which I have expanded my network of colleagues and developed lasting friendships.  Today, as a staff chaplain at a leading healthcare organization, I have greater confidence in the gifts and skills I bring to my ministry and am well on the way to board certification."                     
--Gretchen Schwemer-Smith, Spring & Fall 2008, Spring & Fall 2009, Providence and BSRHS

"CCME provided for me the opportunity to achieve my personal best as a Chaplain and taught me how to embrace lifelong learning in a safe and positive environment. Jan’s cross cultural expertise connects the sciences of clinical pastoral education with practical, sustainable, and innovative ways to address the profession’s rapidly changing needs. The Supervisor-in-training program equally provided for me the professional education I needed; preparing me to contribute fully to the society as a globally engaged citizen and leader.   CCME honors women and men of all races, creeds and cultures by providing non-traditional clinical settings/sites and an atmosphere that values intellectual curiosity, pursuit of knowledge, and academic freedom and integrity."

 --Maureen Uche D. Min. MS. BCC, BSRHS, Fall 2008 & Spring 2009

"I did my CPE training right after I had finished all of my seminary classes for my MDIV and right before graduation. Looking back, I think that it was the best possible “cap” for my education and preparation for graduation.  My fellow seminary students and I felt that we had accomplished something truly wonderful. We could not have asked for a better supervisor for our training than Dr. Jan Humphreys, who was an extremely knowledgeable and wise guide for us. The training is definitely 'experienced based education' that is invaluable for any and all aspects of our lives, as well as for serving in churches or hospitals. It is hard to imagine where else you would find a group who would watch and evaluate the way you interact with people real-time, guide you in how you might be more helpful and effective at it, and then give you the chance to put that guidance into practice.  On second thought, maybe it would have been better if I got this training before I ever got married or had children...too late now!"                     

--Gayle Schlenker, Spring 2009, Providence Hospital

 "My Memorial Regional CPE partner and I were both really anxious about what our first on-call nights might look like, and our site liaison had plenty of stories for us, but she always concluded the stories with: "but it rarely happens that way. Well, it happened 'that way' for me: deaths, serious emergencies, you name it, until after 3am. It was a difficult night, but the experience showed me that CPE had prepared me to assist every patient and family member that night. I'm looking forward to more CPE, but now that I'm beginning my position as the Chaplain of a hospice, I know I'll be challenged, and I also know I am able to do it. It's a scary thing to knock on a patient's door, having no idea what needs lie on the other side of that door, but I've learned to breathe a prayer of  'Lord, only You know what I'm about to walk in on; prepare me for what You have prepared for me. Thanks for the preparation, Caring Community Ministry Education!"  
  -- Helen Fransell, BSRHS,Summer 2009

" CCME has provided a unique opportunity to experience clinical pastoral education in a wide variety of internship settings. I believe this diversity enriched the perspective of group participants, adding breadth and depth to our learning expereince. Dr. Humphrey's wisdom, sensitivity, and commitment to the CPE learning process inspired and motivated our group. Under her capable and expereinced leadership, we were challenged to overcome personal limitations, extend our reach, and expand our capacity to provide effective and compassionate pastoral care."                                                                           
-- Amelie Wilmer Allen, CJW,  Summer 2009

"I am thankful for the opportunity to complete my first unit of CPE here in Richmond, VA with CCME. The program was comprehensive for its study of Pastoral Care skills, both in the class work we did and the practical clinical portion done at the hospital. I believe this class has prepared me to be a more compassionate caregiver and that its lessons will serve me well in my future ministry as a Catholic priest."                                                                                                                   

--David Stanfill, BSRHS,  Summer 2009

"I found that Providence Hospital is a great place to take CPE with CCME because it's a peaceful place.  I especially enjoyed the people.  The friends I made in the diverse groups and the staff I met as well as the patients have enriched my life.  A third part I found rewarding was the reading list.  Every book I read opened new horizons for me or improved my present skills.  I found the Program a good balance between academics, sharing andpractical experience."

--  Mary Ann Brady, Providence Hospital,  Fall 2009 and Spring 2010

" Through CCME and Jan's mentoring, I was able to learn a great deal very quickly about my pastoral identity - confronting challenges, celebrating accomplishments, and seeing God's grace in the midst of it all. I'm grateful to have gone through CPE with the group I did, and to have been able to work at St. Francis. It was hard work, but very, very good work."        

--Esta Jarrett, BSRHS, Spring 2009

"My CPE experience through Caring Community Ministry Education offered a valuable and practical alternative to traditional CPE programs. As a pastor serving in a traditional ministry setting, the CCME program allowed me to include the hours I spend in pastoral counseling and in-home visitations – as well as my regular rounds of hospital visitation - in my CPE curriculum. As a result, our CPE class discussions and evaluations were much more relevant to my ministry call and I avoided the temptation to neglect my congregation’s needs in order to fulfill traditional CPE hospital visitation requirements. Dr. Humphreys has a gift for leading small groups – I knew that each CPE class would be an encounter where I would be challenged as a person and pastor to be honest with myself and accountable to others for my words and actions. This is an intense CPE experience that challenges you to abandon your pastoral pretensions and preconceptions in order to become the most effective, compassionate, and God-honoring minister you can be."  

 --Bob Weeks, Extended unit, Parish CPE, 2008-2009

"CPE was a fearful time for me as I approached it for the first time in June, 2008.  Having heard others’ stories, there was natural trepidation and discomfort I felt but also a nervous excitement about what this new experience would be.  By the middle point of my program, I had developed strong relationships with the members of my small group unit, and Jan was a resource and mentor in the process towards this goal.  the final weeks found me enjoying the time at my placement site and greatly rewarded by the program’s objectives toward helping me to become a better equipped pastor and listener.  For those who may worry what CPE means for them, you are not alone.  But by the end of it, if you are honest with yourself and with those persons in whose lives you will come in contact, the time spent in the CCME program will be invaluable toward any vocation that calls you to be in true discourse with another individual and yourself."                                                                                                                  

-- Jeremy Canada, BSRHS, Summer 2008

"I learned to share a bit of myself with patients and families.  I have found in this job that it makes you more human and easier to talk to when you are with people you have never met or been in contact with before a serious illness or death."

--Sue Bell,BSRHS,Spring 2008

 

Last Updated ( Friday, 30 July 2010 13:06 )