Clinical Pastoral Education Descriptions

Deepen your clinical ministry skills across four progressive units. Explore the core competencies of chaplaincy, identity, theological scholarship, pastoral care, and moral leadership, while earning certified Clinical Pastoral Education Descriptions (CPE) credit.

UIW Center for Chaplaincy and CHRISTUS Health CPE Partnership

The UIW Center for Chaplaincy and the CHRISTUS Health Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Program have established a collaborative partnership that provides students with innovative ministry education grounded in the shared mission and legacy of the founding Sisters. Our partnership gives students the opportunity to enroll in the CHRISTUS Health ACPE-accredited CPE program.

Through this partnership, students have two pathways for completing their CPE experience: the one-year CHRISTUS Health CPE Residency or the UIW Extended Unit Internship. Because the CHRISTUS Health CPE Residency offers a limited number of positions, the UIW Extended Unit Internship provides an alternative pathway for students to complete a structured 16-week extended unit while gaining clinical experience at an approved internship site.

Potential clinical placement opportunities include CHRISTUS Health, UIW Behavioral Health, and The Village at Incarnate Word. These placements give students practical experience in diverse ministry settings while pursuing clinical experiences that align with their interests and vocational goals.

CPE Descriptions

Unit 1: L1A – The Chaplain as an Individual

Focuses on foundational self-reflection, personal integration, and spiritual formation within a clinical context. Students explore their personal theology, cultural identity, and emotional intelligence while establishing initial boundaries and pastoral presence in clinical visits.

Unit 2: L1B – The Chaplain as Theological Scholar

Emphasizes critical theological reflection, hermeneutics, and academic inquiry. Students learn to integrate sacred texts, tradition, and contemporary pastoral care theories into real-time spiritual care, grounding their clinical practice in sound theological framework.

Unit 3: L2A – The Chaplain as Pastoral Counselor

Centers on advanced clinical assessment, active listening, crisis intervention, and grief counseling techniques. Students develop specialized skills in navigating trauma, spiritual distress, and interdisciplinary collaboration across healthcare settings.

Unit 4: L2A – The Chaplain as a Moral Leader

Prepares chaplains to operate as ethical leaders and advocates within complex institutional systems. Topics cover bioethics, institutional justice, multi-faith leadership, and guiding organizations through ethical dilemmas and systemic change.