CAPPEOntario North East
Newsletter
April 2003
The present issue includes reports on the March meeting of the Coordinating Committee, on the February Conference, on plans for the 2004 CAPPE Conference, from the National Ethics Commission, and from our own Professional Practice Committee.
Please note the report from the Ontario Multifaith Council that begins on Page 7; you are asked to read it and send your ideas on how best to implement it to Vivian Stang.
March 14 ONE Coordinating Committee Meeting
Despite technical difficulties, members from Sudbury and a member from North Bay joined the group in a teleconfernce. The usual committee reports were presented, most of which are given later in the issue.In response to concerns about problems with the functioning of the Coordinating Committee system (no one seems to be in charge and therefor matters sometimes fall through the "cracks"), members of the committee are to evaluate the workings of the present system and to propose some options.The Regional AGM is being planned for October 4 & 5. It is hoped to teleconference or videoconference it so that people may participate from outlying areas.Approximately 40 of the videos on the White Paper have been sold.
Our Members report on the EPIC Conference
Plenary Sessions by Vivian Stang
Five plenary sessions and over 100 workshops were available to participants at the EPIC 2003 conference in Toronto on Feb. 23-26. Some highlights of the plenary sessions follow.Dr. Terry Tafoya animated the first plenary session: "Children of the Rainbow: Ministering Across Cultures." Dr. Tafoya, a Taos Pueblo and Warm Springs Indian uses American Indian ritual, ceremony and storytelling in his work as a family therapist at the Interpersonal Psychotherapy clinic, part of the University of Washington’s School of Medicine in Seattle.Among other themes, Dr. Tafoya encouraged us to be sensitive to the diversity of individuals and families we minister to. He reminded us that establishing a sense of safety is important when engaging in cross-cultural communication. Dr. Tafoya also explained that people from different cultures have different pause times when they speak. For example, most Caucasians have a pause time of .9 seconds. Some aboriginal groups have a pause time of 1.5 seconds. So, when these two groups are speaking there is potential for misunderstanding. As well, Dr. Tafoya highlighted some American Indian legends; reminding us that for native Americans, stories are a type of medicine. Stories are both sacred and a source of healing because they help people remember who they are.The second plenary speaker was Emily Friedman. Ms. Friedman is an independent writer, lecturer and health policy and ethics analyst based in Chicago. She is noted for her work in health policy, health care trends and the social ethics of health care. Ms. Friedman proposed that society needs a moral compass and we as Chaplains can respond to this need. Chaplains have the moral authority to be advocates for others seeking to be heard. This moral compass that Ms. Friedman proposed has four points or directions: empathy which includes understanding, reasons and compassion; power which is rooted in the chaplain’s moral authority to speak with a firm, educated voice; inclusion occurs when we accept mutual truths; courage to speak out, which is the gift of being able to act despite our fear.The third plenary speaker Rabbi Dayle Friedman spoke of the joys of working with elders in a nursing home, one of the most feared places in society. Even though nursing homes are often places of loss, fragility and death, Rabbi Friedman reminded us that certainly there is life- "Surely God is in this place and we didn’t notice." When we, as chaplains, provide spiritual accompaniment for our elders we confront fragility and mortality. We are called to live in the face of death; to fan the spark in the darkest places.Rabbi Friedman shared four teachings from "Torah" (sacred wisdom) that she has gleaned from her work. 1) It’s never too late to learn and grow. 2) The power of "mitzvah" (good deed/commanded holy acts) not only changes the world but changes oneself. We may need to assist others in caring, helping, comforting and loving those around them. 3) The courage to love.: Elders are veterans of loss and grief. It can be painful to be open to human connection. We can keep our hearts open to those we love and keep our hearts open to our losses. The nature of our work is to love and lose. 4) Recite 100 blessings a day. We are called to notice and appreciate everyday miracles. We can recognize the capacity of others to offer blessings. We can give, receive and acknowledge blessings in our midst. Rabbi Friedman concluded by saying that "blessings remind us we’re made of soul stuff, spirit stuff and love stuff."The fifth plenary speaker was David Levine. Mr. Levine is the Executive Director of the Regional Health Authority for the city of Montréal. He and his staff manage 142 institutions in and around that city. There are 139 spiritual care workers in these institutions which serve 1.8 million people. Thirty-nine of these spiritual care workers are full-time; 50 are part-time workers and 50 are occasional workers. Two of the 139 spiritual care workers are community based.Mr. Levine stated that the Canadian Health Care system is presently characterized by: 1) financial pressures; 2)staff pressures; 3) higher expectations and demands of patients; 4) hospitals being replaced by community based systems (ie: managing cancer as a chronic illness); 5) questioning traditional medicine.Mr. Levine also spoke about our health care institutions as having a soul and how important it is to nurture the soul of an organization. He stated that "Soul is the key element in our institutions because health care is a human contact enterprise. If the soul/spirit of staff are not at peace, then we are in trouble."When five health care institutions merged in Ottawa, the board of Directors offered a new vision. They helped create a new spirit of "The Ottawa Hospital." There is a multifaith component to the Ottawa Hospital. Levine read the "White Paper" which describes the importance of Spiritual Care in Health Care settings.Mr. Levine asked "How do we maintain the spirit/soul of an organization?" Some ideas he offered were: 1) Human Resources should have a Chaplain for staff; or a Chaplain to inform Management about the soul/spirit of the organization. 2) We can teach and train resident Chaplains. 3) Chaplains should be involved in policy making. 4) We need to convince our administrators of the need for spiritual care. 5) Politically we need to lobby and educate our elected politicians about the importance of spiritual care. We should not only lobby our government minister but also leaders of the opposition, and convince them that it is politically in their interest to support spiritual care. 6) We need to show the benefits of investment in spiritual care. The Baby Boomers will be demanding more spiritual attention. Our organizations need spiritual care. There is also a need for renewal of spiritual care workers.I thought the theme of Mr. Levine’s presentation, the importance of soul in our organizations was very relevant and timely. It seemed to herald the theme of our CAPPE conference in 2004 - "Discovering Soul in our Organizations." -Vivian Stang
Une experience EPIC par Claudette Roy
Community-Based Urban CPE Program provides supervised training to those who minister in the streets, prisons, rehabilitation institutes, etc. where suffering people live their daily lives.
Notre colloque National s`est elargi avec la participation des associations professionnelles connexes. Il nous a permis de palper les enjeux communs dans des contextes quelquefois different. Les presentations etaient riche et profonde. J’ai ete particulierement touche par l’atelier sur "Community-Based Urban CPE Program", vu que je suis dans ma formation pour devenir superviseure. J’ai donc choisi de vous partager la presentation de Janet Bielmann de New York inspire Plenarye par Barbara Sheehan de Buffalo.
Cette nouvelle voie d’offrir les stages de formation pastorale (SFP) dans des milieux sociaux defavorises m’est apparu comme une facon de vivre la "Theologie de la Liberation" dans notre contexte Nord Americain. Ceci etant dit, je ne veux en rien minimiser que l’hopital demeure un milieu pour repondre au cri spirituel des personnes malades. Cependant j’ajouterais que l’hopital est devenu un lieu pour repondre davantage "aux urgences" plutot qu’a la realite quotidienne des gens souffrants. Il m’apparait que la detresse humaine a pris des visages nouveaux et des routes nouvelles avec le facteur globalisation. Il m’apparait qu’aujourdhui les vrais besoins d’un patient sidatique, cancereux, etc se jouent davantage dans sa communaute et que c’est precisemenet la dans sa lutte quotidienne qu’il aura besoin de soins spirituels soutenus.
Les refugies et nombreux immigrants ont aussi besoin de rencontrer une aide spirituelle pour garder leur espoir dans leur temps d’adaptation. Demunis de leur langue d’origine, de leur capacite de pratiquer leur profession etc. Que dire maintenant de nos jeunes qui ont decroches du systeme et qui cri a leur facon leur besoin d’un Transcendant qui les rejoint dans leur quete de sens.
Il m’apparait que des SFP dans ces nouveaux milieux elargiraient la dimension spirituelle en travaillant sur la realite sociale de notre milieu. Les marginaux de notre societe experimenteraient que Dieu les rejoint dans la rue (prostituee) les prisons, les centres de rehabiliation pour drogue alchool, violence conjuguale etc. Mon experience comme infirmiere en CLSC m’a demontre que les gens qui venaient chercher de l’aide pour supporter un parent Alzheimer, un repit pour garder un handicape a la maison etc.etaient les vrais necessiteux de notre epoque. Comme ex-misionnaire cette nouvelle facon de former des agents de pastoral dans le domaine de la Sante m’a reellement. interpellee. Je serais heureuse de savoir quel echo vous experimenterai en me lisant. Merci pour votre lecture.
CONGRÈS DE CAPP / ACPEP 2003 par Sr Gisèle Cyr s.c.o.
Leader Professionnel de la Pastorale par intérim au SSSCO
43 rue Bruyère, Ottawa, ON, K1N 5C8
This memorable and historic conference was sponsored by four associations of chaplains from Canada, the United States and Mexico, representing about 1200 members and offered workshops on a wide variety of topics. Times and places were set aside for reflection and worship.
J'étais très heureuse de pouvoir participer aux ateliers pré-congrès et au Congrès de CAPPE / ACPEP 2003 du 19 au 26 février 2003 à Toronto. Pour une première fois dans l'histoire de notre Association de CAPPE / l'ACPEP (Association Canadienne pour la Pratique et l'Éducation Pastorales), trois autres Associations se joignaient à la notre, le APC(Association of Professional Chaplains) NACC(National Association of Catholic Chaplains), NAJC(National Association of Jewish Chaplains); Associations du Canada, des États-Unis et du Mexique en un seul Congrès. Les quatre Associations ont travaillé ensemble pour reconnaître les certificats d'étude par les quatre Associations. À l'avenir le sceau des quatre Associations sera posé sur chaque certificat d'étude de CAPPE / ACPEP et des autres Associations nommées plus haut. De plus Walter Smith, "Président and CEO of Healthcare Chaplaincy" a offert $100,000 comme ressource pour soutenir nos Associations. Ces deux bonnes nouvelles ont été grandement applaudies. C'était un événement historique mémorable !
Le Congrès était des plus intéressant à vivre, nous étions près de 1,200 membres. Les conférenciers / conférencières étaient très bien choisis et les ateliers étaient tous aussi intéressants les uns que les autres et renfermaient une variété de sujets. On avait l'embarra du choix. Nous étions très bien servis au niveau spirituel, religieux, culturel, musical, administratif et pastoral. C'était beaucoup de matériel à assimiler en peut de temps.
Pour les temps de réflexion, nous avions deux endroits dont un en face a des belles chutes d'eau, où on pouvait s'asseoir seul ou avec d'autres personnes pour échanger.
Pour les moments de prière en commun, j'ai participé à la messe du mercredi et du jeudi à l'Hôtel Sheraton. La chanteuse et les deux musiciens nous ont grandement aidés à prier sur du beau chant, et de la musique tellement bien choisis pour les Célébrations liturgiques, ou le Sacrement des malades a été offert aux participants à la messe du jeudi. Tout était signifiant et guérissant à la fois. Les jours où j'ai pu être là, nous avons eu des bijoux d'homélies .
Ce fut pour moi un événement historique très mémorable et agréable en même temps que très enrichissant.
CAPPE Conference 2004
"Discovering Soul in Our Organization"
This conference will provide an opportunity for people from various walks of life and various levels of organizational management to come together to explore the meaning and tangible signs of "soul in our organization". This gathering will provide participants a chance to encounter soul, i.e., discover meaning and purpose in work.
Who should come to this conference? Anyone who longs for the opportunity to discover a new dimension of meaning in their workplace and anyone who desires to share their creative gifts to foster community in their workplace. CAPPE chaplains and pastoral counsellors have a central and prophetic role within our organizations to educate management and practice the nurture and care of soul / ethics / health within our respective organizations. The conference aims to help organizational teams of chaplains and administration to come together and discover and practice soul in their own organization.
Thursday - Saturday, February 5-7, 2004 in Ottawa, in time for the Ottawa Winterlude Festival. For more information, contact Martin Rovers, Chair, Coordinating Committee: email: mrovers @ ustpaul.ca.
Report of the National Ethics Committee
report by Martin Rovers, Outgoing Chair, NEC
CAPPE continues to strive for greater ethical culture that is both well formed in CAPPE training and informed by CAPPE members. Ethics education needs to be central in the lives of CAPPE members and students, and a part of continuing education by members. CAPPE members are most welcome to contact their regional ethics chairs for a consultation on matters of ethics or for an educational workshop in the region. The Ethics Educational Module is an excellent tool for this purpose.
During the past year, National Ethics Committee received four complaints, two of which were handled through peer intervention (mediation) and two of which are under present investigation. All four complaints are against CAPPE supervisors. These complaints spoke of the need for supervisors to be both professional and transparent in their relationship with students and better informed about the implications of the CAPPE Code of Ethics in their practice
Breach of Trust Policy
CAPPE, at its annual meeting, approved the following Breach of Trust Policy.
Within the context of our membership covenant (see Prologue, Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct), we expect transparency, truthfulness, trustworthiness, accountability and professional excellence from all members and students. All members and students will disclose to the Chair, National Ethics Committee, when a person is criminally charged or holds a conviction on record of an indictable offense found within the Criminal Code of Canada and/or the Narcotics Statutes of Canada.
Concerns coming to the attention of the National Ethics Committee will be dealt with under CAPPE’s present procedures.
Police checks for students will be left to the discretion of individual supervisors and NEC is willing to assist and advise supervisors as requested.
Professional Practice Report - Region ONE
presented to the Coordinating Committee March 14, 2003 by Douglas Wilson <wilsond@KGH.KARI.NET>
1. Samara Wark and Henry Clarke have expressed an interest in serving on the Regional Professional Practice Commission. Since we are all in Kingston we can meet and talk about the work of the Commission and hopefully become more active than in the past.
2. Peer Review:
a. By 2005 all Peer Reviews will require evidence of having attended the ethics training module.
b. Seven ONE Regional CAPPE members have been identified as requiring a peer review in 2003
c. For a Peer Review CAPPE members will have to provide evidence of having paid their annual dues for each of the previous 5 years.
3. The Intern Welcome Package will be available on the CAPPE Website for distribution this summer. The packet will include a 50% Discount Coupon for first time CAPPE members.
4. Scope of Practice/Standards of Practice February Draft is available for comment. Any comments can be sent to me and I will forward them to Warren Litt. The final draft will be presented for approval at the 2004 Annual Meeting.
5. MIS Guideline Revision 2003 contains a very disturbing definition of Chaplains. Chaplains are listed as Support Worker/Aide which includes orderlies, carpenters etc. The Professional Practice Commission is looking into how this error might be corrected.
6. The Professional Practice Commission is investigating how it might support the creation of a College of Chaplains.
7. The Professional Practice Commission continues to monitor the Ontario Privacy Act. Similar legislation is going on in Manitoba, Alberta and Quebec.
8. Nomenclature is an important issue for the profession. What do we call ourselves - Certified Chaplains? Certified Spiritual Care Professionals?
This is on the agenda for future action.
9. The Commission is still looking at membership classifications. There needs to be a clear distinction between 'retired' and 'inactive'.
10. While there is a French translation of the White Paper funding for the printing is still not solidified.
11. John Carr was elected President of the Board of Managers of the Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling. This is a first for a Canadian to hold this position. This is the only peer reviewed Journal in our field. The Journal will be published in English, French and Spanish by 2007.
12. I wish to request a budget of $300. to hold meetings in Kingston, Ottawa and possibly Sudbury around the Standards of Practice draft. This is a very important document for every chaplain and input into its final draft is essential.
Multifaith Council’s Request for YOUR OPINION
Vivian Stang, the Hospital Chaplain representative on the South EastRegional Multifaith Council, submitted this report requesting your attention.She asked you to consider if you have any ideas on how thedocument can be made operational in this region. Please send your
comments to vstang@ottawahospital.on.ca
LISTENING TO YOUThe Voices of Chaplains in Multifaith Ministries in theProvince of OntarioRev. Dr. Ron Hunt, SE RMC October 2002
The project "Listening to You" Voices of Chaplains in Multifaith Ministries in the Province of Ontario began as a program of the Training and Education Committee of the Ontario Multifaith Council in April 1999. It attempts to address the unique needs of chaplains whose vocation is to provide multifaith spiritual and religious care to clients/inmates in provincially owned and operated facilities and agencies, such as Long Term Care. It was developed as a result of the Gananoque Conference for chaplains by the South East Regional Committee.In this 2002, the thirtieth anniversary year of OMC and one year after the tragedy in New York and other places of September 11, 2001, it is fitting that we continue the multifaith dialogue on spiritual and religious care with those who undertake this care for persons in care.For over fifty years, the Ontario Government and the Churches and Faith Communities of the Province have worked together to provide for spiritual and religious needs of persons in care in provincial institutions. In 1972, the OMC and Faith Communities in Ontario signed a Memorandum of Agreement to give direction and substance to the provision of care.Areas of language, structure and goals, motives and beliefs/values by which chaplains express their ministry have all undergone enormous change in this time.
On behalf of all chaplains and members of the OMC, we wish to thank those chaplains who facilitated the responses from chaplains for this report, Marguerite Mondor of the Ottawa Hospital, Rev. John Parks of Glen Stor Dun Lodge in Cornwall, and Crystal Minor of the Brockville Jail. We also wish to acknowledge all chaplains for their continuing and faithful service to those in their care in the changing and challenging circumstances of ministry.
THE VOICES OF CHAPLAINS IN LONG TERM CARE
Chaplains report that the pastoral voice is very much needed in Long Term Care ministry. Restructuring throughout the ministry and the moving of clients has seriously upset and unsettled clients and families. Aging parents of young people with disabilities find it difficult and even impossible to get help. Young and elderly clients are often put together in the same rehab and chronic care facilities. There is not enough understanding and support from the community, especially for those on waiting lists for LTC facilities. Chaplains have a difficult task of working with staff and clients under stress with work and personal issues involved. There are not enough resources or time to deal with all that needs to be done. There is not enough community support and understanding from municipalities, churches, faith communities and local clergy ministerials.
In spite of this, most chaplains in LTC ministry report being committed to and challenged by their work.
VOICES FROM CHAPLAINS IN HOSPITALS
Many chaplains report that resources are limited and the future outlook is not promising. They ask the question "Who are we and how are we seen by other members in the hospital, including administrators, interdisciplinary team members and the community". They feel a need to do things differently and to redefine themselves and what they do. Chaplains feel that as well as service delivery models, they need to be educators of those they work with in order that the role and function of the chaplain is better understood and coordinated in the interdisciplinary team. There is a need to integrate the spiritual and religious care approach into the beginning (admittance) through to the end (discharge) and into the community for a wholistic and appropriate spiritual and religious understanding of healing and wellness. There is a need to train and educate staff and patients in the role and skills of the chaplain. There is a need to have administration and health accreditation agencies better understand the task and gifts of the chaplain in the health field.
Hospital chaplains feel that the pressures of limited funding and resources, lack of understanding and appreciation by hospitals and communities make their work difficult and stressful.
VOICES OF CORRECTIONAL CHAPLAINS
The primary theme of chaplains in jails and prisons is the devaluation of spiritual and religious care in the system, demonstrated by the ratio of chaplains to inmates and staff. There are constant difficulties recruiting, training and caring for effective volunteers in institutions, which is a discouragement to community help. There is a lack of uniformity of standards and policies for the provision of spiritual and religious care in institutions across the province: for example regarding the use of sacred space, possession and understanding the use of native medicines, wearing and using spiritual and religious symbols and artifacts, and in the safety and custodial care of prisoners. There is a communication problem with decision-makers both in government and in institutions in understanding the place and role of spiritual and religious care in the lives of inmates.
Generally, chaplains feel overwhelmed and stressed at the work required of them and the lack of resources and understanding given both within the institutions and in the community.
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS
1. To create a network of communication and support through the Ontario Multifaith Council for chaplains so that following successful screening and induction, as well as periodic assessments, chaplains will be connected, supported and listened to in ways that are emotional, spiritual and program related.2. To develop and provide spiritual and religious care information packages to assist local faith groups, clergy ministerials and local politicians and communities in understanding and assisting the work of chaplains.3. To develop an educational program to address clergy and members of faith groups represented by the membership of the Ontario Multifaith Council so that the community may better understand the role and function of the spiritual and religious care provision undertaken by chaplains.4. To review and strengthen the liaison connection that Regional Multifaith Committees have with chaplains in their areas so that chaplains can feel better connected, informed and have someone to communicate needs and problems.5. To insure RMC presence and participation in the selection of chaplains, in induction services and in assessment of programs of spiritual and religious care, and to follow up on findings in a timely and helpful manner.6. To address the systemic gap within government in the support, communication and work of chaplains.7. To identify and support new program initiatives within faith groups that are consistent with chaplain’s work.8. To help coordinate programs and services of chaplains that are in the community and those inside facilities to better use resources and create more effective communication.9. To study the role of the chaplain as EDUCATOR and provide support and materials to assist in this function.10. To address the Canadian Council of Health Care Accreditation in the appropriate inclusion of spiritual and religious care provision in the accreditation process of facilities receiving accreditation under their agency.11. To review, follow up and take action on this report.
Adopted by the SE RMC November 5, 2002
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