Fellowship

The Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Fellowship is designed to guide aspiring CPE Educators through the process of certification with ACPE. The fellow will work as a core part of an inter-faith spiritual care team, supporting persons of diverse socio-economic, religious and cultural backgrounds while adhering to hospital and departmental policies. The CPE Fellow will provide spiritual and emotional support to patients, families, guests and staff primarily at the Cary campus of WakeMed Health & Hospitals.

Educational duties include participating in seminars and completing written requirements as assigned by the ACPE Certified Educators in the Spiritual Care department. The focus of the first year will be geared towards clinical and system integration as well as preparing application materials for admission into the ACPE Certified Educator training program. After successful admission, the CPE Fellow will officially begin Certified Educator Training.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Completion of four (4) units of ACPE CPE
• Graduate degree in theology, religion, or related field
• Eligible for endorsement within the first year
• Strong demonstrated motivation for becoming an ACPE-CE

UNIT REQUIREMENTS

• Schedule is Monday – Friday from 8am – 4:30pm
• Clinical hours and on-call requirements
• Completion of educational requirements

BENEFITS

• Stipend of approximately $48,400.00
• Contracted Position (excludes hospital employee benefits such as medical insurance, life insurance, paid days off and pharmacy discounts)

COST

• Deposit of $50, if accepted
• Tuition and requisite ACPE fees covered by WakeMed

Expectations of a Fellow

• The CPE Fellow candidate will be motivated to engage in a rigorous training program and schedule leading to certification as an ACPE Certified Educator.
• The candidate will be committed to a 2 to 4 year program. If admitted, the candidate will have assigned clinical and on-call responsibilities in addition to beginning work towards applying to the Certified Educator Candidate program.
• The candidate will possess a strong pastoral identity and will be able to provide a high level of pastoral care while continuing to make progress towards certification as an ACPE Certified Educator
• The candidate selected to enter Certified Educator Candidate (CEC) process  will possess a high level of the following qualities (adapted from ACPE Certification Manual):
  • a sense of personal initiative
  • face-to-face authenticity
  • a high level of emotional maturity
  • theological depth and congruence
  • strong writing skills
  • openness to other cultures and traditions
  • collegial autonomy
  • capacity to function professionally in situations of high anxiety
  • demonstrated leadership 

What the Fellow Can Expect From Us

• A spiritual care department of faculty, staff, CPE students and contract chaplains who:
  • are dedicated to providing compassionate and effective spiritual care to patients, families and staff  
  • are valued and integrated members of the WakeMed care team
  • embody a culture of self-care, hospitality and teamwork
  • value joy, community and celebration — who work hard and play hard!  
• A seasoned, engaged and diverse ACPE-CPE faculty who:
  • work together to assure that students receive the most supportive, relevant, challenging and rich experience possible    
  • value ACPE-CE training and routinely evaluates the various programs for improvement
• An experienced, creative and committed staff who:  
  • will be honest, open and excited to work with students
  • are available to provide mentoring, professional development and precepting
  • will support your goals to become an ACPE Certified Educator