May 2020 Vol. 22 No. 4

A Message from APC President...
by Joseph Perez MDiv BCC

Dear APC Colleagues,

As we continue this journey through the covid-19 pandemic, I am more convinced than ever that one of the spiritual disciplines needed for holistic health in such a time as this is the discipline is learning to grieve well. And sadly, it is rarely taught thoroughly in traditional places of religious practice. For chaplains have learned that if one does not learn to grieve well, it will surely affect a person's holistic living.

I know I am preaching to the choir when I write this note, and at the same time we need to remember our holistic needs as well. Grief is as normal as life and change. When one thing ends, another begins; and in this process, the loss must be addressed. As we begin to become aware of our responses to the losses in life, we naturally develop resources to deal with them. Most of the time this awareness comes through expressing our honest experience with a trusted friend, family member, spiritual leader or counselor. Yet, when we deny or avoid the natural response of loss, we cannot develop resiliency...Read More

News:

BCCI News & Updates
by Jana Troutman-Miller MA BCC
Chair, BCCI Commission on Certification

Throughout the last three months we have heard from many of our certified chaplains how much of a toll the COVID-19 pandemic has had on their personal and professional lives. Self-care has been more important than ever before as we juggle our new realities at work and at home.

One of the ways that our members have been advocating for themselves is by reaching out to APC about what options they might have in 2020 concerning the 50 hours continuing education (CE) requirements for maintenance of certification. With all the other burdens that we are carrying right now and with a lot of educational opportunities being cancelled, worrying about where we are going to get our 50 hours of CEs is not something we should need to be worrying about right now...Read More

Announcing the APC 2020-2021 Slate for Board of Directors

The APC Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the candidates for officer and director positions of the 2020-2021 APC Board of Directors with terms beginning November 1, 2020. The Nominating Committee has submitted the following candidates for consideration by the Association of Professional Chaplains membership:

Secretary (one-year term)
Rev. Mark LaRocca-Pitts PhD BCC
Chaplain and Pastor
Piedmont Atlanta Hospital/Bethelview United Methodist Church
Cumming, GA

Director (three-year term)
Joel Nightingale Berning
Chaplain
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
New York, NY

Director (three-year term)
Sarah Byrne-Martelli
Inpatient Chaplain and Instructor, Division of Palliative Care
Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA

Director (three-year term)
Rabbi Jodie Futornick BCC
Staff Chaplain and Ethics Consultant
Swedish Medical Center
Seattle, WA

Director (three-year term)
Rev. Amy Karriker BCC
Director of Chaplaincy
Cohen Children's Medical Center
New Hyde Park, NY

Read More

Important Notice Regarding Past-Due Invoices, CE Summary or Five Year Maintenance of Certification

APC staff are continuing to process dues payments, CE Summaries and peer reviews. If you know or are unsure of your current status in these areas, we encourage you to read this important update...Read More

Participate in APC's Special Interest Group (S.I.G.) Survey:

APC has been holding regular COVID-19 Round-table calls as well as Professional Community Support calls. As we continue to work to provide education, support and collegiality during the pandemic, we would like to ask you to take this short five question survey regarding virtual Special Interest Group meetings. Please follow this LINK to take the survey.

FINAL Days to participate in ERICH Survey:

The worldwide pandemic has influenced the way spiritual care has been delivered in health care. Some even say that spiritual care will never be the same after we have been forced to find other ways to connect with people, to do rituals, to support staff, and so on. With your help, we would like to get better insight in how the pandemic influenced you and your spiritual care. Please take some time to fill in the survey. It will take you 20 to 30 min. If you wish, you can answer the open questions in your own language. The closing date is June 7. If you are a chaplain and interested, you can find the link to the survey here:
https://survey.napier.ac.uk/n/ERICHg.aspx #spiritualcareisessential

CSU's "Essentials of Palliative Care Chaplaincy"

California State University in conjunction with Association of Professional Chaplains is now accepting registrations for several cohorts for their course "Essentials of Palliative Care Chaplaincy". CSU accepets registration all the way up to the start of the class, however space is limited and early registration is encouraged.

APC would like to remind our members that they receive a 10% discount on their registration by using the promo code. This code is restricted to members only and you must log-into the member page to receive it.

Visit the CSU Institute for Palliative Care page to learn more about this exciting course.

Resource Ideas for May 2020:

APC's COVID-19 Resources

Memorials:

APC extends our sympathy to the family and friends of members who have died. Memorials are listed on the website in alphabetical order by last name.

Quick Links:

Upcoming Webinars

Standards of Practice

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APC Forum: News and Ideas in Chaplaincy Care invites the submission of articles from members of the association and others connected to the chaplaincy field. APC Forum is the successor publication to APC e-News.
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