Summer "CPE Day" (NJ UCEDD) focuses on Faith-based Supports for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and their Families

August 27, 2012

On June 26, The Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities sponsored a one day workshop for 40+ seminarians and clergy who are part of summer Clinical Pastoral Education programs in hospitals in New Jersey. Led by Rev. Bill Gaventa and Rabbi Evan Jaffe, the key components of the day were two panels, one in the morning with three parents, and one in the afternoon with three adults with disabilities. Other parts included discussions on first experiences with disability, pastoral responses in congregations and hospitals, and key resources for their use in future ministries.

The Boggs Center is the only UCEDD (University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities) accredited to do Clinical Pastoral Education, which is done as an extended unit during the academic year with the students working in community based agencies as their placement sites. However, any UCEDD or LEND program could work with Clinical Pastoral Education programs in their respective cities or states to provide this kind of learning experience for the supervisors and students as one form of preservice or community training. Many seminarians do a "summer unit of CPE (eleven weeks) as part of their pastoral training, but most CPE programs also have units with other time frames.  To find the CPE programs in your state, go to  http://www.acpe.edu/DirectoriesRegions.html  For more information or suggestions about collaborating with CPE programs in your city or state and resources for didactics, contact Bill Gaventa at [email protected].