Professional Disciplines/Training
All of the full-time chaplains at Georgia Regents Health System are required to have graduated with a professional ministerial degree and are encouraged to be Board Certified through the Association of Professional Chaplains. The director of the department and the associate director are required to have this certification which can only be achieved when the following requirements are completed:
- A Master of Divinity degree from an accredited seminary
- A full year of Clinical Pastoral Education
- A minimum of 5 years clinical experience
- 50 hours of CEU’s per year
Board Certified Chaplains are cross-trained to serve all populations in a general hospital setting. Specialized training for areas is encouraged. The Georgia Regents Health System pastoral staff is diverse in gender, ethnicity, and theological tenets. Currently we have chaplains who have achieved special training in the areas of Pediatrics, Neonatology, Geriatrics, Physical Rehabilitation, and Substance Abuse. All chaplains are required to have an understanding of the spiritual needs of the general population.
Ethics Committee
The Director of Pastoral Counseling serves on the ethics committee and is the liaison to the JCAHO task force on Institutional Ethics and Patient Rights. In addition to attending meetings, the pastoral staff supports the committee by serving in an on-call capacity for the committee and often is the first line of referral for those wishing to access the committee.