The Clinical Pastoral Training program (CPT) of the UNM Health Sciences Center (HSC) is dedicated to providing quality, non-traditional competencies in clinical ministry specializing in crisis response situations.  It is not designed to be a competitive educational replacement for Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).  Our goal is to provide community clergy and laity with the clinical skills necessary to competently and confidently minister to our diverse patient population during times of medical crisis such as auto accidents, suicides, shootings, unexpected death of a child, etc.

The Certification through UNM Hospital will be granted to our pastoral care interns that meet all the requirements for graduation.  In keeping with our mission statement, we seek to create an environment of learning coupled with supervised clinical ministry that is respectful of the dignity of each patient and chaplain interns in all aspects of our clinical pastoral crisis intervention program.  We believe that this role models for the chaplain interns our goal of sharing love, compassion, understanding and interventions with all persons, of whatever faith background, age, ethnic or cultural background.  The spiritual or faith background traditions of the patients and pastoral interns are always respected.

The Clinical Pastoral Training program strives to be responsive and proactive to the growing specialized training needs of area clergy and laity-ministers.  We can provide highly specialized training and clinical pastoral supervision without any cost to the chaplain interns.  We will utilize existing resources and educational services already available to the HSC pastoral care department. When we combine the fact that we are New Mexico's only Level 1 Trauma Center and that we are a teaching hospital, it is easily recognized that we are the logical choice as the institution to take the initiative in providing this specialized clinical training and supervision need by our community clergy.

The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center through it's The Clinical Pastoral Training program encourages students' spiritual and personal growth,while developing their professional expertise as spiritual caregivers in a clinical environment.  The program's goal is to empower community clergy of all faiths to provide meaningful and effective clinical ministry, while strengthening their emotional and spiritual health. Students' personal life and parish ministry experience together with patient stories and perspectives, practical hands-on clinical interventions and seminars form the core of theClinical Pastoral Training (CPT) curriculum.

CPT is a method of practical application of theological education by which a student learns clinical pastoral crisis intervention skills in asupervised practical ministry setting.   CPT seeks to providea nurturing milieu for each student to gain self-awareness,pastoral identity and clinical competence, as one learns to integrate theology within the field of medicine.

CPT students serve as chaplains in New Mexico's only Level 1 Trauma Centerand extend spiritual care to people coping with a health carecrisis and hospitalization -- or facing the death of a loved one. Participants learn to develop a variety of spiritual care and counseling skills, appropriate interventions,and experience life transforming struggles of patients and their loved ones.

During the education process, CPT students learn about themselves and health care ministry from patients, family members, hospital staff,student peers and pastoral supervisor.  Theological and ethical reflectionon the clinical experience combined with personal, professional and spiritual integration is of central importance in all aspects of the program.

As a CPT student, you will reflect on and dialogue about encounters with patients and others.  Learn from and with CPT peers, valuing all perspectives integrate faith, theology, experience, and "soul" into professional expressions.  Develop collaborative partnerships with physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and peers in a holistic model of care drawn on the latest thinking in behavioral science, critical incident stress management, systems theory, ethics, and value-based decision-making. You will learn and develop as you actively participate in the specialized and demanding ministry of the Clinical Pastoral Training in a regional adult and pediatric trauma center.