Graduate School for Spiritual Care

School for Spiritual Care – Army CPE

Mission: The School for Spiritual Care – Army CPE provides educational and certification programs on behalf of the Army Chief of Chaplains and Graduate School. Programs provide qualified Chaplains to fill critical roles across the Army Chaplain Corps. The Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) System, the major component of the School for Spiritual Care, provides industry recognized, world-class education leading to specialized certification in spiritual care and support RS professional development.

Courses of study offered:

CPE Resident Course
The CPE Resident Course is a 52-week course accredited both by U.S. Army TRADOC and the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). It supports the Army Chief of Chaplains requirement for clinically trained specialists in spiritual care and spiritual care training, and qualifies Chaplain Clinicians, SI 7R. In addition, this course includes an option to obtain a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min) degree through an accredited theological institution.

ACPE Certified Educator Candidate Course
The ACPE Certified Educator Candidate Course is a 186-week, 8,000 academic hour, nationally certified education course conducted in 39 months, accredited both by US Army TRADOC and ACPE. The education student course fulfills the Army and the Army CCH’s requirement for Certified Spiritual Care Educators and professional development experts, and certifies Army chaplains as ACPE Army Certified Educators, Area of Concentration (AOC) 56D, who are certified to conduct Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) programs across the Army inventory, including the Army CPE Resident Course, CPE Extended Units, and Intern CPE Units.

Army CPE Extended Course
The Army CPE Extended Course is a 25-week Distributed Learning course done by students in their units of assignment. This course enables Army Chaplains to gain further specialized experience through their careers.

Combat Medical Ministry/Emergency Medical Ministry Course
The Combat Medical Ministry/Emergency Medical Ministry Course is a two-week, blended model course that produces military Chaplains with capabilities of providing comprehensive pastoral care on the battlefield or in forward deployed medical units and trauma response teams. The CMM-EMM Course builds upon Chaplain Corps competencies and focuses on short-term trauma intervention and response to combat casualties, combat stress and emergent/urgent care environment. Additionally, the training enables Chaplains to effectively minister to soldiers, medical staff, chain of command, and units experiencing mass casualty and/or traumatic injury because of combat.

Medical Ministry Moral Injury Course (MMMI)

The Medical Ministry Moral Injury Course explores foundational theories of trauma from spiritual, psychological, and physiological approaches with special emphasis on spiritual trauma, post- traumatic soul wounding, and pastoral approaches to trauma care and recovery. The course provides Chaplains and Religious Affairs Specialists an interactive workshop approach to assisting traumatized persons and their support systems with resilience, self-care, and reintegration skills. Course methodology includes practical exercises, case studies, and the application of personal experiences. (Troop School 430)

Medical Ministry Substance Abuse Course (MMSA)

The Medical Ministry Substance Abuse Course provides Unit Ministry Team personnel increased knowledge and understanding of substance use disorder (SUD), the spiritual aspects of SUD recovery, and provides ways to apply course information in providing religious support. Topics include medical, developmental, social, and cultural issues relative to pastoral care issues of SUD recovery. (Troop School 430)

Component sites:
Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX
Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD

Program Director: CH (COL) Ibraheem Raheem,  ibraheem.a.raheem.mil@army.mil, Full Biography
Course Manager: CH (MAJ) Heeja Han, heeja.han.mil@army.mil, Full Biography

To register for a course (link to registration forms below), prospective students should contact their Component
QS Manager POCs, listed below:

COMPO 1/AA
Sherry N. Dudley, sherry.n.dudley.civ@army.mil, (803)-751-9014

COMPO 2/ARNG
CH (MAJ) David Evans, david.a.evans162.mil@army.mil, (703) 607-9867

COMPO 3/USAR
USARC Chaplain Directorate: Contact your command Chaplain section

Register: FY24 Short Course Registration Form

Clinical Pastoral Education Extended (ECPE) Application: ECPE Application

ECPE Memorandum of Instruction (MOI): ECPE MOI