St Vincent’s CPE Centre

Vision

To Lead a Transformative Pastoral /Spiritual Care Education, Teaching and Learning, Researching and Implementing.

Mission

  • Reach out and engaging the Spiritual dimension of the "Sacred" of people through Clinical Pastoral Education.
  • Plan, design, delivering Pastoral/Spiritual Education within the St. Vincent Health Facilities according to its mission.
  • Providing a learning space for everyone who seeks Pastoral/Spiritual education; Clinical and non-clinical.

Method

  • Face-to-face and online group work
  • Action-Reflection-Action
  • Research and experimental process of teaching and learning.

St. Vincent Hospital Sydney was Founded in 1857 by the Sisters of Charity, St Vincent’s Hospital is one of Australia’s most iconic Hospitals, which functions as a full service acute public teaching hospital. It has a long tradition in educating nurses, doctors, allied health, and pastoral care professionals.

St Vincent’s recognises that spiritual care is an integral part of patients’ healing and well-being. It has a dynamic Pastoral Care Department that responds to and promotes the spiritual well-being of patients, their families and the staff. The Clinical Pastoral Education Centre was established in 1981 by Sr Margaret Lee RSC. Sr Margaret remained the Centre Director until 1995.

In reflecting upon her life Margaret was described ‘as a woman of great integrity, who cared about her friends, set high standards, was a thoughtful and sensitive woman with a strong sense of loyalty and justice.’ Today - The Centre offers Introductory, Foundational, Advanced and Supervisory Education programs, and collaborates with some Universities and Colleges in offering Pastoral programs.

Supervisors

Sr Helena Naif, SSPS

Centre Director

Sr Helena is an accredited Clinical Pastoral Educator with the New South Wales College of Clinical Pastoral Education and CPE Centre Manager. She is a Missionary Sister Servant of the Holy Spirit (SSpS). Sr Helena has worked in different ministries in her home country – Indonesia before coming to Australia in 2000. While adjusting to the Australian context Sr. Helena researched to find a meaningful ministry to live out her missionary life. Her journey to Clinical Pastoral Education begun in 2006, this was followed by her Supervisory Education in 2009. She has been a Pastoral Care Practitioner for the last 14 years working in a variety of health care facilities.

As the Centre Director, Sr. Helena is responsible for managing the life of the Centre and its educational implementation. As an Educator, she delivers CPE Courses. She provides Pastoral Supervision for Pastoral/Spiritual Carers or Practitioners, and Priests and chaplains. Sr. Helena’s passion is to generate the Love of God to open hearts and bring alive the Mystery of God or the “Sacred” by tending to the ‘human person’ with its predicaments and reality of life. Supervision for her means ‘shared vision’ with the other. She is interested in reflecting theologically on human experiences that convey Divine message.

What courses are offered?

Introductory CPE

(40hrs)

This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of pastoral/spiritual care. It is a qualification required by NSW Health for those wishing to become hospital visitors. It provides prior knowledge and as pre-requisite for Foundational CPE Units. It covers such topics as listening skills, empathy, grief and loss, self-awareness and hospital procedures. A certificate is awarded on completion.

Foundational Units of CPE

(CPE 1, CPE 2 and CPE 3) (400 Hours)

These courses are aimed at providing intensive training in pastoral/spiritual care by means of a supervised group and individual reflection on pastoral conversations. Using an action/reflection method, they require students to complete 150 hours of clinical work (pastoral visiting) in assigned hospital wards or other approved locations, together with 80 hours of group work, 10 hours of individual supervision and 160 hours of reflection/reading/seminar preparation and Pastoral Encounter Report (PER) writing.

Pre-Requisites

Introductory CPE Course. Applicants are interviewed prior to acceptance into the course. The course is offered in different modes. See below. Group work is conducted at the Clinical Pastoral Education Centre, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney. The maximum number accepted into a Foundational CPE group is six students. Limited places are available and we encouraged applicants to apply early to avoid disappointment.

Specialised CPE Unit

Students will be accepted into this unit only after completion of CPE 1, 2 or 3 at credit level or above and satisfactory reports from previous supervisors. specialised CPE requires a heightened level of personal awareness, pastoral formation and professional development in a pastoral care specialisation. It aims at professional competence. Building on the previous units of Clinical Pastoral Education, it seeks to further develop students’ awareness of pastoral dynamics in a specialised area of ministry. This is achieved by reflection on the student’s practical experience of the specialised ministry, together with research into the area of specialisation. A particular focus is on the ethical challenges posed by the ministry specialisation and associated theological dilemmas.

Who can apply?

  • Pastoral Care Practitioners
  • Chaplains in any field
  • Parish Pastoral workers
  • Volunteers
  • Those wishing to work in pastoral and spiritual care or chaplaincy
  • Nurses/teachers/other health professionals interested in holistic care
  • Those seeking more effective ways to care for people's spiritual needs
  • Those wishing to discern their suitability to be a pastoral or spiritual carer within their own profession
  • Kind hearted people with a genuine care for others
  • Those interested in spiritual care in Aged Care Facilities
  • Those seeking to develop their capacity for reflective practice and to provide Spiritual Care

2025 CPE Program Dates

Introductory courses

Classroom training (Face-to-Face)

Courses will be conducted over 6 days.

Time: 9am – 3.30pm

24 February, 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 March

All saints Catholic Parish  - TBA

4, 11, 18, 25 August, 1 & 8 September

 

Virtual Learning

Courses will be conducted over 6 days.

Time: 9am – 3.30pm

15 - 17  & 29 -31 January             

6, 13, 20, 27 October, 3, 10 November

Foundational CPE Units

All Classes are full
Semester Units

Semester Units: One day for class and individual supervision and one day per week for clinical placement.

SEMESTER 1:  

Dates: 18 February to 10 June 2025

Clinical Placement: St. Vincent’s Hospital Campus

 

SEMESTER 2: 

Dates:  22 July to 2 December 2025

Clinical Placement: St. Vincent’s Hospital Campus.

All Classes are full
Year Long Unit
  • In person & Virtual Classes:

    Two days a month on Thursday/Fridays for classes

    Dates: 27/28 Feb, 27/28 Mar, 24/25 Apr, 22/23 May, 19/20 Jun, 24/25 Jul, 28/29 Aug, 25/26 Sept, 23/24 Oct & 27/28 Nov 2025

    Clinical Placement: One day a week

    Clinical Placement: St. Vincent’s Hospital Campus or at own workplace if employed as pastoral/spiritual carer or Chaplain.

Summer Intensive Unit

 

(Four days a week)

Dates: Please contact the centre for Summer Intensive dates.

Classes and Individual Supervision: 2 days/week

Clinical Placement: 2 days/week at St Vincent’s or Work place for employed Pastoral/Spiritual carers or Chaplains. 

What is the cost?

Introductory courses

$625.00

SVHA Staff Cost $ 468.75

Foundational CPE 1,2, & 3

Academic award students

Undergraduate

$3485.00

Postgraduate

$4005.00

Foundational CPE 1,2, & 3

Non-award students

Foundational CPE Unit 1, 2, 3

$2525.00/unit

SVHA Staff pay 75%  $1893.75

 

The above fees include the cost of the CPE certificate.

Where Do I Send My Application?

Sr. Helena Naif SSpS

 

Clinical Pastoral Education Centre

Level 3 DeLacy Building

St Vincent’s Hospital,

390 Victoria Street

Darlinghurst NSW 2010

For More Information Contact

Sr. Helena Naif SSpS

Clinical Pastoral Educator/Manager

Academic Recognition

As a Member Institute of the Sydney College of Divinity, the NSW College of Clinical Pastoral Education provides Master of Arts degrees specialising in Chaplaincy and Pastoral Supervision, and gives credit for Basic and Advanced Units of CPE.

Students with a Bachelor degree or other relevant qualification may enrol in a Master of Arts (leading to a Specialisation in Chaplaincy) which is offered by the NSW College of CPE through the Sydney College of Divinity. Students undertake three core units of CPE (CPE 1, 2, 3) and receive 54 credit points, half the course work.

The remaining 54 credit points may be gained by enrolment in related courses (such as theology, Biblical studies, pastoral counselling) offered through the other member institutes of the Sydney College of Divinity.

It may seem things move very fast, begin and end in a relatively short time and /or in a long time. One thing that might stay is the meaning of each moment spent.

anonymous

Find out more about student life at NSWCCPE

Call our Registrar on 0420 359 097 or send an email message

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