10 Years of Celebrating Transforming Chaplaincy:
Past, Present, and Future
​Tuesday, March 31, 1-2 PM (CDT)

Please join us to celebrate Transforming Chaplaincy’s decade-long journey of impact and growth, featuring insights from partners and collaborators on our program's reach and influence. We are also excited to highlight our current focus areas and vision as we look toward the future of spiritual care research.

10 Years of Transforming Chaplaincy
Report

Chaplaincy Research
Summer Institute
​Bryn Mawr College,
Bryn Mawr - Pennsylvania
July 27-31

Chaplains are invited to apply for the Chaplaincy Research Summer Institute (CRSI). First offered in 2017, the CRSI helps chaplains develop research literacy to understand and apply research critically and introduces them to skills to engage in research and quality improvement projects. The CRSI follows an intensive and interactive format that facilitates networking with faculty and chaplains involved in research. Several hands-on sessions include conducting literature searches, qualitative research activities, and mentored small-group discussions. Participation in CRSI counts toward research-related CE hours of professional chaplaincy organizations.

Save the Dates
Upcoming Short Courses

The GERO-6: A Spiritual Assessment for Older Adults in Long-Term Care

Wednesday, May 6, 12-4 PM (CDT)

Masterclass for Chaplain Clinical Note Writing: An Evidence-Based Curriculum

Tuesday, May 19, 12-3 PM (CDT) and Pre-Work

Beyond Stages: Appreciating Children's Innate Spirituality and Spiritual Development

Thursday, May 28, 11-3 PM (CDT) 

Please watch for future communication from Transforming Chaplaincy.

Co-Chair Selection
Expert Panel for the 5th edition of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care

Congratulations, Paul Galchutt, Transforming Chaplaincy's, Assistant Director of Engagement, for his selection to serve as one of the four Co-Chairs of the Guideline Expert Panel for the 5th edition of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care.

Publications

Amanda Borchik, MDiv, BCC, Staff Researcher at Transforming Chaplaincy (TC), along with co-author, Courtney Webb, contributed to the 3rd edition of Meeting Children's Psychosocial Needs Across the Health-Care Continuum, a text used in education for pediatric psychosocial care. As a new update in this edition, Borchik and Webb's chapter, "Caring for Children's Spirituality in the Health-Care Environment," brings an interprofessional, strengths-based approach to supporting the spiritual needs of hospitalized children and their families.
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Borchik, A. K. & Webb, C. (2026). Caring for children’s spirituality in the health-care environment. In J. H. Rollins & J. C. Boles (Eds.), Meeting children’s psychosocial needs across the health-care continuum (3rd ed., pp. 353-382). PRO-ED. https://www.proedinc.com/Products/40065/meeting-childrens-psychosocial-needs-across-the-h.aspx​

Steve Lewis, MA, DMin, is a board certified chaplain with Spiritual Care Services, UC San Diego Health, and is a co-convener of one of TC's research networks.

Chaplains in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy: Rationale and Competencies (open access)
This article argues that in the emerging research using psychedelics to treat a range of mental health conditions, Chaplains should be considered vital members of therapeutic teams because of the spiritual, existential, religious, and theological experiences common in this modality. It also proposes professional competencies that chaplains should master in order to provide quality, safe, and ethical care in this specialty area.
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Lewis, S. P., Clark-Soles, J., Mayorga, O., Sawyer, S. K., Slavet, E., Vidt, B. J., Shanti, S., Wiggins, R., Willis, K., Frey, J., Grace, R. M., & Cherniak, A. D. (2026). Chaplains in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy: Rationale and Competencies. Journal of religion and health, 10.1007/s10943-026-02591-9. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02591-9​

Spiritual Wellbeing in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy with Palliative Care Populations: An Analysis of Outcome Measures
This article argues that because participants in clinical trials involving psychedelic medicines in palliative care frequently encounter mystical/spiritual experiences, spiritual wellbeing measurement instruments ought to be widely used to track them. Three potential instruments are analyzed for their appropriateness for use in this context.
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Lewis S. (2026). Spiritual wellbeing in psychedelic-assisted therapy with palliative care populations: An analysis of outcome measures. Palliative & supportive care, 24, e75. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1478951526101801​

Upcoming Webinar

Religious Literacies for Healthcare:
Which One?
March 19, 10-11 AM (CDT)

This webinar will explore the importance of religious literacy as a foundation for spiritual care.  In particular it will review prevailing notions of religious literacy and discuss aspects of each and of healthcare in a conversation about which is best for healthcare and why.

Presenter: Dr. Cunningham, MD, MLA, FACS, Ascension Saint Agnes
​Respondent: Dr. Ragsdale, PhD, MDiv, Certified Educator, ACPE, Associate Professor Emerita, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Experience powerful perspectives from leaders in spiritual health and psychedelic medicine featuring Dr. George Fitchett, Senior Advisor, Transforming Chaplaincy & Dr. Boris Heifets. Dr. Fitchett's presentation will focus on spiritual care research over the last 25 years. ​
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​Location: Emory Alumni Memorial University Center Harland
March 25, 12-4 PM (CDT)
​Registration Options:
1) In person: Emory University, Atlanta, GA;
2) Online streaming

We're excited to get the word out about the 6th Global Summit on Spirituality, Religion, & Mental Health in Boston, MA on May 14 and 15. Scan the QR code for more details and to register.

Research Participation

The OSU Wexner Medical Center and Transforming Chaplaincy are partnering to map spiritual care service and practice in outpatient oncology clinics, infusion centers, and cancer centers. Every chaplain or chaplain leader whose scope of service includes an outpatient oncology population is invited to participate.
​Questions: Contact Jason Matlack, Senior Chaplain, MDiv, BCC jason.matlack@osumc.edu

Bridging the Gap: Chaplain and Counsellor Perspectives on LLMs for Mental Well-being
March 27, 12-1 PM ET (6-7 PM CEST)

People increasingly turn to AI chatbots for mental well-being. While these systems promise accessible support, clear gaps remain between chatbot capabilities and people’s expectations. This talk presents findings from two studies on the role of large language models in everyday self-care: the first examined how individuals used LLMs and how counsellors perceived this practice, while the second involved chaplains building and critically reflecting on chatbots for mental well-being. Across both studies, professionals pointed to both the promise and current limitations of AI chatbots in supporting psychological needs. I will illustrate these promises and limitations and outline future directions for designing more meaningful AI support.

Joel Wester is a postdoctoral researcher with the Human-Centred Computing group at the University of Copenhagen. Through qualitative and quantitative empirical studies, he investigates people’s experiences of AI-powered interactions and how design shapes user perceptions.

Join the conversation by signing up to the Telechaplaincy Community of Practice at www.telechaplaincy.io​

Supporting Partnership Opportunities

If you are interested in discussing supporting partnership opportunities with Transforming Chaplaincy, please contact Cate Beaulieu-Desjardins, TC's Assistant Director of Research Development, at caitlin_m_desjardins@rush.edu.

To Support Transforming Chaplaincy

Thank you for engaging with Transforming Chaplaincy as we work together to advance spiritual care through research. We value your support, whether you are a part of one of our research networks, attend webinars, or are on a research team. Please also consider contributing financially by clicking the button below.

Missed a Webinar?

If you were not available to tune into a Transforming Chaplaincy (TC) live broadcast or perhaps you want to see a specific webinar again, check out TC's YouTube channel. Many of you (1.85K) are already TC YouTube channel subscribers and know how this works. When you subscribe, you receive a notification that a new recording is ready for your viewing along with 115+ of our videos. Thank you for whenever you engage TC's content to advance spiritual care through research. Transforming Chaplaincy’s YouTube channel.

​Transforming Chaplaincy: Advancing Spiritual Care Through Research​
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​Vision: We envision a future when chaplaincy is formed, informed, and transformed by evidence-based practice
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​Mission: The mission of Transforming Chaplaincy is to promote evidence-based spiritual care and integrate research into professional practice and education by fostering a culture of inquiry

Our mailing address is:​
Transforming Chaplaincy
Rush University Medical Center
Department of Religion, Health, and Human Values
1653 West Congress Parkway
Chicago, IL 60612