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.

Chaplaincy Research Summer Institute Open House
Thursday, May 7, 11 AM - Noon (CDT)

Please join us for an online Chaplaincy Research Summer Institute Open House on Thursday, May 7, 11 AM - Noon (CDT), to learn more about it and to have a chance to ask your questions.

Spiritual Care Management & Leadership Certificate​
September 2026 - May 2027

The Transforming Chaplaincy Certificate Program in Spiritual Care Management and Leadership (SCML), a distinctive educational offering at Rush University College of Health Sciences, is an exceptional resource for those aspiring to lead spiritual care programs in healthcare.

Led by experts, it integrates classroom learning, real-world case studies, and experiential activities to equip participants with the skills needed for effective leadership amidst the complexities of healthcare spiritual care. Emphasizing a comprehensive curriculum that covers everything from emotional intelligence to strategic thinking and innovation, this program is designed for current and aspiring spiritual care leaders seeking to enhance their capabilities and impact.

Participants will join a supportive community, engage in reflective practices, and apply what they learn to real-world challenges, preparing them to lead with agility and compassion in the evolving healthcare landscape.

Upcoming Short Courses

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

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

~Save the Dates~
​Please watch for more communication from TC

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) 

Congratulations
Transforming Chaplaincy
Research Fellow Alumnae

On April 3, 2026, Petra Sprik successfully defended her dissertation titled "Compassion at Work in Healthcare Settings: A Scoping Review and Social Network Analysis Examining Compassion Exchanged Among Healthcare Workers." This marks the completion of Petra's doctoral program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the Health Services Administration Department, where she has been mentored by Dr. Larry Hearld. Her dissertation uses a quantitative approach to map how compassion flows through outpatient oncology clinics, examining the social dynamics that influence the exchange of compassion between healthcare workers, and its outcomes. Look for it being published in the months to come!

Shelley Varner Perez, MDiv, MPH, CPH, BCC, is the new Research Director with the Daniel F. Evans for Spiritual and Religious Values in Healthcare. Rev. Varner Perez has consistently demonstrated expertise in spiritual care and will advance the research priorities within the center. 

Publications

Emotional Intelligence and Counseling Self-Efficacy Among Clinical Pastoral Education Students in a Multicenter Sample: A Baseline Analysis

Transforming Chaplaincy is excited to share this new open access publication! Our article explores the characteristics of emotional intelligence and counseling self-efficacy among 274 students from 29 CPE centers. Emotional intelligence strongly predicted counseling self-efficacy, with prior work experience playing a significant role. The findings highlight the importance of incorporating emotional intelligence development as a key objective in curriculum design, rather than as a secondary outcome. By creating structured opportunities for reflection and peer feedback on emotional dynamics, programs can enhance students' counseling self-efficacy. Additionally, recognizing the value of students' prior professional experiences can help personalize supervision and goal setting. A critical examination of how supervision frameworks and course design implicitly center particular cultural norms around emotional expression and helping relationships supports culturally responsive education.

Thank you to the Foundation for ACPE for funding this project!

Szilagyi, C., Palmer, P. K., Borchik, A. K., & Fitchett, G. (2026). Emotional intelligence and counseling self-efficacy among clinical pastoral education students in a multicenter sample: a baseline analysis. Journal of health care chaplaincy, 1–16. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2026.2651589

CPE Cultural Immersion Through a Country Exchange Program

This study (open access) evaluated a country exchange cultural immersion program for CPE students at Houston Methodist Hospital System (HM) in exchange with their CPE students in Monterrey, Mexico. Thirteen themes emerged from student interviews leading to the overall conclusion that the program is very successful at helping chaplain students step out of their comfort zone, grow in compassion, confidence and competence when working with patients, families and staff who represent different cultures and ethnicities than themselves.

Muehlhausen, B. L., Soga, S., Amaya-Villa, J., Abuyeka, C., & Nieves Aviles, E. (2026). CPE cultural immersion through a country exchange program. Journal of health care chaplaincy, 1–23. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2026.2644797

Presentations

Poster Presentations | American Psychosocial Oncology Society in New Orleans, Louisiana

Rev. James Adams, Senior Chaplain with the Neal Cancer Center of Houston Methodist, presented case report, “ ‘I Don’t Know That I’ve Done Enough’: A Chaplain’s Use of the ONC-5 Assessment to Provide Psychologically-Informed Spiritual Interventions for a Newly Diagnosed Patient.” It illustrated the ways that chaplains utilize evidence-based assessments to support our oncology patients in navigating spiritual and emotional distress following a diagnosis. James is also the moderator for a Bereavement special interest group within Transforming Chaplaincy's (TC) Hospice-Palliative Spiritual Care Research Network.

Bronwen Jones, Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center Chaplain and Convener of TC's Cancer Care Spiritual Care Research Network, presented, Harmony in Healing through GRACE, which is a 6-week resiliency program for women with metastatic breast cancer. A key finding was that co-facilitating GRACE has been mutually beneficial for the participants and the facilitators.

Podium Presentation | Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association in Anaheim, California

Sarah McEvoy, Co-Convener of TC's Elder Care Research Network, alongside Dr. Fatima Naqvi, CMD, and Alex Donovan, BCC, presented Spirituality in Medical Education and Practice: Spiritual Care Assessment Workshop.

Upcoming Webinars

"In Dialogue with Your Life Story": A Mixed-Methods Study into the Workings of a Narrative and Interfaith Spiritual Care Intervention in Palliative Care at Home
April 16, 1-2 PM (CDT)

The value of researching chaplaincy outcomes is increasingly acknowledged by both scholars and practitioners. In this webinar, we present the qualitative and quantitative findings of our intervention “In dialogue with your life story”, developed for patients receiving palliative care at home, a growing field of chaplaincy in the Netherlands. We discuss key characteristics of the intervention, including life review, imagination, materiality, and rituality, alongside the quantitative evidence of changes in patients' spiritual well-being over time. Additionally, drawing on our qualitative analysis, we share the underlying mechanisms of the interventions and offer some insight into the 'black box' of chaplaincy care.

Presenters: Prof. dr. Anke Liefbroer and dr. Annemarie Foppen
​Respondent: Beba Tata, MDiv, MPH, BCC

Making the Case for Chaplains in Psychedelic Therapies
Monday, May 4, 12-1 PM (CDT)

Emerging research with psychedelic medicines suggests that people experience mystical or spiritual encounters that appear to mediate improvements in conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance use disorders. This webinar will describe the roles of chaplains on psychedelic treatment teams and the competencies needed to provide safe, ethical, and high quality care.

Presenter: Steve Lewis, MA, DMin
​Respondent: Dr. Julie Exline, PhD

Transforming Healthcare Chaplaincy Education: A Delphi Study on Integrated Curriculum Standards
Tuesday, May 12, 12-1 PM (CDT)

This session presents the results of a Delphi study aimed at building consensus on core competencies for healthcare chaplaincy education. The findings offer a clear, research-informed framework for preparing chaplains to function effectively within interdisciplinary care teams in complex healthcare environments. The discussion will focus on implications for theological and clinical pastoral educators, training programs, and the future of the field.

Presenter: Dr. David Fleenor, PhD, BCC, ACPE Certified Educator
​Respondent: Marilyn Barnes, MS, MA, MPH, BCC

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

Research Invitation for Black or African American Healthcare Chaplains

Kalif Crutcher, a PhD student at Gonzaga University, is conducting a research study examining the professional experiences of Black or African American healthcare chaplains. Eligible individuals are invited to complete a brief anonymous online survey (approximately 5–10 minutes). Participation is voluntary, and no information identifying you as the participant will be collected. If you are interested in participating, please use the link below.
​Questions: Contact Kalif Crutcher, M.Div, MA, BCC, KCrutcher@zagmail.gonzaga.edu

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 (1.89K) 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​
​
​Vision: We envision a future when chaplaincy is formed, informed, and transformed by evidence-based practice
​
​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