what is CPE anyway? a late introduction

i'm sending out an email soon, letting people know about where i'm at now, what i'm doing, and all that. i'm hoping to keep this blog going as a way to help me keep track of the questions that come up for me and also to get advice from anyone who's kind enough to read what i've written. i'll keep it pretty general, honoring the strict confidentiality of the group and of the Veterans' Health Administration.

so for people who don't know what CPE is, here's a general overview:
Clinical Pastoral Education is a chaplain's training program, comparable to the physician residency, or other professional internship training programs. It is a curriculum based in theoretical models of action and reflection. It includes clinical work (visiting patients, helping to conduct groups and services, etc), individual supervision time (structured mentoring with a trained supervisor), didactics (classes conducted by professionals who specialize in areas relevant to the training program), group supervision (case studies and verbatim interactions presented to the group for evaluation and feedback), and other things. The point is to bring up our emotional baggage and instinctive responses in order to help us prepare to deal with it honestly so it doesn't surprise us in patient interactions. It's a theoretical model that I'm definitely into, though I expect it to be difficult.

The VA was my top choice for CPE because of the issues presented there. I will be able to deal with aging, Alzheimers, and dementia, as well as terminal illnesses, homelessness, dual diagnosis (addictions and mental illnesses), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I admit I was motivated in part by patriotism, after seeing films like The War Tapes and Ground Truth, and reading books like The Things They Carried. I was struck by how much these soldiers voiced the pain of dealing with ethically and morally difficult issues under life-threatening conditions and in the context of a military system and culture. It seemed they were given little chance to voice or explore the spiritual implications, needs, and perspectives that arise from those experiences. I am struck by interviews and articles about veterans and the ways they carry and cope with their wartime experiences, as well as the families of these veterans, and how they cope and support (or not) the soldier's return to civilian life (at all levels of physical and mental brokenness and healing). I suspect I'm pretty naive going into this, but I want to learn how to work with veterans and their stories, questions, joys, and pains.

Okay, that's about enough for now. Feel free to ask questions.