Ascension St. Vincent Evansville is expanding access to specialized spiritual care education across southwestern Indiana, marking the rollout of its accredited Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program with an open house on Friday, Oct. 30.
Accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), the program provides professional theological and clinical training for seminarians, ordained clergy, healthcare professionals, and lay spiritual leaders from diverse faith traditions. The curriculum prepares caregivers to navigate acute crisis intervention, grief counseling, and interfaith spiritual support in clinical healthcare environments.
Beginning with the upcoming spring term, the program will operate on a hybrid learning model. Students will fulfill their required direct patient-care hours locally at Ascension St. Vincent Evansville, while completing theoretical coursework and peer group reflection online within a secure virtual learning environment.
The introduction of the hybrid program removes geographic barriers for regional spiritual leaders, many of whom previously had to travel to larger metropolitan hubs to earn the accredited CPE units required for professional hospital chaplaincy and pastoral credentials. By anchoring bedside practice in Evansville, trainees remain embedded within the local community while gaining hands-on hospital experience.
