Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Des Moines Area Hospitals
Clinical Pastoral Education Program Overview
Spiritual care is valued as a vital component of the care of patients, their families and staff. Our Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) programs provide a clinical ministry immersion experience that sets the stage for profound learning and personal growth. CPE provides clinical education for clergy, theological students, members of religious orders and laypersons.
CPE Programs
UnityPoint Health - Des Moines is accredited to offer Level I, Level II and Certified Education CPE by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. (ACPE).
The CPE Summer Intensive program is a full-time, 11-week session. It is open to seminarians, clergy, qualified lay people and others needing a unit of CPE. The unit will be in-person with clinical experience at Iowa Methodist Medical Center and Blank Children’s Hospital.
Applications are reviewed beginning in January.
- No application fee.
- $100 acceptance fee upon admission.
- No tuition.
- $4,600 stipend.
The CPE Residency program is an intensive full-time, 12-month program, beginning mid-August. UPHDM's full residency includes three units of CPE. It is open to seminarians, clergy and qualified lay people. The unit may be a hybrid style with seminar time occurring virtually or in-person, and clinical time occurring in-person at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Blank Children’s Hospital and Iowa Lutheran Hospital.
Applications are reviewed beginning in January.
- $44,000 annual stipend.
- Health insurance benefits.
- $100 fee due upon acceptance (no application or tuition fees).
- One previous unit of CPE required for application.
- Completion of master's degree generally required (degrees in religious fields preferred).
This CPE Extended Unit is a part-time program spread over five months. It is open to seminarians, clergy, qualified lay people and others needing a unit of CPE. The unit will be in-person with the option of meeting virtually if necessary. The unit generally begins in October.
Applications are reviewed beginning in June.
- No application fee.
- $100 acceptance fee up admission.
- No tuition.
- $2,700 stipend.
Curriculum
Each unit of CPE is a minimum 400 clock hours, consisting of at least 100 hours of structured education and at least 250 hours of supervised clinical service. All CPE units are taught by an ACPE Certified Educator and are based on the 2020 ACPE Objectives and Outcomes.
Application Process
To apply to one of the CPE programs you must:
- Complete the ACPE Application. Use the CPE Application Writing Guide for guidance on answering the questions in the application.
- Email the completed application to eric.johnson@unitypoint.org. No application fee required.