How To Become A Police Chaplain

The Importance Of Accreditation

In order to graduate with a degree recognized by a number of professional organizations, you need to attend a university that is fully accredited by a third-party independent evaluation organization. These organizations will often accredit a university bachelors degree based on the professors, the courses taught, and how knowledge graduates are. There are many different accreditation organizations. However, in order to be better positioned for certification, you should look for universities that have been accredited by the Council for Higher Education Association . Those who hold degrees from CHEA-accredited universities may be able to skip some steps in becoming certified.

When it comes to graduate degrees, you want to look for schools that have been accredited by one of the different organizations that specifically evaluate and accredit religion programs and seminaries. The three major organizations that accredit these programs are the Transnational Association for Christian Colleges and Schools, the Association of Theological Schools, and the Association for Biblical Higher Education.

Law Enforcement Chaplain Training Program

In response to the growing need for emotional and spiritual care to law enforcement officers, the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team has developed the Law Enforcement Chaplain Training Program , taught by former law enforcement officers. This Biblically-based training is free of charge and open to active-duty/retired law enforcement officers, chaplains, pastors, and anyone interested in serving law enforcement.

Contact Your Local Police

Contact your local police or sheriffs department and ask if the department has an existing chaplain program. If they do, speak to the person in charge of recruiting new chaplains and find out what the requirements are to become a chaplain within that police or sheriffs department. Each police department has its own set of requirements. If they dont have a current chaplain program, express interest in working with necessary personnel to begin one.

Don’t Miss: What Requirements Do You Need To Become A Police Officer

The Bottom Line Is Either Be A Chaplain Or A Chaplain/officer Not A Wanna Be

Stay on the chaplain side of the fence, stay in our own lane, or pay your dues, get the training, and earn the right. There can be no short cuts. “Wanna Be” chaplains create distrust among officers. They may question what is the chaplain more interested in, the streets or the ministry?

Wanna Be chaplains create distrust among officers. They may question what is the chaplain more interested in, the streets or the ministry?

In closing, even a chaplain/officer must be careful. We are there always first as chaplain and as officers second. Use the fact that you are an officer to your advantage. You will know what officers really are going through and it can increase your chance for ministry.

Frankly, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be a chaplain only. It removes any doubt as to your motives.

Chaplain David Fair is a renowned crisis intervention and stress management specialist for emergency responders. He is the former director of chaplain services with the Brownwood Police Department, Texas Dept. of Public Safetys Critical Incident Response Team, and the Texas Dept. of Healths Critical Incident Stress Management Network.

Reprinted from the International Conference of Police Chaplains Website

Program Objectives And Goals

The goal of graduate programs in religion is to prepare students to enter into the ministry and become leaders in the church. Many of these programs dont specifically aim to educate students to be police chaplains, but some do offer courses aimed at counseling and leading congregations of people with unusual needs, including police officers. The programs aim to teach graduates everything it takes to lead a church, including providing training and education in the areas of church administration, Biblical counseling, public speaking, and more.

Read Also: How Can I View A Police Report Online

What Are Police Chaplains

A police chaplain serves as a support system for law enforcement in times of crisis. They can be volunteers or sworn officers. They come from all faiths and are fully ordained. Some hold degrees or certifications in mental health treatment.

Its well-known that many officers are guarded by nature and can have trouble opening up about their trauma to a psychologist or other mental health professional in a formal environment. Similar to peer support programs, police chaplains can be effective in these cases because they offer a more informal source of support for the affected officer.

Police Chaplain Jobs & Job Description

Committed to those who ensure safety for members of the public, police chaplains work to provide the best resources, interventions, and support for the mental and spiritual well being of law enforcement individuals. While the role does vary from department to department, most police chaplains are comfortable performing the following duties:

Also Check: How Many People Are Shot By Police Each Year

Earn A Master Of Science In Spiritual Care

Working as a clinically trained minister enables a chaplain to provide spiritual guidance and care to diverse groups of people. Healthcare, hospice, and military chaplains guide and comfort patients from all religious backgrounds and belief systems, offering their expertise in settings where meaningful faith support is sorely needed and appreciated.

If you are interested in learning more about how to become a chaplain, explore how AdventHealth University Onlines Master of Science in Spiritual Care can prepare you for a rewarding career in the field.

Recommended Readings

How Do You Become A Police Chaplain

First and foremost, handling the unique demands that come with working within the law enforcement profession requires specialized training. The nature of the job from assisting in suicide calls to managing the aftermath of a line-of-duty death presents significant challenges that go beyond the skill level of a traditional minister. While other requirements may vary, the International Conference of Police Chaplains arguably the most prominent and influential chaplaincy program in the world breaks down the qualifications like this:

• No criminal convictions
• Ordained and in good standing with a ministry
• At least five years of experience in ministry
• Screened by a police chaplaincy committee
• Available to serve 24/7
• Familiar with local mental and physical health resources.

Also Check: Can Police Help Me Unlock My Car

Standard Reporting Tool For Physicians

To further enhance physician reporting of BMD, a standard reporting tool based on the CARs reporting guidelines is under development that will be introduced in 2015. This will ensure consistency of reporting and will take accreditation to a new level in Canada.

The OAR CBMD team will continue to work with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists to ensure that it provides the highest standard of BMD educational training in Canada for reporting physicians and technologists providing BMD services.

Complete Training And Earn Certification

A variety of certifications are available to chaplains. Some chaplains who work in healthcare choose a 12-week Clinical Pastor Education training program through the Association for Clinical Pastor Education. Other training programs are offered through accredited organizations across the country.

Additional certifications may be needed depending on where a chaplain works. For example, military, hospital, and hospice chaplains can be certified through the National Association of Catholic Chaplains, the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, or other professional organizations.

Recommended Reading: Do You Need A Degree To Be A Police Officer

Chaplain Licensing And Certification

For most chaplain jobs, youre going to need to pass the Association for Professional Chaplains certification program. This program is designed to make certain that you are trained and ready to work in the field. In order to gain APC certification, you have to be ordained and endorsed by your church, have earned a masters degree, and complete four units of the Clinical Pastoral Education program.

This program can be as much as an addition year of education and training, but it focuses more on working in the field than some degree programs do. These courses are offered by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education. Most of their units take about three months to complete.

What Is A Chaplain

The definition of a chaplain is a minister in the workplace. Chaplaincy is all about ministering in secular spaces. Chaplains bridge the gap between the secular world and the body of Christ. Chaplaincy provides the means to bring the hope of Jesus beyond the walls of a church building and into the real moments of peoples lives. Chaplains represent a safe place as they seek to bring the love of Jesus through tangible acts of real care and help.

Without the proper training, even with the right motives, you could do more harm than good in moments of crisis and trauma.

What are the right things to say to someone whose daughter has committed suicide?

What resources are available to someone who is experiencing domestic violence?

How can your presence bring peace in moments of grief and loss?

What do I do to respond after a natural disaster?

Becoming a chaplain puts the right tools in your tool belt to minister to those in need.

Don’t Miss: Where Do I Get My Police Record

Become A Hospital Chaplain

A primary duty of a hospital chaplain is offering spiritual support in the absence of a patients usual faith support system. For example, if a patients hospitalization keeps them from attending religious services, a hospital chaplain provides support. A chaplain can also serve patients who dont have a spiritual leader or pastor.

Job Outlook And Salary

Working in a spiritual care occupation can yield a variety of benefits. Members of the clergy, including chaplains, earn an annual median salary of $50,400, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics .

The type of work setting can affect salary levels. For example, chaplains who work in medical and surgical hospitals earn a median salary of $55,840, while those who are employed in home healthcare services earn approximately $58,070. States with the highest employment of professionals in this occupation include New York, California, Oregon, Texas, and Florida.

Don’t Miss: How To Be A Police Officer In Miami

What Is A Police Chaplain

A police chaplain is a chaplain who serves in a precinct and works primarily with police officers to provide support and counseling. A chaplain is a little different from a traditional minister in that chaplains primarily work in secular areaspolice departments, hospitals, military bases, prisons, etc. While chaplains, including police chaplains, are fully ordained and can lead a church, they are generally called ministers, pastors, or some other term in that case.

Police chaplains work in conjunction with police departments, sheriff departments, and other law enforcement groups to provide counseling, support, and other services to law enforcement personnel. This does mean talking with officers who have gone through traumatic experiences, but it also means visiting those who are injured, speaking to the family of an officer who died in the line of duty, and giving prayers at certain events. In most cases, a police chaplain offers religious counseling in addition to the ministers of an officers church. They dont usually hold church services for the precinct or police station.

Master’s Degrees For Chaplaincy Candidates

In past years, masters degrees were not always required for certification or to find work as a police chaplain. However, today many jobs do require certification, which requires a graduate degree in religion. Holding a graduate degree will make it much easier to get a job, plus it will provide you with further training and education in the areas of religious studies, counseling, and leadership. Again, make certain the university or seminary you attend is accredited by one on of the recognized organizations.

Recommended Reading: How To Get Copy Of Police Accident Report

Professional Associations For Police Chaplains

As a professional chaplain, you may want to become a full member of the APC or of another professional organization. The APC is a nondenominational group, which means that it provides resources about counseling police officers from a number of different points of view. The association also gives police chaplains a chance to talk to those in other industries who do the same type of work, which can be very helpful for learning new ways of approaching patients and their issues.

Things To Know About Police Chaplains

Police chaplains arent there to push a religion on police officers their role is primarily to listen and offer emotional and spiritual support

Police officers face an extraordinary amount of stress on the job. Mental health services are a crucial component of officer wellness, and its vital for police agencies to maintain a robust offering of programs to keep LEOs mentally fit. One of these services is the use of police chaplains.

Here are five things to know about them and the role they have in law enforcement.

Read Also: What Happens When You File A Police Report For Harassment

The New Online Cbmd Program

The CBMD team has developed as a two-pronged program a facility quality control and quality assurance program and a continuing education component for medical specialists reporting BMD and the technologists providing BMD services.

The new online program is the latest evolution of this vital QA/QC initiative. The primary goals are to:

• Accredit every BMD site in Ontario and BMD sites outside of Ontario committed to meeting the CBMD standards
• Continue mandatory involvement of qualified medical physicists who play a vital role in ensuring QA/QC
• Keep accreditation costs consistent with Mammography Accreditation
• Work closely with referring family physicians.
• Encourage every BMD technologist in Ontario to obtain Accredited Densitometry Technologist designation as ADT designation is a mandatory requirement for CBMD Accreditation
• Continue to enhance educational programming for both reporting imaging physicians and technologists providing BMD services since there can be NO accreditation without education.

The core elements of CBMD Facility Accreditation remain unchanged. They include standardized reporting for BMD a uniform standard for QA/QC mandatory involvement of medical physicists and ongoing education as a cornerstone of accreditation.

S To Become A Police Chaplain

Becoming a police chaplain is, in many ways, very similar to becoming a chaplain of any type. Before you enter the field, you will need to have the following:

• Have a strong faith and desire to work with those who are in high-risk situations on a daily basis.
• Earn a bachelors degree in an area such as religion or counseling.
• Consider a masters degree.
• Complete a residency or internship if required.
• Must have a clean criminal record with no criminal convictions or offenses involving moral turpitude

All police chaplains, despite their work location, are fully trained, licensed, and ordained chaplains. They could minister at a church or lead other religious programs if they wanted to. This means that in order to hold a job as a police chaplain, youll need to have at least a bachelors degree, become ordained, and get certified. The requirements vary from state to state, and many precincts are looking for police chaplains who hold masters degrees in the field.

Don’t Miss: How Do You Become A Police Officer

Become An Ordained Chaplain Ordained Either Through Traditional Or Nontraditional Methods

Become an ordained chaplain either through traditional or nontraditional methods. Traditional methods include obtaining a bachelors degree in divinity or theology and receiving ordination paperwork from a local church denomination. Nontraditional methods include seeking ordination via online ordinations services or churches where an applicant must complete an application, agree to the organizations code of ethics and pay any applicable fees to receive the proper ordination credentials The organization that ordains you is the same one that will endorse you for chaplain service. Keep in mind that, although receiving ordination credentials on line is considered a legal ordination, police departments are not required to accept such credentials.

No One Should Have To Go Through Crisis Alone

Fear and insecurity have kept too many people from living out their desire to serve the hurting. Have you been paralyzed by your lack of knowledge? Dont watch from the sidelines. You were created with significanceto bring hope to the hurting.

Join over 1,700 Chaplains who are active and currently credentialed by I.F.O.C. to bring care in the areas of police, fire, medical, prisons, search & rescue, sports, colleges, hospice, nursing homes, bikers, and others.

You May Like: Can I Call The Police To Ask A Question

For More Information Please Contact:

International Conference of Police Chaplains

PO Box 5590

ICPC seeks to maintain professionalism in law enforcement chaplaincy.

While the International Conference of Police Chaplains recognizes the right and obligation of each law enforcement agency to establish qualifications and qualities for law enforcement chaplains with its agency, the ICPC offers the following suggestions as a help in maintaining professionalism in law enforcement chaplaincy:

Police Chaplain Duties And Qualities

A police chaplain is a specially trained chaplain who works mainly with law enforcement personnel. If youre going to be a police chaplain, you will have to fulfill all of the religious and educational requirements to be a full-fledged minister in your church. This means you could, if you later wanted to, lead a church congregation. You will, as an ordained person, have the authority to marry people and provide other types of rites. However, a police chaplain is more or less a minister without a church, so you may not often be called upon to perform these duties.

In some cases, especially in smaller precincts, the police chaplain is an unpaid position. A minister from a nearby church may volunteer to visit the station a few times a week to talk with the officers, or police officers may know to seek out the minister in times of need. However, generally these chaplains do go through an application process because not every minister is cut out to be a police chaplain.

Thats because police chaplains have to have more than just a deep faith and a calling to the ministry. Working with officers requires a greater understanding of loss and what it means for someone to be going through a period of intense grief. Officers may confront death on a regular basis, and very few go through their entire careers without being put in a threatening position. As their chaplain, you have to know how to approach these situations and help the officers through them.

You May Like: What Is A Military Police Officer