Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, approximately half of U.S. chaplains practiced telechaplaincy. Since then, telechaplaincy has grown rapidly and is increasingly used throughout the world. It poses unique challenges and opportunities that require new skills to master.
However, there are few resources for chaplains to learn and improve their work, and chaplains and providers regularly request training to implement or improve telechaplaincy.
To meet this need, the Telechaplaincy Community of Practice, an international group of healthcare chaplains and researchers hosted by the Transforming Chaplaincy Initiative and the University of Zürich, was founded.
The Community of Practice meets regularly via Zoom to
- Network with other spiritual care providers, managers and researchers
- Exchange best practices
- Acquire and practice practical telechaplaincy skills
Next meeting: Friday, August 2 at 12-1 PM ET (6-7 PM CEST)
Meeting Patients Where They’re @: Chaplains’ Reflections on Online Spiritual Care Communities
Every year, millions of people in distress turn to large, anonymous online communities for support. Dr. Estelle Smith will discuss emerging results from a Templeton-funded study investigating chaplains’ perceptions of these communities, prospective roles for chaplaincy professionals or lay users within them, and how we might intentionally design future online communities–either within or beyond clinical affiliations–for better safety, efficacy, and care.
Dr. Estelle Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Colorado School of Mines. She is leading an effort to initiate new research at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction and Spiritual Care (see bit.ly/sacredtech).
To access previous meetings, visit “Events“.
Participate.
If you would like to join the next meeting, sign up here. We will get back with you with further information.
We currently meet four times per year.
The CoP meetings are free of charge and you may opt out at any time.
