Background
Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) staff, in cooperation with an advisory team of law enforcement chaplains from throughout the state of California, has developed a 40-hour basic training program (POST CCN#1253-40010-11) for members of the clergy seeking to serve as a chaplain for a law enforcement organization within the State of California. The course focuses on the secular roles and responsibilities of a law enforcement chaplain and how these roles and responsibilities differ from those of clergy serving within a house of worship. The course has been designed as a learner-centered, problem-based, and interactive learning experience which focuses upon the types of incidents and interventions a chaplain may face while providing physical, emotional, and spiritual support services within a public safety organization.
Program content addresses a variety of specific topics including, but not limited to the philosophy of chaplaincy, the law enforcement culture, legal and ethical responsibilities, suicide cases, death notifications, grief and bereavement support, active listening concepts, and fundamental crisis intervention concepts. An initial pilot session of the course was conducted in Orange County in the fall of 2010 and was followed by a second pilot session held June 27 through July 1 in Folsom. A final pilot session was also presented at the Burbank Holiday Inn July 18-22 at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department. At the conclusion of the pilots nearly 100 individuals had completed the course.
In the future, localized offerings throughout California will be made available through a new Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Presenter, the California Law Enforcement Chaplain Consortium, which is made up of a consortium of chaplains who will utilize the standardized course materials and who have been trained through the POST Basic & Intermediate Instructor Certification Course.
Audience
This course was primarily designed for clergy with minimal or no formal law enforcement chaplain experience and secondarily for those already serving as law enforcement chaplains with minimal or no formal training.
Prerequisites
Must have prior approval from your local jurisdiction (police, sheriff, etc.). This course is not designed for individuals who have not submitted or are not in the process of their background checks from their local jurisdiction.
Further information regarding the chaplain training program may be directed to the lead course designer Sr. Chaplain Ken Schlenker, State Training Director California Law Enforcement Chaplain Consortium at (866) 949-6223 (ken@nccdat.org).
