Pastoral Care Specialist for Parish Ministry Summer 2010 Courses

All classes are held at Riverside Church unless otherwise noted.

MMC2751: Crisis Intervention in the Parish; 3 Cr. (elective)
Prof. Rebeca Radillo
Dates: May 19, 20, 25, 26, 27 (6-9pm); May 22 & 29 (9am – 5pm)
Room: 430

It is a known fact that the first place a person turns to at a time of conflict or crisis is the church. Persons come to their spiritual leader seeking guidance when facing these crises, looking for spiritual support and a word of wisdom from a spiritual leader who they perceive to have the capacity to understand things the way they are and how to do the “right thing.” (Pruyser 1976) This course will focus on exploring the profound effect of different types of crisis. Participants will delve into four main phases that are essential in responding to crisis: Assessment; Action Plan; Intervention and Follow Up. Class methodology is didactic and experiential. This course will meet one requirement for the Pastoral Care Specialist Program for Parish Ministry.

MMC2201: Introduction to Substance Abuse: 3 Cr. (Elective)
Prof. Robert J. Abel
June 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29 (6-9pm) plus Sat. June 19 (8am-4pm)
Room: 414

This course will discuss important and useful facts about persons living with substance use disorders and the potential effect on your ministry in your congregations and communities.

MMC3261: Pastoral Care & the Elderly; 3cr. (Required for Pastoral Care Specialist; otherwise an elective)
Prof. Rebeca Radillo
Dates: June 7, 11, 14, 16, 21, 28, 30 (6-9pm); June 26 (8am-4pm)
Room: 430

The elderly in congregations are an integral part of its ministry. This course is designed to focus upon the gifts of the elder members of the faith community. The course will also respond to the social, spiritual and psychological tasks at this stage of life. We will deal with the issues of care giving; maintaining dignity; the process of aging and loss; and the inner process of transition and dying and spiritual support for the elderly and their families.

MMC2781: Diagnosis & Referrals: 3 cr. (Required for Pastoral Care Specialist; otherwise an elective)
Prof. Mary Ragan
Dates: June 1, 2, 3, 9 (6-9pm); June 5, 12 (9am-5pm)
Room: 423

This course is designed as a basic introduction to the issues of diagnosis and referral in a congregational setting. Since the ability to identify psychological disorders and make effective referrals to mental health professional is a central task of Pastoral Care Specialist, this course will focus on the three main disorders as identified in the DSM IV, (Diagnostic and Statistic Manual). Practical aspects of interviewing, transference and counter-transference, boundary issues as they relate to diagnosis and referral will be included.

MMC2761: Grief and Loss; 3 cr. (Required for Pastoral Care Specialist; otherwise an elective)
Prof. Meriann Taylor
Dates: July 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19 (6 – 9 pm)
Room: TBA

It is my belief and experience that grief begets grief. Since we will focus on grief and loss for the duration of this summer intensive course, it would be wise to expect numerous encounters with your own grief and loss throughout the course. I suggest that you consider those persons who have provided support to you in the past, as you might find yourself turning to them during this time. We will journey together in honor of the personal memories and feelings that are triggered while exploring grief and loss. We will not have time to share or discuss these memories and feelings during class, because of our limited time together. In order to manage these encounters, maximize our classroom time, and maintain our intellectual focus, please purchase a journal and bring it with you to each class. Use your journal to notate your memories, reflections, feelings and insightful responses while reading and in class. As personal memories, reflections and experiences of grief and loss occur, write them in your journal. Journal entries are not meant to be shared with the class. However, the instructor may agree to read them, if requested to do so.

During the course, we will utilize literary sources, video presentations, role plays and engage in plenary and small group discussions. We will study basic counseling skills, the five stages of grief as defined by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, losses that often remain unresolved, the process of grieving, responses to loss and the concept of “good grief”.

MMC2611: Small Group Consultation; 3 cr. (Required for Pastoral Care Specialist; otherwise elective)
Prof. Marta Green
Dates: July 21, 28 (6-9 pm) & 24 (9am-5pm)
Rm: TBA

This three day intensive course gives students the opportunity to present pastoral interactions for group discussion using a verbatim and role play format. Emphasis will be placed on student’s ability to exercise good judgment, especially in crisis situations; understand the appropriate boundaries in a helping relationship, and understand how to introduce theological issues. Students are expected to interact constructively during presentations and show the ability to self–reflect and reflect theologically. It matters less that students have perfect verbatim than that they are able to discuss their work and be open to comment by others.

Grades will be based on the verbatim – writing and presentation, attendance and participation in class, ability to integrate insights with one’s own thinking. Two books are assigned to introduce issues around the counselor’s attitude.

Main Text
Ram Dass & Paul Gorman How Can I Help? Stories and Reflections on Service. New York Alfred A. Knoff, 1985, ISBN: o-394-72947-1

MMC2771: Supportive Counseling Methods; 3 cr. (Required for Pastoral Care Specialist; otherwise elective)
Prof. Will Ashley
Dates: August 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12 (6-9pm) and Aug. 7 (9am – 5pm)
Rm: TBA

Students enrolled in this course will learn contextual supportive counseling methods. Students will learn how to create safe spaces to engage in conversational counseling. You will learn how to listen effectively, what to say, when to say it and why. The course offers theories, techniques, and practical interventions to clergy who serve as the triage center for a host of pastoral counseling needs. We will explore the role of supportive counseling methods in addressing self-esteem, anxiety, depression and adaptive skills. You will develop a deeper understanding of ego functions and how understanding ego functions can be of help to congregants who seek counseling. Multi-media presentations, role plays, online learning, case studies and lectures are the pedagogical techniques we will use in this course.