Palliative Care Chaplain Specialty Certification Resources

In 2014, both the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) and the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) developed and implemented models for specialty certification in hospice and palliative care chaplaincy. Both organizations require prior board certification as a requirement of eligibility for specialty certification. In 2018, the NACC and the APC developed a joint process for specialty certification. See the resources below to learn more about the NACC & APC co-authored Palliative Care & Hospice Advanced Specialty Certification Competencies:

• NEW: NACC/APC Co-Authored Specialty Compentencies

• National Association of Catholic Chaplains Qualifications and Competencies Advanced Certification Hospice Palliative Care

• Association of Professional Chaplains Competencies for Specialty Certification in Hospice Palliative Care

• Association of Professional Standards of Practice Hospice Palliative Care

The Association of Professional Chaplains has endorsed the California State University Institute for Palliative Care's "Essentials of Palliative Care Chaplaincy" course as a way to meet the educational requirement for specialty certification. Listed below are additional resources for chaplains seeking to prepare themselves for specialty certification. 

Books

Spirituality and Religion Within the Culture of Medicine: From Evidence to Practice

Spirituality in Patient Care: Why, How, When, and What

Oxford Textbook of Spirituality in Healthcare (Oxford Textbooks in Public Health)

Spiritual, Religious, and Cultural Aspects of Care (HPNA Palliative Nursing Manuals)

Spiritual Care in Practice: Case Studies in Healthcare Chaplaincy

Making Health Care Whole: Integrating Spirituality into Patient Care

---

Journal Articles- Listed by Chaplain Competency Area

• PDQ Supportive and Palliative Care Editorial Board. (2015). Spirituality in Cancer Care (PDQ®): Health Professional Version. Source PDQ Cancer Information Summaries [Internet]: National Cancer Institute. (July)2002-2015.

• Puchalski, C., Ferrell, B., Virani, R., Otis-Green, S., Baird, P., Bull, J., . . . Sulmasy, D. (2009). Improving the Quality of Spiritual Care as a Dimension of Palliative Care: The Report of the Consensus Conference. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 12(10), 885-904.

• Puchalski, C. M., Vitillo, R., Hull, S. K., & Reller, N. (2014). Improving the Spiritual Dimension of Whole Person Care: Reaching National and International Consensus. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 17(6), 642-656.

• Richmond, C. (2005). Dame Cicely Saunders. BMJ : British Medical Journal, 331(7510), 238.

• Temel, J. S., Greer, J. A., Muzikansky, A., Gallagher, E. R., Admane, S., Jackson, V. A., . . . Lynch, T. J. (2010). Early Palliative Care for Patients with Metastatic Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer. New England Journal of Medicine N Engl J Med, 363(8), 733-742.

• Balboni, T. A., Vanderwerker, L. C., Block, S. D., Paulk, M. E., Lathan, C. S., Peteet, J. R., & Prigerson, H. G. (2007). Religiousness and Spiritual Support Among Advanced Cancer Patients and Associations With End-of-Life Treatment Preferences and Quality of Life. Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official Journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 25(5), 555–560.

• Balboni, M. J., Sullivan, A., Enzinger, A. C., Smith, P. T., Mitchell, C., Peteet, J. R., … Balboni, T. A. (2017). United States Clergy Religious Values and Relationships to End-of-Life Discussions and Care. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 53(6), 999–1009.

• Billings, J. A. (2012). The Need for Safeguards in Advance Care Planning. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 27(5), 595–600.

• Choi, P. J., Curlin, F. A., & Cox, C. E. (2015). “The Patient is Dying, Please Call the Chaplain”: The Activities of Chaplains in One Medical Center’s Intensive Care Units. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 50(4), 501–506.

• Clenn, S., Jox, R., Borasio, G., Roser, T. (2015). The role of chaplains in end-of-life decision making: Results of a pilot survey. Palliative and Supportive Care, 3(1), 45-51.

• Dunn, H. Hard Choices for Loving People. A & A Publisher, Inc. Fourth Edition, 2008.

• Volandes, A. E., Paasche-Orlow, M. K., Davis, A. D., Eubanks, R., El-Jawahri, A., & Seitz, R. (2016). Use of Video Decision Aids to Promote Advance Care Planning in Hilo, Hawai‘i. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 31(9), 1035–1040.

• von Gunten, C. (2001). Discussing Do-Not-Resuscitate Status. J Clin Onc, 19, 1576-1581.

• Best, M., Butow, P., Oliver, I. (2015). Do Patients Want Doctors to Talk About Spirituality? Patient Educ and Couns, 98(11), 1320-1328.

• Byock, I. (1996). The Nature of Suffering and the Nature of Opportunity at the End of Life. Clinics in Ger Med, 12(2), 237-251.

• Byrne, M. (2002). Spirituality in Palliative Care: What Language Do We Need? Int Journal of Palliative Nursing, 8(2), 67-74.

• Byrne, M. (2007). Spirituality in Palliative Care: What Language Do We Need? Int Journal of Palliative Nursing, 13(3).

• Ferrell, B., Otis-Green, S., Economou D. (2013). Spirituality in Cancer Care at the End of Life. The Cancer Journal, 19(5).

• Fosarelli, P. (2008). Medicine, Spirituality, and Patient Care. JAMA, 300(7).

• Hughes, B., Whitmer, R., Hurst, S. (2007). Innovative Solutions: A Plurality of Vision, Integrating the Chaplain into the Critical Care Unit. Dimens of Crit Care Nurs, 26(3), 91-95.

• Murray, S., Kendall, M., Boyd, K., Worth, A., Benton, T. (2004). Exploring the Spiritual Needs of People Dying of Lung Cancer or Heart Failure: A Prospective Qualitative Interview Study of Patients and Their Carers. Palliat Med, 18, 39-45.

• Eight Concepts of Bowen Family Systems Theory. The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family.

• Rodríguez, V. M., Corona, R., Bodurtha, J. N., & Quillin, J. M. (2016). Family Ties: The Role of Family Context in Family Health History Communication about Cancer. Journal of Health Communication, 21(3), 346–355.

Books: 

• Bowen, M. (2004). Family therapy in clinical practice. New York, NY: Jason Aronson; Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

• Friedman, E., Emanuel, G., & Crimone, M. (1985). Generation to generation: Family process in church and synagogue. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

• Goldenberg, I., & Goldenberg, H. (2004). Family therapy: An overview. “Transgenerational models.” 182–210. Pacific Grove, CA: Thomson, Brooks/Cole.

• Kerr, M., & Bowen, M. (1988). Family evaluation: An approach based on Bowen theory. New York, NY: Penguin Books.

• McGoldrick, M., Gerson, R., & Petry, S. (2008). Genograms: Assessment and intervention (3rd ed.). New York, NY: W. W. Norton.

• McGoldrick, M., & Walsh, F. (Eds.). (2004). Living beyond loss: Death in the family (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Norton.

• Barnato, A. E., Mohan, D., Downs, J., Bryce, C. L., Angus, D. C., & Arnold, R. M. (2011). A randomized trial of the effect of patient race on physiciansʼ intensive care unit and life-sustaining treatment decisions for an acutely unstable elder with end-stage cancer*. Critical Care Medicine, 39(7), 1663-1669.

• Elliott, A. M., Alexander, S. C., Mescher, C. A., Mohan, D., & Barnato, A. E. (2016). Differences in Physicians' Verbal and Nonverbal Communication With Black and White Patients at the End of Life. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 51(1), 1-8.

• Fredriksen-Goldsen, K. I., Hoy-Ellis, C. P., Goldsen, J., Emlet, C. A., & Hooyman, N. R. (2014). Creating a Vision for the Future: Key Competencies and Strategies for Culturally Competent Practice With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Older Adults in the Health and Human Services. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 57(2-4), 80-107.

• Grossoehme, D. H., Teeters, A., Jelinek, S., Dimitriou, S. M., & Conard, L. A. (2016). Screening for Spiritual Struggle in an Adolescent Transgender Clinic: Feasibility and Acceptability. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 22(2), 54-66.

• Johnson J., Hayden T., True J., Simkin D., Colbert L., Thompson B., Stewart D., Martin L. (2016). The Impact of Faith Beliefs on Perceptions of End-of-Life Care and Decision Making among African American Church Members. J Palliat Med, Feb,19(2):143-8.

• Searight H., Gafford J. (2005). Cultural diversity at the end of life: issues and guidelines for family physicians. Am Fam Physician. Feb, 71(3), 515-22.

• Bernacki, R. E., & Block, S. D. (2014). Communication About Serious Illness Care Goals. JAMA Internal Medicine JAMA Intern Med, 174(12), 1994.

• Bernacki, R., Hutchings, M., Vick, J., Smith, G., Paladino, J., Lipsitz, S., . . . Block, S. D. (2015). Development of the Serious Illness Care Program: A randomised controlled trial of a palliative care communication intervention. BMJ Open, 5(10).

• Breitbart, W., Rosenfeld, B., Pessin, H., Applebaum, A., Kulikowski, J., & Lichtenthal, W. G. (2015). Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy: An Effective Intervention for Improving Psychological Well-Being in Patients With Advanced Cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 33(7), 749-754.

• Kelley, A. S., Back, A. L., Arnold, R. M., Goldberg, G. R., Lim, B. B., Litrivis, E., . . . O'neill, L. B. (2011). Geritalk: Communication Skills Training for Geriatric and Palliative Medicine Fellows. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society J Am Geriatr Soc, 60(2), 332-337.

• Malina, D., & Rosenbaum, L. (2016). Falling Together — Empathetic Care for the Dying. New England Journal of Medicine N Engl J Med, 374(6), 587-590.

• Markin, A., Cabrera-Fernandez, D. F., Bajoka, R. M., Noll, S. M., Drake, S. M., Awdish, R. L., . . . Mendez, M. P. (2015). Impact of a Simulation-Based Communication Workshop on Resident Preparedness for End-of-Life Communication in the Intensive Care Unit. Critical Care Research and Practice, 2015, 1-6.

• Pollak, K. I., Jones, J., Lum, H. D., De La Cruz, S., Felton, S., Gill, A., & Kutner, J. S. (2015). Patient and Caregiver Opinions of Motivational Interviewing Techniques In Role-Played Palliative Care Conversations: A Pilot Study. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 50(1), 91–98.

• Sinclair, S., Mcclement, S., Raffin-Bouchal, S., Hack, T. F., Hagen, N. A., Mcconnell, S., & Chochinov, H. M. (2016). Compassion in Health Care: An Empirical Model. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 51(2), 193-203.

• Picchi, T., English, W. (2014). Spiritual Wisdom, A Component of Care. Health Progress. January-February.

• Weissman, D., Quill, T., Arnold R. Fast Facts and Concepts 222: Preparing for the Family Meeting.

• Weissman, D., Quill, T., Arnold R. Fast Facts and Concepts 223: The Family Meeting: Starting the Conversation.

• Weissman, D., Quill, T., Arnold R. Fast Facts and Concepts 224: Responding to Emotion in Family Meetings.

• Weissman, D., Quill, T., Arnold R. Fast Facts and Concepts 225: The Family Meeting: Causes of Conflict.

• Weissman, D., Quill, T., Arnold R. Fast Facts and Concepts 226: Helping Surrogates Make Decisions.

• Weissman, D., Quill, T., Arnold R. Fast Facts and Concepts 227: The Family Meeting: Goal Setting and Future.

• Ariadne Labs Serious Illness Conversation Guide

Books:

• Start With Why by Simon Sinek

• The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier

• Lead True by Jeff Thompson; Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant

• Leadership is an Art by Max DePree

• Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators by Patrick Lencioni

• Leading from Within by Parker Palmer

• Charzyńska, E. (2015). Multidimensional Approach Toward Spiritual Coping: Construction and Validation of the Spiritual Coping Questionnaire (SCQ). J Relig Health, 54(5),1629–1646.

• Ernecoff, N. C., Curlin, F. A., Buddadhumaruk, P., & White, D. B. (2015). Health Care Professionals’ Responses to Religious or Spiritual Statements by Surrogate Decision Makers During Goals-of-Care Discussions. JAMA Internal Medicine JAMA Intern Med, 175(10), 1662.

• Fitchett, G., Risk, J. (2009). Screening for Spiritual Struggle. Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling, 63(4), 1-12.

• Phelps, A. C., Lauderdale, K. E., Alcorn, S., Dillinger, J., Balboni, M. T., Wert, M. V., . . . Balboni, T. A. (2012). Addressing Spirituality Within the Care of Patients at the End of Life: Perspectives of Patients With Advanced Cancer, Oncologists, and Oncology Nurses. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 30(20), 2538-2544.

• Shields M., Kestenbaum A., Dunn L. (2015). Spiritual AIM and the work of the chaplain: a model for assessing spiritual needs and outcomes in relationship. Palliative and Supportive Care. Feb, 13(1), 75-89.

• Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/health-care/upload/Ethical-Religious-Directives-Catholic-Health-Care-Services-fifth-edition-2009.pdf

• Cooper R., Ferguson A., Bodurtha J., Smith T. (2014). AMEN in Challenging Conversations: Bridging the Gaps Between Faith, Hope, and Medicine. J Oncol Pract,10(4),191-195.

• Hess, D. (2013). Faith Healing and the Palliative Care Team. J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care, 9(2-3),180-90.

• Shinall M., Stahl D., Bibler T. (2018). Addressing a Patient's Hope for a Miracle. J Pain Symptom Manage. Feb, 55(2), 535-539.

• St Godard, E. (2015). Is physician-assisted death in anyone's best interest? No. Canadian Family Physician. Apr;61(4):316-8, 322-5.

• Balboni, T., Balboni, M., Paulk, M. E., Phelps, A., Wright, A., Peteet, J., . . . Prigerson, H. (2011). Support of cancer patients' spiritual needs and associations with medical care costs at the end of life. Cancer, 117(23), 5383-5391.

• Balboni, T. A., Balboni, M., Enzinger, A. C., Gallivan, K., Paulk, M. E., Wright, A., . . . Prigerson, H. G. (2013). Provision of Spiritual Support to Patients With Advanced Cancer by Religious Communities and Associations With Medical Care at the End of Life. JAMA Internal Medicine JAMA Intern Med, 173(12), 1109.

• Longo, D. L., Blinderman, C. D., & Billings, J. A. (2015). Comfort Care for Patients Dying in the Hospital. New England Journal of Medicine N Engl J Med, 373(26), 2549-2561.

• Teno, J. M., Gozalo, P. L., Mitchell, S. L., Kuo, S., Rhodes, R. L., Bynum, J. P., & Mor, V. (2012). Does Feeding Tube Insertion and Its Timing Improve Survival? Journal of the American Geriatrics Society J Am Geriatr Soc, 60(10), 1918-1921.

• Bodenheimer, T., & Sinsky, C. (2014). From Triple to Quadruple Aim: Care of the Patient Requires Care of the Provider. The Annals of Family Medicine, 12(6), 573-576.

• Head, B. A., Schapmire, T., Hermann, C., Earnshaw, L., Faul, A., Jones, C., . . . Pfeifer, M. (2014). The Interdisciplinary Curriculum for Oncology Palliative Care Education (iCOPE): Meeting the Challenge of Interprofessional Education. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 17(10), 1107-1114.

• Hess, D. (2014). Narrative and palliative care team identity formation. The International Journal of Whole Person Care, 1(2), 4–9.

• Koven S. The doctor's new dilemma. (2016). New England Journal of Medicine. Feb 18;374(7):608-9.

• Meier, D. E. (2001). The Inner Life of Physicians and Care of the Seriously Ill. Jama, 286(23), 3007.

• Powell, R. A., Emanuel, L., Handzo, G., Lantos, J., Dunn, L. B., Idler, E. L., . . . Sommer, D. (2015). Transcending differences to study the transcendent: An exploratory study of researchers’ and chaplains’ reflections on interdisciplinary spiritual care research collaboration. BMC Palliative Care BMC Palliat Care, 14(1).

• Raab, K. (2014). Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Empathy Among Health Care Professionals: A Review of the Literature. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 20(3), 95-108.

• Sinclair, S., Raffin, S., Pereira, J., & Guebert, N. (2006). Collective soul: The spirituality of an interdisciplinary palliative care team. Palliative & Supportive Care PAX, 4(01).

• Grossoehme, D. (2014). Overview of qualitative research. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 20(3):109-22.

• Grossoehme, D. H. (2013). Chaplaincy and Narrative Theory: A Response to Risk's Case Study. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 19(3), 99-111.

• Risk, J. L. (2013). Building a New Life: A Chaplain's Theory Based Case Study of Chronic Illness. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 19(3), 81-98.

• Gramling, R. (2016). Introduction to the Special Series on Measuring What Matters. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 51(2), 149.

• Jankowski, K. R., Handzo, G. F., & Flannelly, K. J. (2011). Testing the Efficacy of Chaplaincy Care. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 17(3-4), 100-125.

• Kestenbaum, A., James, J., Morgan, S., Shields, M., Hocker, W., Rabow, M., & Dunn, L. B. (2015). “Taking your place at the table:” An autoethnographic study of chaplains’ participation on an interdisciplinary research team. BMC Palliative Care BMC Palliat Care, 14(1).

• Williams, J. A., Meltzer, D., Arora, V., Chung, G., & Curlin, F. A. (2011). Attention to Inpatients’ Religious and Spiritual Concerns: Predictors and Association with Patient Satisfaction. J GEN INTERN MED Journal of General Internal Medicine, 26(11), 1265-1271.

• Fitchett, G. (2011). Making Our Case(s). Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 17(1-2), 3-18.

• Mccurdy, D. B., & Fitchett, G. (2011). Ethical Issues in Case Study Publication: “Making Our Case(s)” Ethically. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 17(1-2), 55-74.