The University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC) seeks a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Partner who is an ACPE (Association for Clinical Pastoral Education) Certified Educator. The CPE Partner is responsible for creating, implementing, and overseeing the organization’s Clinical Pastoral Education Program. This role provides leadership for all aspects of CPE, including program administration, curriculum design, student recruitment and supervision, accreditation management, educational quality, and strategic program development.
The CPE Partner serves as the organization’s subject matter expert in clinical pastoral education and collaborates with spiritual care, clinical, academic, and organizational leaders to integrate experiential spiritual care education throughout the health system. The CPE Partner cultivates a learning environment grounded in respect, curiosity, cultural humility, and openness to diverse beliefs, perspectives, identities, and lived experiences.
The successful candidate demonstrates a commitment to fostering belonging, compassionate dialogue, and equitable learning experiences for students, colleagues, patients, families, and community partners. The CPE Partner develops and maintains educational programs that meet ACPE standards and competencies, ensuring ongoing compliance with accreditation requirements, policies, reporting obligations, and continuous quality improvement expectations.
The CPE program cohort size and frequency may vary based on learner demand, accreditation requirements, educator assessment, and program maturity. Typical program offerings may include multiple educational units annually, often including fall, winter, and summer intensive internship experiences, with approximately 4 to 8 students participating in each unit. The position is responsible for recruiting, mentoring, supervising, and evaluating CPE students and, as the program evolves, residents and other pastoral learners.
The CPE Partner administers the operational and educational components necessary to sustain a high-quality accredited program, including program planning, learner assessment, documentation, and outcomes evaluation. Through strategic leadership, the CPE Partner advances the growth, innovation, and long-term sustainability of Clinical Pastoral Education at UVMMC and across UVM Health. This includes developing partnerships with clinical and academic stakeholders within the Medical Group, identifying innovative learning opportunities at UVMMC and partner sites, expanding clinical training experiences beyond our academic medical center and into home health and hospice, community-based hospital partners, and more rural settings.
The CPE Partner will lead efforts toward the development of CPE residency programs and a comprehensive pastoral education pathway that supports the mission, values, workforce needs, and strategic priorities of the organization.
Certification as an Associate, or fully certified Supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc.
Minimum of 3–5 years of progressively responsible experience in hospital chaplaincy, including demonstrated experience in Clinical Pastoral Education, educational supervision, teaching, mentoring, and program leadership. Prior experience serving as an ACPE Certified Educator or Associate Certified Educator strongly preferred.