Benefits of Membership
The First Responder Chaplain Division of the Spiritual Care Association focuses on the spiritual dimension of professional first response practice. Members include professional chaplains whose specialization is in this setting, community leaders and other volunteers serving as chaplains for response teams, and other members of a first response team. The First Responder Chaplain Division supports the advancement of spiritual care in first response practice as an integral aspect of high-quality whole person care for all, including the one providing the care.
- Belong to a supportive professional community that welcomes both novice and seasoned first response chaplains and other team members
- Expand your professional value by adding a chaplain or spiritual care certification to your portfolio
- Access current best-practice standards of spiritual care for those of all faiths and no faith preference.
- Be notified of new research publications related to spiritual care and the specialty practice of emergency, trauma, crisis, and disaster first response
- Discounted price for online professional educational courses
- Discounted registration for the annual Caring for the Human Spirit® Conference
- Free electronic subscription to the Journal of HealthCare Chaplaincy
- Free Spiritual Care Tip of the Day emailed to you
- Membership directory and networking opportunities
- Access to archived webinars and articles related to chaplaincy
- Opportunities at the national level to publish an article in our Caring for the Human Spirit® or present a workshop at our annual conference
Earn Your Crisis, Trauma, and First Response Certificate
The Crisis, Trauma, and First Response Certificate Course provides the basic and fundamental skills and knowledge needed to provide spiritual care to those people who have been impacted by an emergency, crisis, trauma, or disaster. Upon completion of this online, self-guided course, you will earn the Crisis, Trauma, and First Response Certificate. Click here to learn more.
First Response Chaplaincy Training Manual
Drawing on national expertise in the fields of first response, emergency, and disaster chaplaincy and volunteer management, this manual is resource to train individuals in a number of key areas, including:
- Working with diverse and vulnerable populations.
- Communication skills
- Psychological First Aid
- Spiritual screening and assessment
- Dying, death, and grief
- Emergency and disaster incidents
First response specific issues, including:
- Structure of systems
- Line of duty injury and death
- Caring for the first response team
- Burnout, compassion fatigue, and resilience