DESCRIPTION:

This course (offered pass/fail for 2 units) is designed to provide an experience of pastoral care for senior adults, under the direct supervision of an experienced chaplain or pastor to senior adults. Students will: 1) explore issues seniors face after retirement including how to continue leading an active life, and concerns about spirituality & religion, illness, death and dying, 2) develop skills in visitation and spiritual assessment within home and health care facility contexts; 3) sharpen abilities to reflect theologically in connection with issues related to aging; 4) participate in grief support and memorial services if needed.

This course provides an introduction to the world of senior care ministry--its tasks, skills, challenges and opportunities.

The student will spend a minimum of 100 hours in course-related settings, e.g., homes, skilled nursing facilities, etc. in one 10-week period. During this time, the student will fulfill visit assignments to seniors, meet at least one hour per week with the chaplain or pastor for supervision and integrative and didactic sessions, and participate in memorial services or support group settings as assigned.

Regular and punctual attendance, completion of all visitation assignments, attendance at agreed upon meetings, inservices, and support groups; completion of at least four written (typed) verbatims and one book review (2-3pages) to be submitted to the chaplain or pastoral supervisor; and a personal evaluation report (3-5 pages, single spaced) to be submitted by the student to the Office of Field Education the tenth week of the quarter. NOTE: Substitute assignments may be given by the chaplain or pastor, but equivalent material must be submitted.

Before the student may register for this course, several steps must be completed, a process that may take up to a month, since the student is responsible to make arrangements for an internship site. The first step in the process is to read the preregistration materials available on the internet at www.fuller.edu/sot/fielded or in the Office of Field Education. After the student has submitted internship and supervisor applications, he or she must schedule an enrollment interview with the Office of Field Education. If the internship is approved, the student will then receive a Course Approval Notification that must be submitted to the Academic Advisor prior to registration. The student must also complete an orientation with the assigned chaplain at the beginning of the internship.

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Meets FE2 Field Education MDiv requirement (MIN 7). This internship is offered pass/fail for two units.

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