History Clinical Pastoral Education

After a number of planning meetings in 1962, Council for Clinical Pastoral Education in NSW (now the New South Wales College of Clinical Pastoral Education Inc herein after referred to as NSWCCPE Inc) was formed in April, 1963 to promote Clinical Pastoral

Education (herein after referred to as CPE) activities in NSW. This included training courses for theological students and ministers and interprofessional seminars, "leading to a fuller understanding and acceptance of the distinctive contribution of the pastoral ministry."

Its Constitution of July 1963, revised August 1977, allowed for denominationalrepresentatives from seven participating Protestant Churches and the Catholic Church, plus representatives from general and psychiatric hospitals, prisons and the NSW State Committee of the Australian Council of Churches. Other denominations and regional CPE organisations could be given representation by application to the Council.

During the 1960's, the Council sponsored CPE programmes. These consisted of Hospital Orientation Courses for theological students; interprofessional Pastoral Care seminars, including care for local clergy at various city hospitals; live in seminars for country ministers; an "Advanced Seminar in CPE " (a full week's course in hospital chaplaincy led by Rev Leslie Hahn of Victoria) and participation in training activities for other disciplines.  Training in CPE Supervision included; in 1965, a course for Hospital Orientation Course Supervisors involving two full weeks plus eight 1½ hour tutorials; in 1966, a seminar for chaplains led by Dr Graeme Griffin; and in 1968, previously trained supervisors of hospital orientation courses ran training workshops for new "Assistant Supervisors".

In 1970, planning was started for a one hundred hour Clinical Training Programme inpastoral care, to be attended on a part-time basis, along the lines of American CPE programmes. The first such intensive CPE courses run by the NSW Council were (i) the 1973 Chaplaincy Training Course led by Rev George Stewart and Rev Geoff Simmons, and (ii) the 1973 Pastoral Care Training Course for Newcastle clergy led by Rev Eric Stevenson.

Since 1973, the Council (now NSWCCPE Inc) has sponsored further programmes in CPE including (a) pastoral care training courses of half a day a week for ten and twenty weeks for local clergy and lay people; (b) the Annual Chaplaincy Training Courses; and (c) full time and part time units at Gladesville, Kenmore and Royal North Shore Hospital. In the succeeding years more CPE Centres have been opened.

In 1980, the Council published its first booklet setting out its standard for different levels of Accreditation for Supervisors. This booklet has now been revised to meet the changed circumstances. Since 1981, the NSWCCPE Inc has endorsed Units of Supervisory training. In 1982, the NSWCCPE Inc formally recognised its first Trainee Supervisors and Accredited its first Supervisor Trainer.

In 1990, the CPE bodies in the Australian States and New Zealand together formed the Australia and New Zealand Association for CPE (herein after referred to as ANZACPE). The association was formed as a forum for the discussion of matters of general concern and as a means of facilitating a mutual recognition of supervisors within the area. To this end it has developed a standard for Level II supervisors and at its Annual Conferences people seeking accreditation or reaccreditation at that level are often reviewed. ANZACPE does not accredit but recommends accreditation of the applicant to the member organisation.  In 1992, the Council was restructured under the New South Wales Associations Incorporation Act. This was done to enable graduates of CPE programmes to hold membership in the Council and for the Council to have an elected Executive Committee. A number of committees were formed in order to involve more members in the activities of the Council.

In 1999, the NSWCCPE Inc became an affiliated institution with the Sydney College of Divinity in order to provide a Masters Degree in Pastoral Supervision as part of its supervisory training. It also changed its name to the NSWCCPE Inc.

Accreditation of Supervisors

From October 1973, the Council was looking seriously at developing an accreditation procedure to ensure the quality of CPE Supervision in NSW. Interstate and overseas standards of accreditation were studied. A Supervisors’ Training Group was established in 1976 to provide peer supervision for people authorised by the Council to supervise CPE programmes and to focus the Council’s planning of accreditation procedures. Two levels of accreditation were recognised in 1978, arising from the previous practice of the Council and the recommendation of the Supervisors’ Training Group; Acting Supervisors - authorised by the Council to function as supervisors, under the supervision of the Supervisors’ Training Group, while working towards completing the Council’s requirements for accreditation; Supervisors - fully accredited CPE Supervisors who have completed the requirements of the Council. In 1980, a third level of accreditation was added. Supervisor Trainers are experienced CPE supervisors authorised by the Council to train other supervisors.

In February 1979, an Accreditation Committee was appointed by the Council (a) to examine the credentials of applicants wishing to become CPE Supervisors, (b) to assess them on behalf of the Council as to their ability as supervisors of CPE and (c) to make recommendations on accreditation to the Council, which is the accrediting body.The Accreditation Committee also assessed programmes in CPE for which the Council’s recognition is being sought. A panel of consultants from other professions was appointed in 1979 to assist the Accreditation Committee in its assessments.

In 1996 the Council determined that because NSW applicants for accreditation at ANZACPE were having difficulty, the NSW process for accreditation should be changed to be similar to the Association for Supervised Education in Australia in Victoria. This rewrite was completed in 1998. At the same time, the names for the three levels of supervisory accreditation were changed to the developing terminology within ANZACPE, the names being Level I, Level II and Level III Supervisor.