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Thorne Consulting at the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab

On April 1, 2024, the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab gratefully accepted the work of Thorne Consulting upon the retirement of Richard Thorne. Richard has been a leader in spiritual care leadership consulting for decades and we thank him for entrusting his legacy to the Lab. 

Thorne Consulting at the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab equips healthcare institutions with the most qualified clinical pastoral educators and spiritual care leaders and providers. No other organization is better suited for this vital work.

For employers

Hiring the right person makes managing much less stressful. Thorne Consulting understands the challenges you face in your search for that “perfect person.” It’s essential that you hire the right spiritual care and clinical pastoral education leadership for your organization – people who fit your culture and consistently perform at their best. We manage the process comprehensively and use our expertise to bring you your desired result. We bring the experience, knowledge, and specialized resources that you need. Our satisfied clients will assure you that we will listen to you so we understand your situation, provide responsive service at a reasonable cost, and support and guide you every step of the way and beyond.

For candidates

You probably want the most rewarding career you can have. We listen closely and help define your goals and conditions for a satisfying match. Then Thorne Consulting partners with you to make that match. We help you present your unique skill set and talents. Our service is personal, never cookie-cutter, and always tailored to fit your unique circumstances and personal lifestyle goals, including a fair compensation package.

More information

Your organization’s employment needs are unique. Finding and securing the person whose experience and outlook best matches your vision may feel like an insurmountable task, particularly for leadership roles that address spiritual wellness and education in a healthcare setting.

Thorne Consulting has successfully matched many spiritual care leaders, chaplains, and clinical pastoral educators with healthcare providers. We are the only leadership search firm in the U.S. specializing in spiritual healthcare and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) placement.

Our process and services are straightforward. Thorne Consulting partners with you and equips you to succeed at every stage of our journey together. We walk you through the detailed specifications of the job description, but we also flesh out the nuances of the role that are vital to success.

At Thorne Consulting, we truly get to know you, your vision, goals, challenges, and what’s special about your opportunity and organization. Our conversations are in-depth and candid. We compose a clear picture of what you want in your next leader, and what you as an organization and community have to offer. We provide continual guidance throughout the recruitment and placement process, including:

  • Refining job descriptions, structures, and total compensation packages to meet your expectations
  • Walking you through the intricacies of placing the right person within your organization
  • Searching for, pre-qualifying, and making the perfect candidate match per your standards
  • Counseling to resolve personnel and personal issues that sometimes arise

Thorne Consulting utilizes a proven system of managing and filling open positions, and we pour concentrated effort into a limited number of searches at one time.

More information

Spiritual care is a calling and we help you discern where your passion for care may best be fulfilled. We learn together whether your background and preferences match a particular healthcare organization’s needs. In giving of themselves, leaders who specialize in spiritual healthcare can help remove relational barriers that adversely affect patient care. We are able to dedicate time to assure the fit between the employer and you, working with both parties to position you for the greatest impact. Spirituality in healthcare helps all involved bring out their best selves for the ultimate benefit of patients, families, and staff.

For this journey, we have unmatched experience, contacts, and resources. Our expertise allows:

  • Placement of Spiritual Care leaders and CPE Supervisors
  • Career planning and guidance for you to progress in your career
  • Support for individuals moving into spiritual care as a second career

To find and step into that opportunity — one that is fulfilling for you — ask Thorne to walk by your side.

For employers

If you’d like more information on how Thorne Consulting can help you find great candidates for your job openings, fill out the form linked below. There’s no obligation and we won’t share any information without your explicit permission.

Get started

For candidates

If you’re ready to get started and let us know a bit more about you, take 5-10 minutes to fill out the form below. We won’t share any information without your explicit permission. This helps us get to know you and match you to great opportunities.

Get started

Ready to get started? Contact Search Consultant Michael Skaggs for a no-obligation conversation about your needs and those of your organization:

Michael [at] ThorneConsulting.com
(812) 269-2370

What people are saying

Very Rev. Calin Tamiian, BCC

Director of Spiritual Care & CPE, Ascension St. Thomas

Attentive to all details and engaged at every step, Thorne Consulting was a formidable partner in starting a new chapter in my professional development. With Thorne by my side and supported by their dedication and passion to support leadership, the transition from a manager role to one of a regional director was smooth and pleasant. I hope all leaders in this field can benefit from such a resourceful and thoughtful partner.

Anonymous

Richard Thorne is a tremendous professional and clear communicator representing both the employer and applicant with equity and honesty. Thorne consulting answered questions, negotiated salary, and assisted with the hiring process every step of the way.

Steven Smith

ACPE Certified Educator, AdventHealth Shawnee Mission

Thorne helped me find a new place to be and to serve. They did so with a special blend of personal concern for my well-being and professional aptitude. I found them patient with me, despite my apprehensions of making “the right” move. I found Thorne Consulting very well informed about my prospective employer. And when they did not know the answer to one of my many questions, they said, “We don’t know, but we will try to find out.” And they kept their promise—in fact, Thorne kept many promises to me as they accompanied through the maze of finding a new job.

Nick Hamilton, DMin, BCC

Director of Spiritual Care, Baptist Health

Retiring from the U.S. Navy was a significant challenge. Finding someone who understands the experience military chaplains bring to the table was an even greater challenge. Thorne took time to ask the right questions, to listen, and to understand my background. Most importantly, they were able to convincingly communicate my experience to the organization that eventually hired me. Thorne went out of their way during every step of the process. From coaching for interviews to helping me manage expectations to talking salary. They even called to see if I needed anything during the move—and if that wasn’t enough, they checked in on me after my first day on the job. Any chaplain leaving the military wishing to successfully transition to a civilian healthcare chaplaincy setting should take the time to talk to Thorne Consulting!

Carolanne Hauck, BCC

Director, Spiritual Care - East, Trinity Health

I am so grateful for the many ways Thorne Consulting supported my efforts for a new position. They communicated with me often, keeping me in the loop and offering a listening ear for debriefing. Thorne represented both me and the hospital system very well! Thank you!

Biju Chacko, Dmin

Director for Pastoral Care & ACPE Educator, Baptist Health South Florida

Thorne Consulting is a recruiting champion in the field of spiritual care and education. Richard constantly stays up to date with emerging trends and is able to assist candidates who are searching for jobs. I have been impressed with his ability to translate a resume into a narrative. Richard assisted me considerably in preparing for interviews with senior leadership and helped me tremendously in securing employment with Baptist Health South Florida.

Amelia Catone

Chaplain Educator, Brigham and Women's Hospital

My experience as a job seeker with Thorne Consulting was incredibly fruitful. I was grateful to Richard for his proactive way of supporting me and bridging communication with the employer. He helped me in refining and preparing my materials, advocated with me for fair compensation, and was thorough in his follow through, even after I secured my role. He was forthright and encouraging, and is deeply committed to furthering the discipline of spiritual caregiving and education. As a result of my confidence in his integrity and wisdom, I also hired him to present to my residents about resume and interview preparation as they completed their year of training. They are an excellent asset to the field.

Natalia Shulgina

ACPE Certified Educator, St. Luke's University Health Network

I have come to see my work with Richard Thorne of Thorne Consulting the “Phase III” of Certification process. Whereas ACPE training sharpened my competencies as an educator and spiritual care clinician, Richard guided me through the process of finding the best organizational match for my gifts and skills. I have found Richard to be extremely knowledgeable and wise in his understanding of career opportunities and market dynamics for ACPE educators, deeply attentive to the uniqueness of an individual person, a CPE program, and the larger organization context, as well as being systematic and fair in his representation of me and my potential employer. Working with Richard was not merely effective but life changing. His thoughtful consultation, skilled coaching, genuinely caring attitude, and inimitable sense of humor made the inherently stressful task of “finding a new job” a journey of real discovery and learning.

Rev. Peter Kuhn

Director, Spiritual Care & Education, WellSpan Health

Thorne Consulting helped us find the best fit for our Manager of Spiritual Care position. Consultation throughout the entire process made this a successful experience for all involved. We recommend Thorne Consulting due to their comprehensive approach.

Kathy Bonn

Director of Pastoral Care & Education, Covenant HealthCare

Thorne Consulting is a great resource for filling a vacant CPE Supervisor’s position! They took time to listen to our needs and to determine the ideal skill set of a potential candidate. Their “matchmaking” helped us hire a perfect fit for our CPE program and for our department in general.

Hanci Newberry, Mdiv, BCC, ACPE Supervisor

Former Director, Department of Chaplaincy and Clinical Pastoral Education, Wexner Medical Center at the Ohio State University

As a CPE Supervisor/Director of Pastoral Care with many years of experience hiring chaplains, I felt pretty confident when the time came for me to hire a CPE Supervisor/Program Manager. After a few months of minimal response to our advertising efforts, I began to realize that current market forces for these positions were complex and I needed help. Thorne Consulting was recommended to me, and our decision to engage them was critical to our eventual success. With the facts and data that they provided, I worked with our HR department to increase our salary range and develop our position to attract high quality candidates. Thorne’s knowledge of the hiring market for CPE Supervisors, their contacts in the ACPE community, and their thoughtful advice, coaching skills, and availability to me for consultation were all invaluable to me. I highly recommend Thorne to anyone wanting to conduct a successful hiring process for a CPE Supervisor or pastoral care leader.

Dana Schroeder

CPE Manager, St. Luke's University Health Network

My experience of working with Thorne consulting over the last year has been incredibly positive. As I’ve discerned a new direction in my career, Richard has been a strong and reliable ally. His attention to detail and willingness to follow up and follow through have been tremendous gifts as I’ve sought a new ministry home. I have also been impressed with Richard when I’ve switched from “recruit” to “recruiter.” Using the same skill and attentiveness, he helped match me with an outstanding new colleague. Richard’s efforts have helped us lay the foundation for a strong program going forward.

Kathy Keeley

Interim Vice President, Training, Chris 180

Our search experience with Richard was very positive and resulted in a perfect match for our organization, its mission, and our programs. He took the time to listen and understand our mission and purpose, our work in mental and spiritual health and our unique program features. He listened to our feedback about candidates and worked to find not only the right candidate but the right fit for both of us. We much appreciate the working relationship in a process that took a while given the unique circumstances and features of our program embedded in a community mental health center.

Heidi Tierny

Network Director of Spiritual Care, St. Luke's University Health Network

Our experience of working with Richard from Thorne Consulting has been very positive. Thorne Consulting does their homework and provides professional service to the recruitment process. They pay attention to details and communication is responsive, timely, and clear. They provide guidance when appropriate and listen to your needs. The recruiting process was smooth and enjoyable. I truly appreciate Thorne Consulting’s dedication to finding the right candidates for our team. I would not hesitate to utilize the professional services of Thorne Consulting again if needed.

Trace Haythorn

Former Executive Director, ACPE

It is difficult to find anyone who is more equipped to help identify and retain excellent leadership for clinical pastoral education than Richard Thorne. Our national office relies on his network, his knowledge of the profession, and his wisdom to make sure we can support and guide our centers across the United States in making decisions about hiring the best “fit” for their context.

Rev. Amy Green, Dmin

Former Director of Spiritual Care, Center for Ethics, Humanities, and Spiritual Care, Cleveland Clinic

"It’s no exaggeration that I am at the Cleveland Clinic because of the skill and knowledge of Thorne Consulting. I did not even really know I was ready to make a change, but their professional and informative style of communication made me consider a truly life-changing and life-giving move. Furthermore, when it came time to hire another ACPE supervisor for my center, I immediately contracted with Thorne. No one knows the particulars of our profession better in terms of career opportunities and market issues than Thorne Consulting."

Greg Pope

Chief Mission Integration Officer, Ascension St. Thomas

Many talent acquisition consultants will suggest they are specialists in certain sectors of healthcare.  My experience is there is only one firm which truly understands the unique challenges of recruiting leaders for Clinical Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care.  Having completed multiple successful searches I can attest that Thorne Consulting is thorough and responsive, producing strong candidate pools resulting in excellent outcomes.