Brought to you by Brandeis University and the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab with funding from The Henry Luce Foundation in partnership with the Albert and Jessie Danielsen Institute at Boston University
“Supporting Resilience among Spiritual Care Providers” was a Chaplaincy Innovation Lab initiative funded by the Henry Luce Foundation that aimed to support chaplains and spiritual care providers impacted by the COVID–19 pandemic.
Learn more in this short video introduction with George Stavros, Executive Director of the Danielsen Institute:
Chaplains were called to do more than ever before during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. If those who rely on the spiritual support of chaplains – in hospitals and beyond – were to continue to get the best possible spiritual care, chaplains needed well-being support and resources to expand their capacity and impact inside of their organizations.
Beginning in August 2020, CIL partnered with the Albert and Jessie Danielsen Institute to offer free and confidential support groups for chaplains in any sector.
These trauma-informed small support groups of 8-10 individuals met via Zoom and were co-facilitated by two mental health professionals from the Danielsen Institute.
The groups were intended to invite candid conversation about the experience of being a spiritual care provider at a time when healthcare, racial justice, and other issues are so uniquely acute, severe, and pervasive.
Group facilitators had special expertise and training in the intersection of mental health, trauma, and spirituality to help guide such discussions and sharing. Groups were limited in size to 8-10 participants.
Please note: The support groups were not intended as a substitute for mental health services for those who could benefit from professional mental healthcare. In addition to chaplains accessing their own networks for such care, national resources for mental health provider referrals were offered to interested individuals.