In an effort to assist chaplains to be at their very best, the Spiritual Care Association is embarking upon the Chaplain‘s Masterclass. These classes presented by experts in the field will address everyday topics and also some extraordinary topics that spiritual care providers address in their everyday roles. Though the focus of these classes will be on the chaplain, anyone who is interested in spiritual care and providing the best spiritual care would benefit from attending.
All are Welcome!
- There is no fee for these sessions, but pre-registration is required. Chaplains certified by SCA can claim these sessions as part of their continuing education requirement.
- The Spiritual Care Association hopes that together with the curriculum that it has built, these resources will serve as a vehicle to impact patients and staff.
2025
Spring Semester- The Process of Health Care Chaplaincy
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
12pm - 1pm ET
Masterclass: The Process of Health Care Chaplaincy- an Overview
Presenter- The Rev. George Handzo, APBCC
This session will present an integrated process for chaplain screening, assessment, and documentation featuring best practice tools and strategies for full integration.
Chaplain Handzo is the Director of Health Services Research and Quality at the HealthCare Chaplaincy Network and is widely considered one of the leading experts on the integration of spiritual care in health care.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
12pm - 1pm ET
Masterclass: Spiritual Screening-What is it and How to Implement it
Presenter- The Rev, George Handzo, APBCC
The presentation will focus not only on why spiritual assessment is important but also on the often-harder issue of how to have it fully implemented.
Chaplain Handzo is the Director of Health Services Research and Quality at the HealthCare Chaplaincy Network and is widely considered one of the leading experts on the integration of spiritual care in health care.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
12pm - 1pm ET
Masterclass: Spiritual Assessment- The Unique Role of the Chaplain
Presenter- Chaplain Burl Cole, D.Min APBCC
Spiritual assessment might be the most essential and unique function of the professional health care chaplain. Chaplain Cole recently led a test site for the validation study of the PC-7 assessment tool.
Chaplain Cole is a CPE educator and Outpatient Pastoral Care Staff Educator at OSF HealthCare Ministry Services.
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
12pm - 1pm ET
Masterclass: Documentation- How Chaplains Communicate with Staff
Presenter- Charles James Parker, MDiv, EdD, APBCC-HPC
Very often chaplains assess patients well but do not communicate this information clearly to the members of their team in a way that advances patient care.
Chaplain Director, Spiritual Care Department, Phoenix Indian Medical Center, Indian Health Services, Department of Health and Human Services.
He is also the Director of Hospice & Palliative Care Division at Spiritual Care Association.
Fall 2025 - The Process of Health Care Chaplaincy
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
1pm ET
Masterclass: My Spiritual Journey Living with Alzheimer’s
Presenter- Samuel A. Simon
Playwright, Actor, touring the one-man play: Dementia Man, An Existential Journey
www.dementiaman.com
Passcode: 3d4%2TP+
Thursday, October 16, 2025
11:30am ET
Masterclass: Beyond Self-Care: Helping Help Teams and Leaders think more Systemically about Burnout and Well-Being
Presenter- Brian Hughes, APBCC, Director of Employee Well-Being & Spiritual Health, Optum Health
Alex Donovan, BCC, Associate Director of Employee Well-Being & Spiritual Health, Optum Health
Passcode: .#.Q%3+A
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
1pm ET
Masterclass: Helping the Helpers: Advancing the Practice of First Responder Chaplaincy
Presenter- Russell Myers D.Min, Retired EMS Chaplain
Nikki Holm, EMS Chaplain, MA, BCC
Rev. Gwendolen Powell, MS, MDiv, BCC
Wednesday December 17, 2025
1pm EST
Masterclass: Providing Spiritual Care in Division
Presenter: Chaplain Will Bevins, MA, MDiv, BCC
Supervisor-Educator (CPEI)
2026
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
12pm - 1pm ET
Masterclass: The "Living Human Document": A Lasting Metaphor for Pastoral Care
Presenter- The Rev. Dr. Pothin Ngyele, D.Min, Ph.M, M.Div, BCC-HPC
The session will examine Boisen’s concept of the “living human document” and how it continues to shape how chaplains, counselors, and ministers interact with those they serve.
Rev. Dr. Pothin Ngyele is the Manager, Pastoral -Spiritual Care & Clinical Pastoral Education Director
for Frederick Health
for Frederick Health
Passcode: 2v8NFe2*
Wednesday May 20, 2026
12pm - 1pm ET
Masterclass: The 'Difficult' Patient: Psychodynamic assessment, interventions and treatment planning for clinical chaplains.
Presenter: Rev. Dr. Jessica A. Sommar, M.Sc, D.Min., BCC, LP
Rev. Dr. Jessica A. Sommar – Faculty | Clinical Supervisor | Staff Psychotherapist: Blanton-Peale Institute & Counseling Center
Board Certified Clinical Chaplain and Pastoral Counselor
Board Certified Clinical Chaplain and Pastoral Counselor
Wednesday June 17, 2026
12pm - 1pm ET
Masterclass: Caring for Muslim Patients: Connection & Concerns
Presenter: Chaplain Sondos Kholaki
Chaplain Sondos Kholaki is a board-certified chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) who has served in hospital, police, and community settings. She earned her Master of Divinity in Islamic Chaplaincy from Bayan Islamic Graduate School, where she received the Fathi Osman Academic Excellence Award. She holds certification in end-of-life and palliative care from an Islamic and spiritual care perspective. Sondos is the author of the award-winning book, Musings of a Muslim Chaplain (2020); a co-editor of and contributor to the anthology, Mantle of Mercy: Islamic Chaplaincy in North America (2022); and an award-winning writer on topics related to grief, loss, and chaplaincy for various media platforms. Sondos previously served as Vice President of Healthcare for the Association of Muslim Chaplains. She is currently a visiting faculty member and trustee at Bayan Islamic Graduate School.
Monday September 14, 2026
12pm - 1pm ET
Masterclass: Naming and Claiming Our Value: Advocating for Spiritual Care in a World that Thinks We're "Nice but Not Necessary"
Presenter: Chaplain Michele Gourley
From patient outcomes to staff support, the evidence shows that spiritual care matters. Yet, from healthcare administrators to state legislators, many of us have heard statements that reduce the trained, clinical professional role of spiritual care provider down to a nice but not necessary volunteer opportunity. In this presentation, we’ll look at the evidence and learn strategies to address some of the common misperceptions about spiritual care. Looking through the lens of state legislation, we’ll learn how to advocate for the importance of spiritual care at a policy level. By the end of the presentation, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how to advocate for the role and value of spiritual care and certified, trained spiritual care providers.
Michele Gourley is an MD turned board-certified chaplain with expertise and experience in public health and policy. She was the primary author of the 2010 and 2011 Tennessee State Health Plan and served as an advisor for Tennessee’s Certificate of Need Standards and Criteria and All-Payer Claims Database. Michele completed her theological training at Duke University and her chaplaincy residency at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee where her work focuses on spiritual care, policy, and quality improvement in healthcare.