Development of the Pediatric Chaplains Institute

Trained to Learn, Trained to Listen

Wilbert recognized that chaplaincy in the pediatric realm is complex and wanted to participate in preparing new chaplains for their work in pediatric settings. Wanting to do more for the cause of pediatric chaplaincy, the Wilbert Foundation asked the PCN to submit a list of possible special projects. A list of five potential projects was developed by the PCN Advisory Council and proposed to the Foundation.

In December 2006, the Wilbert Foundation informed the PCN Advisory Council that it had decided to provide a grant of $50,000 for the largest and most expensive project – the creation of an ongoing national training event for pediatric chaplaincy. This project eventually became known as the Pediatric Chaplains Institute (PCI).

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The Institute’s purpose?

The Pediatric Chaplains Institute purpose is to enhance clinical skills and provide quality spiritual care to children and their families. Training addresses spiritual needs, assessment, and end-of-life issues including bereavement support and grief counseling.

  • Handwritten note on paper about PCI training, mentioning its effectiveness and comparing feelings to being on an island in sector unfamiliar, signed by Jeremy Braw.

  • Handwritten note thanking Pediatric Cheepins Institute for support in caring for sick and dying children, signed by Amanda Payne Lindsay, PICU chaplain.

  • Handwritten letter expressing gratitude for support and blessings, signed by Jane Duncan, a chaplain at Texas Children's Hospital.

  • Handwritten letter on white paper thanking Mr. Cameron for a training session in Birmingham in 2022.

  • A handwritten thank you letter on white paper addressed to Mr. Cameron, expressing gratitude for support during a PCI conference, mentioning efforts to help children and families, signed by Emi Brand from Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, FL.

  • Handwritten letter thanking Wilbert Foundation staff and donors for support and for enabling participation in the 2022 Pediatric Chaplains Institute.

  • A handwritten thank you note expressing gratitude for support at the PCI event and emphasizing the importance of mental health and suicide prevention in adolescence.

  • Handwritten letter on white paper expressing gratitude to Wilbert Foundation for supporting training resources for chaplaincy work.

  • Handwritten thank you note on white paper expressing gratitude for support and contributions to PCI, mentioning the Wilbert Foundation and a difference made in a chapel career, signed by Chaplain Christa Bell from Chicago.

A bright sky with scattered white clouds during sunset or sunrise.
A blue sky with scattered white clouds and the sun partially visible near the horizon, creating a bright and peaceful scene.

Providing Grief Training to Pediatric Chaplains

Through the Pediatric Chaplains Institute, the Wilbert Foundation sponsors grief training for professional chaplains hired into pediatric settings.

Curriculum topics include deep exploration of:

  • Learning to identify spiritual strengths and spiritual distress

  • Developing an understanding of, and skills related to, spiritual assessment

  • Age-specific competencies: physical, emotional, spiritual development and related spiritual needs/assessment (Infancy, Toddlers, School-Age, Adolescence)

  • Medical ethics

  • Adverse childhood experiences & Trauma Informed Care

  • Death/dying/grief/loss

  • Professional boundaries, staff care and self-care practical application through simulations

The Wilbert Foundation is proud to provide tuition assistance for chaplains or chaplain candidates to attend a PCN Educational Conference.

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