Page added on June 18, 2013

ISKCON UK Clinical Chaplaincy Course (A New Health Service Preaching Programme)

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The new ISKCON UK Clinical Chaplaincy course launches on 29th of July to the 2nd of August 2013 from 9am to 5pm at Bhaktivedanta Manor Temple.

The course will be conducted by the Bhaktivedanta Hospital – Spiritual Care department.

The Bhaktivedanta Hospital Spiritual Care dept will remain as our authority for clinical advice, decisions, training and chaplaincy support.

Management of this service will remain under ISKCON UK GBC HG Praghosa das. The service will be a centrally run service from the ISKCON UK National office under HG Praghosa das with complete guidelines, protocols and policies.

After successfully completing the ISKCON UK Clinical Chaplaincy course, ISKCON chaplains will be assigned to a hospital trust after having a CRB check completed. Each trust will be allocated a head ISKCON Chaplain and a team of service providers. We can only provide this service depending on the number of chaplains who volunteer for this service and successfully complete the course. We will provide support to the chaplains through a chaplaincy counsellor system headed by HG Syamasundar Das – a Chowpatti temple trained devotee of HG Radhanath Swami. Every year the Chaplain Counsellor will conduct an annual appraisal and arrange an annual clinical update training. Bi-monthly the Counsellor will hold a counsellor meeting with all the chaplains for development, support and team building.

This service is open to our Congregation Members, their family and friends and devotees who take ill. This service is also open to Hindu patients who request our service. We have successfully trialled this service at Northwick Park Hospital for a year.

This course is open to all devotees throughout UK and Ireland only. No chaplain will be accepted on the course without a recommendation in writing from their respected temple president.

We will then conduct a short interview on that recommendation to explain the service and receive agreement on the service as a volunteer ISKCON Clinical Chaplain.

Definition of an ISKCON UK Clinical Chaplain:

An ISKCON UK Clinical Chaplain is an initiated devotee following the 4 regulative principles- who is trained and has successfully completed the ISKCON UK Clinical Chaplaincy course and who is registered with the ISKCON UK Clinical Chaplaincy.

Qualities:

Ability to maintain patient confidentiality.

Good listening and communication skills

Ability to provide information and advice to members of the public in a polite and courteous manner

Ability to work as part of a team

Ability to adhere to policies and protocols

Optional Extra: Successfully completed Bhakti Shastri or Bhakti Vriksa, devotee doctors and nurses.

This course is not open to those interested in Prison chaplaincy, school chaplaincy, University chaplaincy etc. The training here is purely clinical based for hospitals and nursing homes. This training cannot be used or supplemented for other areas of ISKCON chaplaincy practice.

It is a very rewarding service being in the forefront when Krsna comes to personally receive his devotees in times of End of Life care. Giving Krsna Consciousness is the greatest service you can give to a patient.

If you feel you have what it takes to join the ISKCON UK Clinical Chaplaincy team then please contact me at sukantiradha@gmail.com for any further questions or call me on 07803608641 for a registration form.

Sukanti Radha dd

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