Faith At Advocate - Educational Programs and Speakers

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Faith at Advocate

Educational Programs and Speakers

ACM staff and chaplains in the Office for Mission and Spiritual Care of Advocate Health Care can provide training for a number of programs that congregations may want to implement in their congregations. Staff can also connect you with speakers on many different health related topics. Most of these educational programs are free of charge, though there may be a cost for program materials for some. To equip congregations to be able to make use of these programs over time, "training for trainers" sessions can be offered.

Programs currently being offered include:

	Agents of Healing: Developing a Health Ministry in Your Congregation
	Retrieving Spiritual Traditions of the Elderly;
	A New Vision of Senior Adult Ministry: Twelve Essential Competencies for Successful Senior Adult Ministry;
	COPE Prepared Family Caregiver Program.

Agents of Healing: Developing a Health Ministry in Your Congregation
This eight-hour training is designed to give congregation members who will be taking leadership in a health initiative tools for working with their congregations effectively. In addition to grounding the health ministry focus in the teachings of our religious traditions, the training reviews models that others have developed, describes the resources and programs that are available for congregational use, and assists the participants in taking concrete steps toward implementing the program that is right for their congregation. Training also includes orientation to the ACM Resource Library.

Participants receive a manual which includes an extensive listing of resources, organizations and programs. Congregations can send as many people to the training as they wish. Pastors, rabbis, or other religious leaders are welcome to attend with their congregants. This training and all materials are provided free of charge.

Retrieving Spiritual Traditions of the Elderly
Aging is arguably one of the richest times for people spiritually. However, much of what society knows about caring for the elderly comes from the social sciences and does not address spirituality. Our faith communities have a unique contribution to make to understanding what keeps older adults healthy and productive. The Park Ridge Center for the Study of Faith, Health and Ethics developed the Retrieving Spiritual Traditions program to assist congregations in reclaiming the knowledge of our faith traditions about the spiritual concerns and resources of older adults.

This program leads a group through a process of reflection on the experience of older adults in the light of five spiritual themes—covenant, blessing, honor, faith, and reconciliation. These categories were found to have meaning across religious lines, including Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. The program is divided into nine modules that can be adapted for a study series, religious education time, intergenerational program or retreat. In addition to exploring the five themes, the modules also cover Thinking About Aging, Aging as a Spiritual Journey, and Developing an Elder Outreach Program.

A New Vision of Senior Adult Ministry: Twelve Essential Competencies for Successful Senior Adult Ministry
The Association for Senior Adult Ministry (ASAM) was founded by Dr. Richard Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri to resource congregations in developing meaningful and spiritually alive ministries to elders. This basic training is a "how-to" for putting such ministries together. A range of topics are covered by the training including fostering the faith and spirit of elders, dealing with the impact of ageism on senior ministries, listening and communication skill development, addressing death, dying and bereavement issues, and steps in establishing a program.

COPE: Prepared Family Caregiver Program
Families are increasingly being called upon to provide care for seriously ill persons that was previously provided in hospitals. If they are to do their work well, families need information and guidance in how to manage care in the home. The Prepared Family Caregiver courses, developed at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, teach an orderly problem-solving approach to managing care at home while working cooperatively with health professionals. This problem-solving method is called COPE, which stands for Creativity, Optimism, Planning and Expert information. The training is built around these four techniques.

During the three 1 1/2 hour course sessions, participants practice solving problems for practice cases and then for themselves. Participants leave each session with a plan they can use in their own caregiving or in supporting the caregiving of others. The courses are designed for groups of eight or fewer people with a week between sessions.

Two courses are available. The first is for family members giving care at home or for people who are managing their own care. The second is designed for home visitors who coach the families they visit in a problem-solving process. Course materials include an instructor's manual, leader scripts, role playing scripts, handouts, visual aids, and readings.

Speakers
Speakers are available to provide a program to your congregation or community organization on a wide variety of topics in health and wellness. Occasionally there will be a charge for the speaker's services.

Some of the topics for which speakers are available include:

	Addictions
	Adolescence
	Advance Directives
	Aging
	Children's Health
	Family Issues
	Group Building
	Mental Health
	Nutrition and Weight Management
	Physical Fitness
	Safety and Accident Related Issues
	Spirituality and Health
	Stress Management
	Women's Health
	Other Health Concerns and Services

ACM staff will make every effort to assist you with arranging for a speaker. Please contact us at kirsten.peachey@advocatehealth.com.

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