24 Week Practicum
Karuna Care Education’s Practicum is an introductory level Lay Chaplain training program for spiritual practitioners of Sanatana Dharma [aka: Hindu] religious traditions, e.g., Gaudiya Vaishnavism, etc who aspire to provide chaplain ministry in hospitals, hospices, prisons, group homes, homeless shelters, police departments, fire departments, the military, religious communities and congregations, or wherever people in crisis may need them. Karuna Care Education trains its students to develop heart-connecting relationships that can grow into cohesive, caring communities.
Course Dates
Dates: Please register in the Waiting List and you will receive an email with the dates once they become available.
Class Times
Students will only be allowed to attend the Cohort they enrolled in at the start of the Course. This means if you have to miss a class, you will not be allowed to join the other one due to group bonding issues.
Students will only be allowed to miss class due to illness or a family emergency. If a student misses more than 3 classes during the course, they will not be able to receive a certificate.
Weekly Time Committment
Weekly Hour Commitment = approximately 10 hours:
- 4 hrs – Compassionate Care Conversations
- 30 minutes – Spiritual Assessment Notes on Care Conversations
- 30 minutes – Weekly Reflection paper
- 2 hours per week – Google Classroom supplementary videos + Required Reading
- 3 hours Weekly Zoom Class: Cohort check-in, Case Study presentations; Reflective discussion, Q&A
In addition, students will complete the following assignments:
- 1-2 hours [5 times per course] Case Study or Critical Incident paper to present in class.
- 1 hour – Theology of Compassion Reflection Paper to present in class [1 time per course]
- 1 hour – Mid-Unit Self-Evaluation Paper to present in class [1 time per course]
- 1-2 hours – Final Self-Evaluation Paper to present in class [1 time per course]
Required Reading for the Course:
- Counseling Skills for Companioning the Mourner: The Fundamentals of Effective Grief Counseling, by Alan Wolfelt
- How to Listen, Hear, and Validate: Break Through Invisible Barriers and Transform Your Relationships, by Patrick King
- The Art of Listening in a Healing Way, by Jim Millers
- How to Listen with Intention, by Patrick King
- The Power of TED, by David Emerald
Fees
The 24 week practicum costs $134 per month per student for 6 months.
Total is $804 US dollars. Partial scholarships are available for people using different currencies.
Maximum capacity of 25 participants. This course will be taught only once a year.
Eligibility for Training
Students wishing to be trained as a Certified Karuna Care Companion and becoming a member of the Karuna Care Association must take the 3 Introductory 4 Weeks courses listed above in order to be considered for this 12 Weeks Course:
- Impact of Grief on Spiritual Growth
- Name your Feelings – Tame your Mind
- Trauma, Addictions and Complicated Grief
Students can sign up at any time to the Introductory Courses, as long as they complete the 3 of them.
STEP 1
Please answer the following questions:
- Do you have a personality that is naturally inclined to have compassion for suffering persons?
- Do you want to increase your self-awareness and interpersonal communication skills to create heart-connecting relationships with others?
- Are you ready to take an honest look at your current behavior and attitudes and make progress towards becoming a more authentic, transparent, and vulnerable person?
- Do you have basic computer skills, e.g., sending emails, doing simple internet searches, uploading documents, and basic word-processing?
- Are you willing and able to volunteer 4 hours a week accompanying a person through a life-cycle crisis by offering them non-judgmental, compassionate care online, by phone or in-person at a healthcare or public services organization (hospital, hospice, prison, airport chapel, college campus, senior living home, etc.)?
- Are you willing and able to commit to Karuna Care Education’s two 12-week semesters (total=24 weeks) of online learning and practicum? Please review the Training Schedule before answering this question.
- Are you open to exchanging honest feedback with your peers’ regarding your personal learning process?
- Are you willing to explore your strengths and limitations regarding your interpersonal relationship skills?
STEP 2
If you answered “Yes” to all the questions above, please download the application document:
Once completed, applications should be emailed to admissions@karunacare.iskcon.org
If you answered “No” to any of the questions, please wait to submit your application until you are able to participate fully in the KCE program.
STEP 3
Once we have received your complete application, you will be invited for an interview by the Karuna Care admissions committee. Interviews will be conducted on Skype or Zoom.
Important: Applications will be accepted into the student group only after going through the interview.
Successful applicants will demonstrate:
- Their ability to identify and express emotions.
- Their genuine care and compassion for others.
- Their ability to identify their personal strengths and limitations.
- Their willingness to take risks in order to grow as compassionate care companion.
- Their openness to receiving honest, compassionate feedback from others regarding their attitudes and behaviors.