Implications for chaplaincy of the new [2015] guidelines

NSMHF September 2015Margaret McGettrick

Introduction

• The traditions of Chaplaincy• NSMHF • Evidence• Models of ministry• NSMHF and compassion• Model of therapeutic spiritual care• Questions

Chaplaincy traditionsTraditions are formed from practices in which are embedded cultural beliefs

1. 1948-2003• Context: modernism [individualism, reason and secularism]• NHS: equitable and free• HCC model: religious /pastoral care as healing, sustaining, guiding & reconciliation] care through,

parish visiting model, counselling and psychotherapy2. 2003• Context: Pluralism & rise of spirituality, rise of Pentecostal/ charismatic spirituality, transitioning to

postmodernism [secular-spiritual].• NHS: Equality and quality• HCC model: religious [pastoral] and spiritual care [meaning and purpose] generic spiritual care3. 2015• Context: post modernism [individual-community/ relational, reason-experience• NHS: Funding , hospital to community, holistic care, recovery in MH, scandals• HCC model: religious [pastoral] and spiritual care and compassionate –professional: best practice

model, evidence based care that demonstrates effective and efficientLack of definition of spirit and spirituality/what happened to models of practice

Pentecostal/ charismatic spirituality

• 2003 documentation didn’t recognise religious growth area

• Associated with healing ministry• Healing one of the four features of pastoral

care.• There is empirical evidence for its effectiveness.• Is this potentially a new emerging model of

therapeutic spiritual care

NSMHF

May 2015 memorial lecture professor Paul Gilbert on ‘Compassionate approach to spiritual and mental well-being’.• Spirituality –a unifying force• ‘There is a need for a new spirituality whose

core recognises the importance of connectedness’.

• Compassion-opportunity to develop new model of practice

A new generic model of spiritual care based on compassion?• Spirit can be known by what it does .15 functions based on the work of Professor Tomislav Ivancic [2006].

The unifying life force and centre of the human person, which can be recognised by its functions. [15].It animates, unifies, creates, loves, [itself, others and God and connects with them] .It searches for truth [meaning and purpose], seeks goodness and beauty, the home of compassion, the seat of freewill, choice decision-making, reason and conscience. and virtues.] It is the centre of transcendence , of search, for encounter with and transformation by God /the ground of being. Ultimate being.

• Spirituality: The general way in which all human persons seek to live in relationship to the spiritual dimension of their lives

• Anderson: Social spiritualty model of the human person. Ecology [inter-relationship] of physical, spiritual and social [Anderson 2003:173].primacy to social being.• Pastoral care: spiritual. Discern spiritual pathology and provide appropriate therapy’[Anderson 2003:76].• Burton: Spiritual pain model [ handout]. Pain is caused by dis-integration or eccentric movement of dimensions. Uses Clinebell’s model of integrated life: spirit unifying body, mind,

relationships, work, rest and world. ‘Identifying, & responding to spiritual pain should be a central task for the…pastoral care giver’[2004:5].• Galek et al [2005]: Dimensions of spiritual need [love and belonging, meaning and purpose, hope, peace and gratitude, connecting with the divine, morality and ethics, appreciation of beauty,

the need to forgive self and others and acceptance of dying [in Fraser 2013:39].• Ministry [leadership] built on charism/gift/virtues .3 fold who I am [virtues/gift], what I know and what I do [practices].Compassion the virtue/gift for pastoral care . Gift is discerned, grows

and develop into practice [Cahalan 2010:81] also, to guide, to sustain, and facilitate healing and reconciliation and knowledge of same.• Nursing / chaplaincy process of assessment, planning, implementation & Evaluation• Aim of care : spiritual health/wellbeing• Chaplain therapeutic spiritual care specialist

•

What counts as evidence

• Correspondence [Quantitative/scientific method] : Truth corresponds to verified facts gathered objectively [Cartledge 2003:76 & 80].

Methods: survey, questionnaire, experiments, data mining, structured observation and interviews with predetermined items.

Excludes the metaphysical• Coherence: Something is true if it coheres with other truths• Pragmatic: ‘If it works’

– Yada: Believing through participating/self authenticating– Testimony: We believe the testimony because we trust the witness

• Qualitative: Not presenting truth but a particular perspective [Cartlege 2003:78]‘…participant observation, interviews, focus groups, life histories, oral history,

documentary analysis …case study’ or a combination of methods [Cartledge 2003: 67-73]

Current Research2000: Cochrane review into 7 empirical studies of intercessory prayer: ‘We found no data to doubt or contradict the use of prayer for seriously ill people [Gunther Brown 2012:92-93] 2001:Koenig, Mc Cullough & Larson: Reviewed 1,200 studies & 400 reviews. 60-80% correlation with improved health [NHS 2015:15]2012: Candy Gunther Brown. Empirical study of people in Brazil and Mozambique with visual & hearing problems prayed with by Charismatic Christians showed a 10 fold increase through PIP [proximal intercessory prayer].1990-2002 CAMS complementary alternative to medicine [US] Prayer most common CAMS 43%[selves] & 24% [ask others [Gunther Brown 2012:2].2013 Caroline Leaf: Thought changes brain physiology positively and negatively [brain damage]. Neuroplasticity: Thoughts are epigenetic signals that act as switches activating DNA to build or destroy memory trees .Genetic inheritance: Thoughts are passed on through DNA. Epigenetics External signals [thoughts] can change genetic patterns[Leaf 2013:57]. Thinking involves electromagnetic, electrochemical and quantum activity. Quantum physics law of entanglement. Is about the behaviour of subatomic particles. Everyone and everything are linked together. We all affect each other, outside of time and space. Energy signals communicate faster than light. ’We impact each other through out intentions and prayers’[Leaf 2013:114.]This happens independent of distance [Leaf 2013:121].Our brains are ‘hardwired to experience powerful compassion for others’ and to choose goodness [Leaf 2013:112].

Questions

• How equitable is the profession of chaplaincy when viewed from a multi faith perspective.

• Is our present appointments system, which means representatives from minority faiths are part-time appointments, acting as a barrier to their professional development.

• There is already evidence of the efficacy of intercessory healing prayer. Might it be a cost effective spiritual care practice unique to chaplaincy? Is it Multi faith?

Bibliography

Anderson, Ray S. [2003]. Spiritual Caregiving as Spiritual Sacrament . London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Burton, Rod. [2004] . Spiritual pain: origins, nature and management. Contact 143. pp. 3-13. Cahalan, Kathleen A .[2010]. Introducing the Practice of Ministry.Collegeville, Minnesota: Order of St Benedict. Cartledge, Mark [2003]. Practical Theology. Carlisle, Cumbria: Paternoster Press.Fraser, Derek. J [2013].CPD an essential component of healthcare chaplaincy. HSCC1.1 pp. 22-34.Gunther Brown, Candy .[2012]. Testing Prayer: Science and Healing. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Ivancic, Tomislav [2006] 3rd edition. Diagnosing the Soul and Hagiotherapy. Salzburg: Grafocommerce Salzburg.Leaf, Caroline [2013]. Switch on your Brain. Grand Rapids, Michigan:Baker BooksNHS [2015]. NHS Chaplaincy Guidelines2 015: Promoting Excellence in Pastoral, Spiritual and Religious Care. NHS England.