Hindu Chaplaincy Training (CPE)

ACPE Accredited CPE Training

Chaplains provide spiritual care in hospitals, hospices, prisons, care homes and other institutions, at the points where illness, crisis and bereavement make questions of meaning most pressing. Hindu chaplains do that work from within their own tradition while serving people of every faith and none.

This programme delivers Hindu chaplaincy training through ACPE-accredited Clinical Pastoral Education. It runs four units over two years. Each unit combines 300 hours of supervised clinical practice at a placement site you arrange locally with 100 hours of study: group seminars, individual supervision and written reflection. Teaching is led by Rambhoru Brinkman and Shama Mehta, Board Certified Chaplains and ACPE Certified Educators, with each cohort capped at ten students.

CPE is interfaith by design. You train alongside people of other traditions and none, and you learn to accompany people on their own terms rather than yours. What you bring from Hindu practice shapes how you do that work; it does not limit who you can serve.

Four completed units are enough for many hospitals, hospices, prisons and community organisations to hire a chaplain. They also form the supervised practice component of ACPE certification, which also requires graduate-level study. Applicants without a degree may still be eligible through a portfolio route.

The Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) course is organised into four components:

  1. Didactic (theory presentations) Includes readings, lectures, seminars, case studies, videos, and written reflections.
  2. Interpersonal Relations Seminar (IPR sessions) Integrated into group supervision during in-class case study presentations, and Open Discussions where students reflect on their clinical ministry experience.
  3. Clinical ministry (patient visitation) Patient spiritual care assignments, on-call shifts, and work with interdisciplinary health care teams in the student's Placement Site (hospital, hospice, prison, religious community, senior home, etc).
  4. Individual Supervisory sessions with the Certified Educator Allowing students to reflect on their learning experience with their educator.
Rambhoru Brinkman, CPE Certified Educator
Rambhoru Brinkmann, ACPE Certified Educator

Application Process

  1. Read this page thoroughly
  2. Download and complete the ACPE CPE application form (PDF)
  3. Pay the $50 application fee
  4. Email your completed application to cpe@ochs.org.uk
  5. We review your application (typically within 14 days). Shortlisted applicants proceed to interview.
  6. Interview with the Certified Educator
  7. Outcome notified within 7 days of interview

Any questions at any stage, feel free to email us at cpe@ochs.org.uk.

Programme Structure

Dates and Times

  • 12 October 2026 – 1 March 2027
  • Group Zoom classes (54 hours total): each Monday, 6–9pm Eastern US time (except 28 December)
  • 37 hours asynchronous learning
  • 9 hours individual supervision
  • 300 clinical hours (spiritual care practicum)

Spiritual Care Practicum Hours

The student must complete 300 hours of spiritual care practice

  • Provide direct spiritual care, individually or in groups, (e.g. pastoral visits, in-person prayer, counseling, acting as a chaplain or spiritual care provider) under the supervision of an authorised preceptor.
  • Hours of practice before or after the unit do not count.

Spiritual Care Practice Sites (also known as Clinical Placement sites)

Practicum hours are to be fulfilled at Spiritual Care Practice Sites. These can be any location that requires spiritual care services and has sufficient space to accommodate 300 hours of practice. e.g. mental health centres, hospices, places of worship, hospitals, corporate offices, foundations, shelters.

Each student is responsible for securing a Spiritual Care Practice site before beginning a CPE unit. Please note, we do not offer connections to Spiritual Practice Sites but can provide guidance on agreements and requested information.

Preceptor

The preceptor supervises the student's spiritual care practices, guides them, and provides feedback on their performance. Therefore, they should have advanced studies or experience in their field. Their participation is active throughout the unit.

A preceptor will be required to go through a short orientation with the Certified Educator. 

Administrative Representative

The administrative representative's sole function is to authorise the Place of Practice Agreement, generally a supervisor, manager, or high-ranking official of the institution who can authorise the student's practice at that place.

Fee Schedule

Each unit costs $3,500 USD. The application fee and acceptance deposit both count toward one CPE unit. 

Application FeeNon-refundable; paid with application
$50
Acceptance DepositNon-refundable; secures place on offer
$300
Tuition BalanceDue on commencement
$3,150
One CPE Unit fee$3,500

Later units are billed separately at $3,500 each prior to commencement. No further deposits required, the acceptance deposit secures the full four-unit place.

Full Programme (4 units)$14,000
Full fee terms and refund policy →

Programme Timeline

Four CPE units across two years. Each unit is 400 hours structured as 300 hours practical and 100 hours study (comprising 54 hours group Zoom classes, 37 hours asynchronous learning, 9 hours individual supervision)

  1. Fall 2026 · Now enrolling

    October 2026 – February 2027

    Application deadline 15 September 2026

  2. Spring 2027

  3. Fall 2027

  4. Spring 2028

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