More than 20 chaplains from various churches received state certification through the Chaplain in Healthcare and Chaplain Assistant in Healthcare programs in Kyiv, Ukraine. Several of the graduates are members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The first students in the Clinical Pastoral Care course graduated on August 27 at the Angelia Clinic, an Adventist medical center.

The training sessions were made possible through cooperation among the Christian Rescue Service (CRS), the National University of Ostroh Academy, and the CRS Lux Mundi educational platform. Representatives of the National University of Ostroh Academy presented the graduates with certificates confirming their professional qualifications for service in healthcare institutions.

The certification program provides two training levels: Healthcare Chaplain or Medical Chaplain and Healthcare Chaplain Assistant.

The Healthcare Chaplain or Medical Chaplain certification is a basic-level program that works with patients, their relatives, and medical staff. Chaplains are trained to interact with the medical team within the scope of their role and work directly with the healthcare facility. This certification requires competencies in communication with a person in crisis; support during grief and loss; understanding of the boundaries between spiritual, psychological, and medical care; and compliance in ethics and confidentiality.

The Healthcare Chaplain Assistant certification is an entry-level qualification. Chaplains are trained to assist in spiritual and pastoral ministry by communicating with patients and their families, supporting people in crisis situations, praying with consent, supporting medical staff, and assisting the chaplain during patient visits.

According to Kateryna Yakunina, a representative of the National University of Ostroh Academy, certification allows chaplains to develop professionally and apply for relevant full-time positions in hospitals.

"There are professional standards in the healthcare system. In addition to education, there must be a cycle of improving educational qualifications, which focuses on training as an assistant chaplain or a chaplain in healthcare. This is a comprehensive program that includes both the theoretical part and supervision. Based on its results, our first applicants received a certificate confirming this professional qualification," she said.

The training lasted two and a half months. The first month taught students the theoretical basis of their work. Professors taught the coursework required for certification as a full-time hospital chaplain. For the next month and a half, candidates put theory into action at several clinics while taking exams.

Volodymyr Zuikov, chaplain-pastor and coordinator of the CRS Lux Mundi educational platform, noted that the development of hospital chaplaincy meets the current needs of the healthcare system.

"The state has opened the field of not only military chaplaincy, but also hospital chaplaincy. Now there is a great need for specialists in the spiritual sphere who could officially take on these positions in hospitals and sanatoriums and provide spiritual care to both patients and the staff of these institutions," Zuikov said.

During the graduation, Shura Viatrzhyk, coordinator for the Hospital Hub in the Military Chaplain Corps of CRS, emphasized that the certification received opens up the opportunity for volunteers to continue serving as employees of civilian hospitals.

Graduates were also addressed by Serhii Lutskyi, a full-time hospital chaplain at the Angelia Clinic, member of the board of the Military Chaplain Corps of CRS, and Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries director for the Ukrainian Union Conference; Serhii Serdeniuk, director of the Angelia Clinic, psychiatrist and family medicine physician; and Oleksandr Hrysha, coordinator of the Headquarters Team of the Military Chaplain Corps of CRS.

Oleksandr Kulchytskyi, a graduate from Bila Tserkva city, has been working in hospitals for three years. He said the training was an opportunity to improve his professional skills.

"A person who is in a healthcare facility really needs support. And we are the ones who are with such people. My team and I set a goal to improve our qualifications in order to know how to deal with people more professionally, because they have different difficulties and psychological needs, and these needs need to be taken into account in order to really help," said Kulchytskyi.

Serhii Korotych, a graduate and chaplain, considers military hospital service a high priority. He believes the certificate will help him apply the knowledge he has gained in practice and represent chaplaincy services in healthcare institutions at an official level.

Some graduates plan to continue their education at the National University of Ostroh Academy through the Chaplaincy Ministry master's program. Among them is Maryna, who has been a volunteer chaplain in hospitals for four years.

"I am currently continuing my studies at the National University of Ostroh Academy as a chaplain. I have another year to study, and after receiving my diploma, I will be able to work officially as a medical chaplain. Currently, the areas of chaplaincy service, such as military, hospital, and medical, are actively developing in the country. There is a very large amount of work, and we really need qualified specialists in this area," she said.

Oleksii Krupskyi, who has been serving wounded soldiers in two Kyiv hospitals for three years, emphasized the importance of further professional development of the chaplaincy community. Future plans include meetings, supervision, and conferences with doctors.

Oksana, a graduate who has served as a chaplain since 2023, said her experience working in hospitals showed her the need for ongoing education.

"I started as a hospital chaplain and saw how important it was to support the military; how important it was to just be there and support people in difficult circumstances. And how little I knew—how much I still had to learn and discover," she said.

According to Oksana, during the Russia-Ukraine war, specialists have accumulated significant practical experience that helps to more effectively support people in crisis situations.

Military chaplains who plan to use the knowledge they received from the certification program in medical institutions were also among the graduates. Yurii Omelchuk, military chaplain of the 64th Separate Cannon Artillery Battalion of the 406th Separate Artillery Brigade, chose the Clinical Chaplaincy specialization to deepen his training for working with people who are experiencing suffering.

The original article was published on the Christian Rescue Service news site and was adapted by the Ukrainian Union Conference.