It is common practice for professional chaplains to seek and obtain more than one board certification credential from more than one organization and/or to simply transfer their credential from one organization to a different certifying body.
From its inception in 2012 WSHO has been vetted, recognized and accepted as an affiliate member by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS); which is arguably the foremost accrediting body in North America. WSHO is a premier chaplain CPE training and certifying platform with members providing high-end chaplaincy throughout the world. We have never sought to have the largest membership of chaplains as our focus is exclusively on training and credentialing the best-of-the-best. What Navy Seals are to the Navy, WSHO chaplains are to chaplaincy.
WSHO chaplains and pastoral counselors must remain spiritually centered, character strong, emotionally healthy, clinically competent, and inter-faith friendly, multi-culturally adept, and diversity welcoming.
WSHO will consider and grant on a case-by-case basis a reciprocity of clinical pastoral education (CPE) as well as board certification credentials from other legitimate national level chaplain training and certifying organizations. And while WSHO CPE training and credentialing standards tend to be higher than other chaplain organizations, we will give serious consideration to applicants seeking reciprocity regarding their current credential for an equal credential from WSHO.
Chaplains and pastoral counselors applying for reciprocity will not be required to undergo a second Board Certification panel interview, but he/she will be contacted by a member of WSHO leadership to review his/her reciprocity application. Each applicant must pledge in writing his/her commitment to abide by the WSHO Professional Honor Code and Standards. Find out if you have what it takes to be a WSHO chaplain.
To begin this process the applicant must read, complete, and return the following application as well as its associated fee. If you have any questions please contact us at: wshomembership@gmail.com
Professional Clinical Chaplain and/or Pastoral Counselor
“Character first, Competence always”
The World Spiritual Health Organization (WSHO) is a premier organization for exceptional chaplains who are consummate professionals in spiritual care and counseling, and whose personal and professional lives demonstrate both high moral character and “competent compassion” within an inter-faith, inter-cultural, and inter-disciplinary context.
WSHO asserts professional competence of itself is insufficient, and must always be built upon the foundation of character. By character we refer to personal qualities and attributes such as moral courage and trust, responsibility and dependability, loyality and self-control, truth, honor and humility.
Chaplains who are board certified through WSHO represent the highest standards of professional chaplaincy anywhere in the world. Employers, and even clients, are pleased to learn that our standards attract only the highest quality chaplains. For instance, WSHO chaplains not only undergo a rigorous board certification process that incorporates personal character and professional competence, but also an extensive background check to ensure WSHO chaplains are bondable. We believe credibilty comes through accountability, and in order to maintain quality assurance in WSHO our board certified chaplains must also successfully pass an annual peer review process supervised by WSHO leaders in order to retain their board certification credential.
To keep our chaplains on ‘the cutting edge’ of effective ministry and care, and to avoid compassion fatigue, as well as to meet ongoing professional needs and interests, our board certified chaplains are encouraged to form and to meet regularly in WSHO chapters/peer consultation groups throughout the world. In these WSHO chapters chaplains will beneift from the support and comraderie, as well as maintain accountability to and for one another, similar to a “battle-buddy system.” WSHO CPE programs and training curricula are unique, contemporary, and “tested and proven” over years of experience and praticum in the field.
WSHO boldly espouses correct principles over political correctness. We believe in doing what is right and standing up for truth, freedom, mercy and justice. We vigilantly guard against pride, cronyism and corruption, and diligently protect, through policy and practice, against secularized and/or clinical bueracracy devoid of principled values and accountabilty.
“All to the glory of God.” We intentionally put all things spiritual first and foremost in what we do as noted in our WSHO mission statement: “Spirituality: Where it is alive, sustain it. Where it is dormant, revive it. And where it is absent, invite it.” “For except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain which build it.” (Psalm 127:1).
To be a board certified Professional Chaplain by WSHO is indicative of professional Chaplaincy at its very best.