This course shall challenge the learners to critically think as they develop a complete verbatim that includes, 1) evaluating functioning as a minister, 2) developing theological reflections on encounters, and 3) developing plans in ministering to individuals, 4) key dynamics present in events, and 5) developing a spiritual assessment tool along with other points as well.
In the correctional facilities all across America psychologists have determined that many of incarcerated offenders are mentally unstable. Chaplains are evaluators in the respect that they are often the first to address offenders who are experiencing personal psychological problems while incarcerated. In most correctional facilities the chaplain often evaluates offenders and, by doing so, will determine whether or not the offender will need to see a psyhcologist. This is just another example of how valuable chaplains are in correctional facilities. The Bureau of Justice Statistics, US Department of Justice, has reported that 283,800 individuals with mental illnesses were confined in U.S. Jails and prisons in 1998. The Public Citizen and Treatment Advocay Center findings were as follows: Overall, the vast majority (95.7%) of the jails reported having some inmates with serious mental illnesses from September 1, 2010, to August 31, 2011. Incarceration has largely replaced hospitalization for thousands of individuals with serious mental illnesses in the U.S., with state prisons and county jails holding as many as 10 times more of these individuals than state psychiatric hospitals. Evaluating offenders has now become one of the most important task of a chaplain/pastoral care-giver.
Evaluating offenders is what correctional chaplains do each day.
This course adheres to the theological discourse found in the book of Hebrew 5:13-14, “For every one that useth milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are full of age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Here the Bible provides the theological framework necessary to enable believers to discern among people that are residents in correctional facilities.
This course embraces Christian believers becoming part of the mission of God in this world. Part of God's mission is caring for others. We are driven to develop care-givers that will have the ability to properly evaluate those that are incarcerated in order to provide for them the necessary help they will need.
Pastoral care within a correctional facility is very unique. It provides an ethical, theological, and social challenge to the caregiver as they evaluate certain issues of offenders
Because of correctional facilities' multicultural diversity and their many religious belief systems a caregiver has to have a lager degree of awareness in order to evaluate themselves as well as others. This course develops that form of awareness.
In this course of evaluating pastoral care of offenders we consider the entire person (spiritually, physically, and emotionally).
Evaluating pastoral care of offenders will be exercised by learners examining each others verbatims in the discussion section of the online-course. Therefore the learners will be able to apply it's complete dynamics in their practice of care-giving to incarcerated offenders.
