The Spiritual Care Education Program

The word "spiritual" refers to the domain of human existence that lies beyond the material — the aspects of life which give a sense of meaning, connection, integrity and hope.

The Spiritual Care Education Program addresses the spiritual dimension of living with illness, dying and death along with the practical knowledge of how to care for those who are ill and dying. Topics include communication about death and the dying process, bereavement, and techniques for supporting family members and for preventing burnout.

The Spiritual Care Education Program was established in 1993 and is inspired by the highly acclaimed and groundbreaking book The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche. In a remarkable way, the Buddhist teachings reveal universal spiritual principles that resonate with people of any faith or none. Spiritual care training emphasizes skillful ways that the wisdom and compassion of these teachings can be applied in any caregiving setting.

The Spiritual Care Education Program has been designed to augment the training of health care professionals and family caregivers with a comprehensive and practical approach to end-of-life care. It provides education and training to doctors, nurses, social workers, therapists, volunteers, and clergy of all denominations. It also offers education for the public through various workshops and trainings.

What we offer

Seminars, workshops and trainings for health care professionals, volunteers, and the larger community are offered throughout the United States, such as:

Inservices for hospices, hospitals & clinics
Workshops & seminars focused on the needs of healthcare professionals & volunteers
Hospice and nursing home staff & volunteer training
Study groups for professionals & volunteers
Community workshops & lectures on aging, dying and death, and bereavement

Please keep checking our website for details of upcoming courses.

Spectrum of content for training and education:

Integration of spirituality in caregiving
Needs of the dying
Compassion practices
Meditation and visualization
Methods of healing relationships
Preparing spiritually for death
Spiritual dimension of bereavement
Healing and preventing burnout
Responding to suffering
Family dynamics
Communication and listening skills
Spiritual care after death
Cultural perspectives
Caring for aging parents
Children and death

You can invite us to present an in-service, workshop or seminar in your community or workplace such as a hospice, hospital or health care agency. For more information and details on the range of topics, contact us at the address below.

Contact Us:

The Spiritual Care Education Program
c/o Rigpa US
710 13th Street
Suite 314
San Diego, CA
92102

Phone: 1-866-511-CARE (2273)

Email: usa@spcare.org

For contacts in other countries, see the SCP international contacts page.

For resources and information about caregiving and practices, please visit the SCP International Web Site.

Study Groups

The Spiritual Care Education Program in the US has a network study groups around the country tailored for trained volunteers and professionals working in the caregiving field. The aim of the study groups is to enable professionals and volunteers to deepen the application of contemplative skills and to integrate the practices and material into their work experiences. It is designed as dual support group and study group. The study groups are led by Spiritual Care facilitators. The 18 module curriculum covers such topics and practices as:

Reflection on death and impermanence
Training the mind in compassion
Finding meaning in life
The needs of the dying and grieving
Meditation and guided practices
Method for completing unfinished business

Study groups have been held in Boston, New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. The study group curriculum may also become available in the future in other locations where there are established Rigpa Centers. For more information about study groups, contact Bonnie Marcus at: usa@spcare.org.

The US Spiritual Care Education Program Team

The Spiritual Care US Team is made up of trained Spiritual Care Educators and Facilitators from around the country. The core team includes:

Osee Mallio, MSLS currently serves at National Coordinator for the US Spiritual Care Education Program. She has worked in the program since 1997 as a Study Group Leader and Coordinator. Osee is also an active Rigpa Instructor, retired librarian and enthusiastic long-time hospice volunteer in Florida.

Darci Meyers, MA has worked in hospice for ten years as a spiritual counselor and hospice director and has experience in end-of-life care education, bereavement support and training and spiritual care. She is an educator in the Spiritual Care Education Program, and has been on the faculty of the Contemplative End of Life Care Program at Naropa University. Darci is currently the Director of Dechen Shying, RigpaÕs Spiritual Care Center in Ireland.

Pamela Russell, LMSW is a Senior Educator in the Spiritual Care Education Program, leading study groups and offering educational programs for healthcare professionals. She serves on the Faculty of the Contemplative End of Life Care Program at Naropa and serves as an Instructor and Meditation Teacher in RigpaÕs education program. Pam has worked for 20 years as an Activities Director, specializing in care for elders in long-term facilities. She is currently a social worker in New York State focusing her interest in bereavement, palliative and hospice care.

Ann Allegre, MD, FACP is Director of Medical Programs for Kansas City Hospice. She also serves as Medical Director of the Palliative Care Consult Service for Providence Health. A graduate of the University of Kansas School of Medicine, she practiced internal medicine and geriatrics in Kansas City, Kansas from 1981 until 1999, and has specialized in hospice and palliative medicine since 1999. She began serving as a hospice medical director in 1988. She is board certified in internal medicine and in hospice and palliative medicine. She is Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine for the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She was awarded the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine "Project on Death in America Community Leadership in Palliative Care Award" in 2007, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the advancement of the field of palliative medicine through the education and training of future leaders. Ann serves as Physician Educator on the faculty of the Contemplative End of Life Care Program at Naropa University and was a presenter at the 2009 1st International Spiritual Care Conference, "Compassion and Presence" in Killarney, Ireland.

Annie Eichenholz, RN, CRNH is a Senior Educator in the Spiritual Care Education Program and has been on the faculty of the Contemplative End of Life Care Program at Naropa University. A hospice nurse for over 15 years, she is also a certified End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium Educator (ELNEC) and a volunteer chaplain.

The Spiritual Care Education Program is a project of Ripga, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. It is largely a volunteer effort, which relies on the support of donations. All donations are tax-deductible.

Board of Advisors

Sogyal Rinpoche, author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying and spiritual director of Rigpa
Joanna Bull, President of Gilda's Club Inc.
James Duffy, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Conneticut
School of Medicine, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT
Craig Goishi, Ph.D, Director of the Family Life Center, Petaluma, CA
Frank Ostaseski, Founding Director of Zen hospice, San Francisco, CA
Chris Palames, Founder of Independent Living Resources, Northampton, MA
Brad Stuart, MD, Medical Director of Sutter VNA and Hospice of Northern California