"This course of study, more than any other in my life, has shifted my deep internal understanding of what it means to be courageously and authentically present with people in crisis, whether it be in the ICU, ER, or in moments at the end of life. I am forever grateful for its teachings." --Joanie Webster, MD

Contemplative End-of-Life Care Professional Certificate Program

"Death is the most crucial moment of our lives, and each and every one of us should be able to die in peace and fulfillment, knowing that we will be surrounded by the best in spiritual care."

-- Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

An innovative certificate program for health care professionals offered by Rigpa's Spiritual Care Education Program and Naropa University's School of Extended Studies.




"A contemplative approach to end-of-life care opens patients and clinicians to remarkable healing and transformation. As a palliative medicine clinician at several prestigious academic medical centers, I have witnessed the powerful impact these trainings have had upon our ability to meet the needs of dying patients and their families. The practical but profound skills developed through this course will radically enhance your ability to provide more effective and compassionate care for your patients. They will also enliven your passion for your work as a healer and nurture your own flourishing."

-- James Duffy MD FANPA FAAHPM DABMA
Professor of Psychiatry, M D Anderson Cancer Center Fellow, John P McGovern Center for Health, Healing, and the Human Spirit at the University of Texas

The Contemplative End-of-Life Care Certificate Program is a comprehensive training in end-of-life care that brings together the ancient wisdom of the Buddhist tradition as presented in Sogyal Rinpoche's The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying and the knowledge, skills and best practices of hospice and palliative care. In a remarkable way, the Buddhist teachings present universal spiritual principles that resonate with people of any faith or none. This program shows how the compassion and wisdom of these teachings can be applied in any medical or care giving setting. It addresses the spiritual dimension of dying and death and the practical knowledge most frequently requested by health care professionals for additional training, including how to communicate about dying and death, cope with bereavement, and how to heal or prevent burnout.

The goals for participants of this program are to:

1. Develop knowledge and skills in end-of-life care to respond to patient and family needs.
2. Encourage personal and spiritual growth, and more effective methods of communication.
3. Learn meditation and contemplative practices that awaken deeper compassion and wisdom, and support you personally and professionally.

Professionals from different spiritual traditions working in the fields of medicine, human and social services, and students and trained volunteers who are currently engaged in a clinical setting are encouraged to apply.

PROGRAM DATES

The course combines 15-weeks of on-line learning with an 8-day residential retreat.
January 10 - May 1, 2011
Residential Session: February 4 - 13, 2011 in Loveland, Colorado

HOW TO APPLY:
http://www.naropa.edu/extend/contemplativecare/certificate.cfm

Click here for a printable pdf flyer.

The Challenges of Suffering and Death

There is an increasing recognition that spiritual issues are crucial in the care for the dying and a growing number of medical and nursing schools are now offering courses in spirituality and medicine. Yet, we still frequently fail to acknowledge fully all aspects of human experience, including spiritual needs, at the most critical times in a person's life - as they face illness and death.

Some of the questions facing healthcare providers on a daily basis are:

• How can we understand and respond to so many layers of suffering?
• How can we prevent becoming overwhelmed by it?
• How do we speak about death with our patients, their families and children?
• Is there a more positive way to view death, and to prepare for it?

We desperately need a more compassionate approach, and education to bring about a deeper understanding of the spiritual dimension of living and dying, as well as support for professionals in dealing with the challenges of their work. This will lead to better care for the patient and more support for the individual healthcare professionals to transform difficult situations and to deal with stress, burnout and compassion fatigue.

What is the Spiritual Care?

"It is impossible to come up with one definition of spirituality and spiritual care that we all agree with, and if you think about it, that makes sense, because we are all coming from different places. We all have different life experiences and understandings of spirituality and spiritual care. Not being able to define it and fix it into a nice conceptual box is actually a good thing, because there is more space to see what it is in the moment, with the person we are with, rather than our concept of what it should be."
-- Christine Longaker, author of Facing Death and Finding Hope, Faculty "Contemplative End-of-Life Care Program"


Although it can be difficult to find a common definition, one way of understanding spiritual care (also described as "contemplative care") is that it responds to basic universal human needs - needs that are not necessarily religious, nor limited to end-of-life concerns.

These are the need for:

• connection and love
• forgiveness and reconciliation
• the ability to accept and transform suffering
• to find meaning in life, and illness and dying

These spiritual needs, if unacknowledged or unmet, can be the primary source of suffering for a patient, exacerbating symptoms of physical pain and emotional distress. In order to meet the needs of the patient as a whole person, it is vital to understand their concerns, their feelings and beliefs, and what touches and inspires them.

The approach of spiritual or contemplative care offered in this program comes from an understanding that the sources of strength, confidence, meaning and love are deep within both the patient and healthcare professional. It does not call on the health care professional to offer their own solutions, but rather to be fully present, with compassionate attention and an open heart, and to trust that in this atmosphere of acceptance those who are suffering can reconnect with their own sources of strength, meaning and hope.

When we bring this atmosphere of clear presence, confidence and love into patients' rooms, this can disarm their fears, inspire a deep peace within and enable them to find their own life wisdom, whatever that may be.

The Spiritual Opportunity in Death

"If we can only learn how to face death then we'll have learned the most important lesson of life: how to face ourselves and so come to terms with ourselves, in the deepest possible sense, as human beings."
-- Sogyal Rinpoche

From the Buddhist perspective, the moment of death is an extraordinary spiritual opportunity, and the environment one dies in is crucial. Through learning how to inspire ourselves with a daily meditation practice, and other contemplative practices, a sense of confidence and deep love naturally grows. Then, by integrating these practices with our caregiving work, we can create an environment in which our patients can die in a state of peace and even inspiration.

Inside the program Photos from the 2003 and 2005 residential sessions at the Shambhala Mountain Center. 2003 photos... 2005 photos...

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

"CONTEMPLATIVE END-OF-LIFE CARE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM"
An innovative certificate program for health care professionals offered by Naropa University and Rigpa's Spiritual Care Education Program.

The Contemplative End-of-Life Care Program brings together the compassionate and mindful approach of the ancient wisdom tradition of Tibet with the skills and knowledge of modern hospice and palliative care.

The course combines 15-weeks of on-line learning with an 8-day residential retreat. The structure of the Program allows participants to gain a more personal understanding of end-of-life needs and uses a variety of learning modalities, including individual, group and interactive work, and lectures and personal mentoring by an experienced international faculty of healthcare professionals and educators.

Personal Transformation and Growth

The Contemplative End-of-Life Care Program is far more than an academic training aimed at simply educating health care professionals. It encourages personal transformation and growth by offering students the unique opportunity to explore their own understanding about death, and its spiritual dimension, and how they relate to life and those they care for. As a result, students become uniquely attuned to a deeper understanding of what it means to be present with suffering and thereby are able to respond more effectively and appropriately to the needs of patients and clients and work in a team.

"As a physician who has practiced radiation oncology, this program provided me with a comprehensive framework for end-of-life care through its didactic and experiential components. Much of medicine is intellectual, but this program gave me the personal experience and the tools to meet people on their own ground, which is critical, and to continue working in a heartfelt way with patients and staff."
-- Carole Milligan, MD, graduate of Contemplative End-of-Life Care Program

"This course of study, more than any other in my life, has shifted my deep internal understanding of what it means to be courageously and authentically present with people in crisis, whether it be in the ICU, ER, or in moments at the end of life."
-- Joannie Webster, MD, graduate of Contemplative End-of-Life Care Program

"Instead of finding a solely academic program, I found myself fully engaged on a personal level, which opened my whole understanding of life and of death. The contemplative and compassion practices taught were the tools I was familiar with, but it was through the program, that my experiential understanding of them provided the transformation. I became more open and accessible to my clients; the barrier created by my own hope and fear around illness, death and dying was removed. Now I know the meaning of those practices and the healing opportunities they offer."
-- Janice Smith, psychotherapist, graduate of the Contemplative End-of-Life Care Program

Integrated Approach for professionals from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds

The training offers an integrated approach for professionals from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. Professionals are trained in compassionate care, which carries the deepest spiritual values at its heart. Through learning how to inspire oneself with a daily meditation practice, a sense of confidence and deep love naturally grows. Then, by integrating meditation practice with caregiving work, we can create an environment in which our patients can die in a state of peace and even inspiration. It is the compassionate, clear, inspired presence we bring to the ill or dying that brings hope in the face of suffering and death.

"I also really appreciated the respect there was for traditions other than Buddhism and heard the invitation to examine the riches of the Christian tradition. I feel very comfortable with integrating some of the treasures that Buddhism has to offer for the compassionate care of the dying and bereaved."
-- Sister Brigid Murphy, Hospice Chaplain, Hospice of Leeds, England

Methodologies

The course uses contemplative practices, personal reflection, group exercises, independent study, writing, discussion, lecture and personal mentoring to move from caring for oneself to caring for others. Students receive support from the community of like-minded peers, and are mentored one on one by faculty. The varied elements of the course grow out of the best knowledge of both the modern hospice and the ancient wisdom traditions and are carefully designed to weave the practices of meditation and compassion into the fabric of our everyday work and life.

TRAINING TOPICS INCLUDE

TESTIMONIALS

"These trainers show clearly how the teachings and practices of Tibetan Buddhism can be applied with compassion to relieve suffering in those facing terminal illness, whether of Buddhist faith or notÉ Extremely valuable to all professional caregivers wishing to improve spiritual care for the dying."
-- John Seely, M.D. Professor of Medicine, SCOHS, Ottawa, Canada

"A contemplative approach to end-of-life care opens patients and clinicians to remarkable healing and transformation. As a palliative medicine clinician at several prestigious academic medical centers, I have witnessed the powerful impact these trainings have had upon our ability to meet the needs of dying patients and their families. The practical but profound skills developed through this course will radically enhance your ability to provide more effective and compassionate care for your patients. They will also enliven your passion for your work as a healer and nurture your own flourishing."
-- James Duffy MD FANPA FAAHPM DABMA Professor of Psychiatry, M D Anderson Cancer Center Fellow, John P McGovern Center for Health, Healing, and the Human Spirit at the University of Texas

Testimonials from past graduates

"As a physician who has practiced radiation oncology, this program provided me with a comprehensive framework for end-of-life care through its didactic and experiential components. Much of medicine is intellectual, but this program gave me the personal experience and the tools to meet people on their own ground, which is critical, and to continue working in a heartfelt way with patients and staff."
-- Carole Milligan, MD, graduate of Contemplative End-of-Life Care Program

"This course of study, more than any other in my life, has shifted my deep internal understanding of what it means to be courageously and authentically present with people in crisis, whether it be in the ICU, ER, or in moments at the end of life."
-- Joannie Webster, MD, graduate of Contemplative End-of-Life Care Program

"Instead of finding a solely academic program, I found myself fully engaged on a personal level, which opened my whole understanding of life and of death. The contemplative and compassion practices taught were the tools I was familiar with, but it was through the program, that my experiential understanding of them provided the transformation. I became more open and accessible to my clients; the barrier created by my own hope and fear around illness, death and dying was removed. Now I know the meaning of those practices and the healing opportunities they offer."
-- Janice Smith, psychotherapist, graduate of the Contemplative End-of-Life Care Program

"I also really appreciated the respect there was for traditions other than Buddhism and heard the invitation to examine the riches of the Christian tradition. I feel very comfortable with integrating some of the treasures that Buddhism has to offer for the compassionate care of the dying and bereaved."
-- Sister Brigid Murphy, Hospice Chaplain, Hospice of Leeds, England

"The lessons in this course are many and are, I believe, infiltrating all aspects of my life. It is as if my sitting practice and my work are intertwined and feeding each other. That connection of being present to another's pain and my role in trying to alleviate it is why I am a doctor. I have the opportunity to make my occupation a spiritual practice now. Something more than just patching someone up, it's about allowing my true essence that comes from my heart to shine forward. If I am just present and open to all the suffering and pain I see on a daily basis, sure I sometimes feel tired and don't feel open. But what I've learned in this course is how to renew every day. That's the transformation. It's in allowing for more spaciousness, less reactivity, less judgments and how not to hold on to the things that are impermanent anyway. Now I can sit with a patient with a more clear and open heart and really be with them. I come away refreshed!"
-- Peter Brown, MD

"The richness of the teachings and practices taught in this course is enabling me to embrace more fully the essence of basic goodness in the world. This in turn is offering more enrichment in my personal life, as well as in my professional role as a Hospice nurse. Here the gifts are experienced both with patients and their families, as well as with colleagues. I am very grateful for the experience."
-- Jan Gould RN

"One of the most practical examples of transformation gained from this course was about how the principles of meditation changed my whole way of listening. My entire approach to and understanding of what is really going on when I sit down with someone to listen to their life has changedÉI realized that perhaps fo the first time I could really listen with my whole being to the deepest part of my patient's heart and mind."
-- Meg Brady, professor for oral history and recorder of patient's life stories


FACULTY

Core Faculty

Christine Longaker, Former Director and Staff Trainer at the Hospice of Santa Cruz County in California, Christine has provided hospice trainings internationally since 1978. She has been instrumental in developing Rigpa's Spiritual Care Education Program, and serves as its International Education Director. She co-designed and serves as faculty for Naropa University's accredited training in 'Contemplative End-of-Life Care', and is author of Facing Death and Finding Hope: A Guide to the Emotional and Spiritual Care of the Dying, which has been translated into nine languages.

Kirsten DeLeo, MA, International training manager and senior educator for the Rigpa Spiritual Care Education Program. Drawing from more than 15 years experience accompanying people in the last phase of life, Kirsten leads trainings for professionals and the public, and is faculty for Naropa University's 'Contemplative End-of-Life Care' training. She is a counselor specializing in spiritual care, and in supporting people living with illness. Kirsten completed a three-year meditation retreat under the guidance of Sogyal Rinpoche and is a Senior Meditation Instructor in Rigpa.

Pam Russell, LMSW, Senior educator for the Rigpa Spiritual Care Education Program, Pamela is an end-of-life care social worker and bereavement counselor with over 20 years experience in elder care in long term care facilities. She is faculty for Naropa University's 'Contemplative End-of-Life Care' training, and a meditation instructor in Albany, NY.

Dr Ann Allegre MD, FACP, Director of medical programs, Kansas City Hospice, medical director of palliative care, Providence Health, professor of medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine and educator for the Spiritual Care Education Program. 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.

with video teachings from:

Sogyal Rinpoche, World-renowned Buddhist teacher from Tibet and author of the groundbreaking bestseller, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Rinpoche is also the founder and spiritual director of Rigpa, an international network of over 130 Buddhist centers and groups in 41 countries around the world. He has been teaching for over thirty years and continues to travel and teach widely in Europe, America, Australia and Asia. In 1993 he created the Spiritual Care Program for healthcare professionals with Christine Longaker. The Program is based on The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying and the best of Rinpoche's teachings are presented.

Online Faculty

Dr Ira Byock, MD (on-line faculty) is Director of Palliative Medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Centre in Lebanon, New Hampshire, Chair of Palliative Medicine and Professor, Departments of Anaesthesiology and Community and Family Medicine, at Dartmouth Medical School. Dr Byock has been involved in hospice and palliative care since 1978, starting in his residency. He is past president (1997) of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. During the 1990's he was a co-founder and principal investigator for the Missoula Demonstration Project, a community-based organization in Montana. From 1996 through 2006, he served as director for Promoting Excellence in End-of-Life Care, a national grant program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He has authored numerous articles on the ethics and practice of hospice, palliative and end-of-life care. His first book, Dying Well (1997) has become a standard in the field. His most recent book, The Four Things That Matter Most (2004), is used as a counseling tool widely by palliative care and hospice programs. He was awarded the American College of CHEST Physicians Roger Bone Memorial Lecture Award (2003) and the Outstanding Colleague Award (2008) of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains.

Guest Faculty

Bob Mischke, MD, Co-director for the Center for Spiritual Transformation near Idaho Springs, Colorado. Bob retired in 1992 in order to peruse meditation and contemplative practices more fully and has been facilitating contemplative practices for over 30 years, including the teachings of centering prayer, vipassana, the teaching of Buddha, Jesus, Thomas Keathing and Eckhart Tolle.


HOW TO APPLY:
http://www.naropa.edu/extend/contemplativecare/certificate.cfm

Click here for a printable pdf flyer.