FORT BRAGG, Calif. — August 24, 2011 — Mendocino Coast District Hospital will offer its annual interfaith Volunteer Chaplain Training program on eight consecutive Mondays from September 12 through November 31. The sessions are free of charge, and will be held from 2 pm to 5 pm in the hospital’s Redwoods Room. Clergy as well as lay community members are invited to attend.
“This series of classes is open to community members who are interested in learning how to better support patients in the hospital setting, both emotionally and spiritually,” says MCDH Chaplaincy Program Coordinator, Reverend Tanya Wyldflower, who facilitates the classes. “Members of the clergy, or those involved in lay ministry for their faith traditions, are welcome to attend and may be potential volunteers to join our hospital Chaplaincy staff.”
“All attendees, whether or not they are selected to become volunteer Chaplains, will become better prepared to minister to the sick and dying after completing these classes,” continues Wyldfower, noting that there is also a friendly visitor/Chaplain program at Sherwood Oaks where appropriate volunteers may possibly be utilized as well.
The eight classes include orientation to the hospital environment, spirituality and the hospitalization experience, communication skills, grief and death issues, prayer and meditation, crisis intervention and how to serve as a hospital Chaplain. Attendees will receive 24 hours of specialized training as well as additional hours mentoring with experienced Chaplains.
For more information contact: Reverend Tanya Wyldflower, Chaplaincy Program Coordinator, 707-961-1234 ext 208; twyldflower@mcdh.net
About Mendocino Coast District Hospital. Mendocino Coast District Hospital is a 25-bed acute care facility licensed by the State of California Department of Health Services and accredited by The Joint Commission. MCDH provides emergency, inpatient and outpatient services, and healthcare education to prevent, manage and treat chronic and acute conditions. The hospital is located on the California coast, approximately 160 miles north of San Francisco.