Adjunct Instructor - Patient Counseling

Advertising Summary: The Department of Patient Counseling seeks an ACPE Certified Educator to serve as Adjunct Faculty. This position supports the academic and clinical education mission of the program by teaching, supervising, and evaluating graduate level students engaged in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). The Adjunct Faculty member contributes specialized expertise in spiritual care, adult learning, and reflective practice while upholding ACPE standards and the values of the institution.

Unit: College of Health Professions MBU

Department: Patient Counseling Program

Department Summary: Our mission is to develop and equip spiritual care professionals to provide evidence-based care to people of all backgrounds and value systems. The programs in patient counseling are designed to assist an individual to work in the health field as one skilled in dealing with the whole person in the context of life’s crises and in a cooperative interprofessional team approach. The programs are offered to persons who have an existing identity in a helping or counseling profession. This includes clergy, social workers, institutional counselors, education specialists, psychologists, community health workers and others in the health care professions.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Teach assigned CPE units or graduate level courses in spiritual care, clinical formation, or related areas, using evidence informed, student centered instructional methods.
• Provide individual and group supervision that fosters professional formation, theological reflection, and competency development consistent with ACPE accreditation standards.
• Assess student learning through formative and summative evaluations, providing timely, constructive feedback that supports growth and professional identity development.
• Maintain accurate documentation of student progress, supervisory sessions, and program requirements in accordance with ACPE policies and institutional guidelines.
• Collaborate with program leadership and faculty to ensure curricular alignment, clinical integration, and continuous quality improvement.
• Participate in required faculty meetings, orientation sessions, and program planning activities as appropriate for adjunct status.
• Model professional integrity, cultural humility, ethical practice, and respect for diverse spiritual, cultural, and clinical contexts.
• Support the department’s commitment to inclusive excellence, learner wellbeing, and high quality clinical education.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Current ACPE Certified Educator in good standing.
• Board Certified Chaplain in good standing (APC, SCA, NACC, NACC).
• Graduate degree from an accredited institution.
• Demonstrated experience supervising CPE students in clinical setting and teaching in an academic setting.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and reflective practice skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with interdisciplinary faculty, clinical partners, and diverse student populations.
• Commitment to ACPE standards, professional ethics, and student centered education.
• Experience teaching in higher education or graduate level programs.
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as an adjunct faculty member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated scholarship, research engagement, or contributions to the field of spiritual care or chaplaincy education.
• Familiarity with Canvas.
• Experience supporting learners in healthcare environments with different cultural, spiritual, and psychosocial needs.

Workload & Expectations

• Adjunct appointments are semester based and assigned according to program needs.
• Responsibilities may include teaching a full CPE unit, co-supervising students, or teaching a didactic course.
• Compensation is commensurate with institutional guidelines for adjunct faculty.

Salary Range: $11,496.00

Benefits: All VCU employee types are eligible for a wide array of benefits to support you during your employment at VCU. Consult the benefits website for information on benefits eligibility according to employee type.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Rank: Instructor

Contact Information:
Contact Name: Rev. Marilyn J.D. Barnes
Contact Email: barnesmj5@vcu.edu

Public research university and academic medical center in Richmond.