Certificate in Faith-based Peer Support

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Audience

Have you experienced trauma in your life? Are you assisting someone who has experienced some kind of trauma? Is your ministry assisting persons who have undergone some kind of trauma? This certificate track will help you better understand the questions that people pose after having gone through challenges in life. It will also help you navigate the twists and turns of life’s journey through the lens of faith and leadership skills.

Prerequisites

Before registering for this certificate program, prospective students must complete the VLCFF course Catholic Beliefs, or an equivalent course offered by a diocese or other approved organization.

Requirements

  1. Complete the application form (use the link found below) and pay the $20.00 / $35.00 fee.
  2. Successfully complete the required work for each course including the additional Certificate exercises in each session of the course. Normal Course and Seminar fees apply.
  3. Up to two courses taken with a diocese may be applied toward the Certificate in Youth Ministry. To request consideration for a waiver/s, your Diocesan Catechetical Leader is required to submit a letter and course syllabus to the Director of the VLCFF indicating that the selected course/s was equivalent to 2.5 CEUs (25 clock hours of work) and met the equivalent VLCFF course objectives.
  4. It is your responsibility to keep track of your progress in the program: Keep track of the courses you have taken, and when you have finished the program, contact Richard Drabik with your request for your certificate of completion.

Required Courses

Courses may be taken in any order as they become available on the VLCFF scheduled course calendar.

  1. Chronic Illness: Mental Illness, Grief, Trauma Support and Counseling
  2. Moral Injury: When Our Pain Blocks God’s Joy
  3. Bereavement Ministry: A Christian Perspective
  4. Veteran and Military Family Outreach
  5. Leadership in Ministry
  6. Collaboration and Community

Textbooks

For required texts, please refer to the Course Catalog and note the descriptions for each course.

Register

If you are new to the VLCFF, please complete a user profile (in the Become a New Student page, click the link to create your profile). You must be logged in to see the registration link.