Hospice counselor

Question: I am currently a high school student who has often been called the kid with the old soul. I was planning to major in theology at college and am interested in pastoral counseling and hospice counseling. What schools in the Los Angles area offer a bachelor's degree program in theology and/or religious studies? Programs in the Pomona area would be particularly helpful.
— Samantha

Response: Below you'll find schools in the Los Angeles County area that offer a bachelor's degree program in theology.

Training Options and Costs

Claremont McKenna

Department of Philosophy and Religion

500 E. 9th St.

Claremont, CA 91711

(909) 621-8101

www.claremontmckenna.edu

The school offers a bachelor's degree program in religious studies. Courses include Introduction to Western Religions Traditions, Introduction to Judaism and Religious Ethics.

Undergraduate tuition is approximately $30,000 per year, not including books and miscellaneous fees.

Loyola Marymount University

Theological Studies

One LMU Drive

Los Angeles, CA 90045

(310) 338-7670

www.lmu.edu

The school offers a bachelor's degree program in theology with an option to minor in lay ministry. Courses include World Religions, Biblical Theology, and Pastoral Aspects of Ministry.

Undergraduate tuition is approximately $28,000 per year, not including books and miscellaneous fees.

Public institutions such as UCLA also offer a bachelor's and master's degree program in religious studies. Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena offers several graduate or master's degree programs in religion including a Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Ministry.

University of California, Los Angeles

Faculty Advisor: Scott Bartchy

5343 Bunche Hall

(310) 206-1356

www.humnet.ucla.edu

The UCLA major in the study of religion is designed to give students a broad humanistic perspective. It introduces students to several religious traditions. They will gain an appreciation of the very nucleus of civilization in history and the world. Students will also gain an understanding of fundamental human orientations.

The program provides opportunity to study one or more religious traditions in greater depth. Cohesion and integrity in the program are furthered by courses dealing with philosophical problems in religion and with general anthropological reflections.

Undergraduate tuition for California residents is $7,062.23 per year.

Professional Association
You could consider joining the following professional association while completing your bachelor's degree program:

Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC)

60 Revere Drive, Suite 500

Northbrook, IL 60062

(847) 509-0403

www.adec.org

E-mail: info@adec.org

This is a professional association for those involved in the mental and medical hospice care services, including hospice counselors.

Membership benefits include professional development opportunities through conferences and workshops, field updates through free publication subscriptions, discounts on educational publications including Journal of Trauma and Loss, and scholarship programs. In addition, professional members are listed on an online registry of counselors.

Annual student membership dues are $60.

The association offers voluntary certification as a CT, Certified in Thanatology: Death, Dying and Bereavement. This is relevant to work as a hospice counselor.

There are various educational and work experience routes you can take to become certified. One way is to complete a bachelor's degree program and two years of related work experience. Then you must pass a multiple-choice examination. ADEC provides an online listing of publications as well as a downloadable study guide for the exam.

The examination fee for members is $300 and for non-members is $425. The examination is offered annually in November.

Professional Resources
The following are organizations you could refer to for additional information on the field of hospice counseling:

Hospice Foundation of America

1621 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 300

Washington, DC 20009

(800) 854-3402

www.hospicefoundation.org

National Hospice and Palliative Care Association

1700 Diagonal Road, Suite 625

Alexandria, VA 22314

(703) 837-1500

www.nhpco.org

While this association only offers membership to companies, benefits available to non-members include an online listing of field related articles, and a listing of educational publications available for purchase at the non-member rate.

Job Description
Hospice Counseling is provided specifically to terminally ill patients in a hospice care setting, in the home or in a hospital or clinic. End of life care is also referred to as palliative care. Staff hospice counselors are often social workers who provide counseling and assessments of the patient. They confer with the family while other staff members provide more of the spiritual component of hospice counseling.

The job of hospice counselor may be assigned to a staff chaplain or minister who has at least a bachelor's degree in theology or a related discipline. Some hospice facilities leave the decision as to who will provide hospice counseling to the patient's family. The family may select a member of their religious congregation to serve in this capacity.

Employment Outlook
Above average growth is projected through 2010 for hospice counselors.

Salary Range
Hospice counselors may be paid by the hour or by the visit. For example, the average fee per visit is $50.

 
Susan W. Miller, M.A., is a National Certified Career Counselor, a Certified Vocational Evaluation Specialist and holds diplomate status on the American Board of Vocational Experts. She heads California Career Services, a private practice career counseling firm in Los Angeles.

E-mail career questions you'd like answered in this column to info@californiacareerservices.com or visit California Career Services at www.californiacareerservices.com.