Spiritual Care Australia Annual Branch Reports 2016 SCA South Australia Branch Report The SA Branch had a reasonably good year. Member numbers, finances, attendance at PDs, people available to serve on committee, all ticked the average/OK box. But we’re not satisfied with average. We’re acutely aware of being a branch of an organisation which wants to be the national peak body in spiritual care, and that means endlessly seeking to be relevant locally. Some aspects of this energy has been – 

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Running a large Spiritual Care Week Seminar with significant national-profile speakers to showcase the relevance of spiritual care to our employers and stakeholders as well as to inspire our practitioners. Dr Karen Hitchcock, author, physician and public health advocate was our key-note speaker. Producing a monthly newsletter to stay engaged with members and contacts. Appointing a member liaison officer to meet with members, and related organisations, to discuss how we can help in their practice. Jim Spiker is doing this work for us. Engaging with the national body wherever we can, through presidents’ forums, meeting with board members/community of practice meetings when in town, promoting attendance at national conference, AGM, etc. Aspiring to excellent PDs. And producing some rippers, with contributors from the wide range of sectors which employ chaplains. Pondering ways to make spiritual care enterprises in workplaces SCA Standards of Practice compliant, and what implications this has for membership, relationship to SCA, etc.

It feels like a challenging time to be doing this work, but with our settings and priorities in good order we hope for good times ahead. Ian Lutze

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SCA Victoria Branch Report Branch Name: Victoria Branch President: Harriet Ziegler Number of members paid through June 2016: 149 Number of New Branch Members this year: 28 Number of Life members: 7 Meetings from January to December 2015: One annual meeting, one educational event, six executive committee meetings

Brief description of activities within the branch in 2015: Our principal focus was on professional development for our members and other interested people. 1. On 16 March, we held a three-hour late afternoon event: “The Rite Stuff: Rituals for Hope and Healing, Remembrance and Recovery.” Keynote speakers were interfaith ministers Jenny Greenham and Helen Summers, with examples of ritual given by Andy Calder, Cheryl Lawrie, and Denise Same. We had an excellent response. 2. On 19 August, we held our Annual Meeting at Islamic Council of Victoria, with our guest speaker being SCA Executive Officer, Matt Glover. An executive committee was elected with office bearers appointed at the first meeting of the committee, as follows: Harriet Ziegler (president), Khanh Do (treasurer), Jonathan Chambers (minutes secretary), Craig Campbell (membership secretary) along with members Lina Ayoubi, Stephen Delbridge, Annie Forrest, Ruth McCall and Sue Morgan. (In early 2016, Craig Campbell resigned due to changed professional commitments.) 3. Our major commitment to continuing education again was to co-sponsor with Spiritual Health Victoria (SHV), a Professional Development program for spiritual care workers in health and aged care held one Wednesday each month March-December. The program consists of a morning lecture or other didactic seminar and two hours of group supervision in the afternoon. Toward the end of the year, as part of a wider review of continuing education for spiritual care workers within Victoria, we cooperated with SHV in conducting a survey of SCA members and others involved in spiritual care. Almost 100 used the Survey Monkey to describe their understanding of and commitment to continuing education and professional supervision. We expect to publish the results in 2016. 4. Most of our Executive Committee and branch energy during the year were devoted to plans for hosting the national SCA Conference in Melbourne 1-4 May 2016 with the theme “Inspiration in Diversity: The Shifting Sands of Spiritual Care”. Our thanks to all who have encouraged and supported us, especially our families, the National Executive and Executive Officer, and Carmel (Williams) Fader and Pamela Cornish from Tasmania.

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SCA Australian Capital Territory Branch Report The ACT Branch provided support to chaplains and pastoral care practitioners from a broader base than the healthcare industry. Defence force, emergency services chaplains and professionals in psychology and psychotherapy attended educational sessions. Presentations included: Narrative and Dignity Therapy and Pastoral Care The Spirituality of Place: Rituals and Contemporary Connections to Spirituality Pastoral Responses During Coroner Referrals Minding Ourselves: Developing and Maintaining Personal Balance, Resilience and Sustainability Aboriginal Spirituality and Pastoral Care – Tips and Traditions The Use of Art in Soul-making and Deeper Self-knowledge (Retreat) An Improbable Feast – The Surprising Dynamic of Hospitality at the Heart of Multifaith Chaplaincy (Pastoral Care Week) End of Year Breakfast One of the blessings we have is the close geographic area which means many of our members do not have great distances to travel, or heavy traffic to negotiate in order to attend our meetings. Early in the year our President, Sr Debra McCarthy and Executive Member Rev Clair Hochstetler resigned from the Executive Committee. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to them for their energy and wisdom in promoting the value of SCA membership in their workplace and across Canberra and surrounding region. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of SCA ACT Branch for their willingness to engage in the program activities, for their feedback and suggestions. Thanks are due to the presenters of our education sessions, who addressed a balanced program of insights, thinking and encouragement for the tough yet rewarding commitment to spiritual care and the reminders for regular self-care. Finally I also offer the deepest gratitude to the Executive Team who devote many hours of planning and guidance to keep SCA a vital resource of valuable ongoing education, research and networking opportunities for the ACT Branch and all dedicated to providing informed spiritual care in Canberra and the surrounding region. Kathryn Clark President

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SCA Queensland Branch Report 2016 is off and running away very fast. The QLD Branch was in a state of flux for few months ending 2015, although the new year brought new members to our Executive Committee. We welcomed three new members and we asked two of them to take on the role of Treasure and Secretary. Each one of them have been a blessing already as they come with wisdom, experience and skills that compliment the current Committee and I’m looking forward to working with them. Already this year we have held an AGM and PD with Rev Dr Stephen Ogden. Through out this year we aim to hold another three PD events and a social gathering for Christmas. Also this year we have started a newsletter that goes out four times a year, encouraging members from QLD to contribute, helping us all stay connected. Last year we spent significant time with different Pastoral Care Coordinators around Brisbane to seek better understanding of how SCA QLD can support them in their work. We felt this was a productive time as we built relationships with some we have not met before, and some we have not seen for some time. Our overall membership in QLD is sitting at about 48 I believe and some of these are Organisational Members. We look forward to 2016/2017 and all that holds, we hope to continue the conversation with QLD Health as we seek to find our place and role. As we continue to grow the network and support for Chaplains across our large state. I’m looking forward to the new energy in the QLD Branch Committee and hope that this year will be full of exciting adventures as together we support each other, work and grow together. Many Thanks Rev Tanya Richards SCA QLD Branch President

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SCA Hunter Valley Branch Report Branch Name: Hunter Valley, NSW Date of Report: March 2016 Number of Meetings held from January 2015 to March 2016: 5 meetings/professional development days 1 Café Conversation – Pastoral Care Week Celebration Lunch and PD Session

Professional Development days hosted by the Pastoral Care Department, Calvary Mater Newcastle. 19th February 2015 Key note speaker – Sr Diana Santleben, Secretary Penola House (refugee centre). Topic: The Spiritual and Pastoral Care of Refugees. Number of attendees: 19 Hours of group supervision/verbatim: 1 one hour verbatim supervision entitled: The Supervisor-Supervisee relationship 21st May 2015 Speaker: Tracy Kemmett –Dementia Advisor, integratedliving Newcastle. Topic: The Spiritual Care of People Living with Dementia Number of attendees: 23 Hours of group supervision/verbatim: 2 one hour concurrent verbatim supervisions entitled: Professional- Personal Identities and Pastoral Care at the Sea Farers Mission. 20th August 2015 and AGM Key note speaker: Kathie Bowtell (Lifeline) Topic: Breaking the Silence of Youth Suicide through Art. Number of attendees: 19 Hours of group supervision/verbatim: 2 one hour concurrent verbatim supervisions entitled: The Power of Empathic Presence and Support of families in the Aged Care Setting. 30th October 2015 Pastoral Care Week Celebration –World Café Conversation discussing the question, “We see the world and others not as they are, but as we are.” (Anthony DeMello) (3 hours) Number of attendees: 18 26th November 2015 Key note speaker: Mary Ringstad, Manager Pastoral Services Calvary Mater Newcastle. Topic: Spiritual Assessment: How, why, struggles….. Number of attendees: 12 Spiritual Care Australia 2016 Branch Reports

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Hours of group supervision: Reflective activity: Speak to an object/symbol encapsulating the successes and challenges of the professional year. 17th February 2016 Key note speaker: Tony Hassett, Practitioner Pastoral Services Calvary Mater Newcastle. Topic: The Strength of Not Knowing – A look at Radical Theology as a tool to care for diverse peoples. Number of attendees: 12 Hours of group supervision: 1 one hour verbatim supervision. Tony Hassett President

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SCA Tasmania Branch Report Branch President: Brad Taylor Number of Branch Members this year: 33 Number of New Branch Members this year: 7 Number of Life members: 4 Number of Meetings held January to December 2015: 3 + BMC as noted below

Brief description of activities held within the branch in 2015: Our greatest achievement during 2015 was the planning, coordination and management of the National SCA Conference, which was held in Hobart from 19 – 22 April at the Hotel Grand Chancellor. We were delighted to be able to host this wonderful conference, which was attended by 210 members, guest speakers and workshop presenters. The Branch Management Committee also worked as the ‘Conference Committee’ meeting fortnightly for the majority of the year. All BMC members should be congratulated for their outstanding contribution. Branch meetings: During 2015 we trialled meeting in the centre of the State at Ross. This had the advantage of enabling members from all regions of the state to meet. Each meeting included a session of Professional Development .  21st February  27 August: Annual General Meeting  21 November Professional Development:  “Hope and Depression”: (Grace Bye)  “Providing Pastoral Care to people of differing faith traditions to our own - and to those of no faith” (Rev Bob Faser)  “Responding after Listening in a Pastoral Encounter” (Mukula McKenzie) Report compiled by Carmel Fader (Vice President)

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