Thirty religious leaders, spiritual care providers, mental health professionals, and emergency managers will gather on the Hartford Seminary campus onJune 4 & 5for intensive training in Disaster Spiritual Care. This two-day offering, conducted by National Disaster Interfaiths Network (NDIN), is sponsored by Hartford Seminary’s Multifaith Chaplaincy Program. “I am so pleased that Hartford Seminary will be making NDIN’s excellent training available in Connecticut for a second time,” says Dr. Lucinda Mosher, Hartford Seminary’s Faculty Associate for Interfaith Studies and Director of its Multifaith Chaplaincy Program. “Participants in 2012 found it quite valuable,” she notes.

The training was originally developed for Episcopal Relief & Development and New York Disaster Interfaith Services. “It prepares faith leaders or spiritual care providers to volunteer as disaster chaplains in mass care settings or to serve as disaster chaplains within their house of worship, religious community or professional institution,” explains NDIN President Peter Gudaitis.

NDIN’s Disaster Spiritual Care training covers such topics as the emotional and spiritual phases of the disaster “life cycle”, spiritual first aid, disaster human services and site operations, phases of psychological reaction to disaster, effective caregiver self-care practices, mental health assessment & referral, and the Incident Command System.

The NDIN curriculum is compliant with NIMS (National incident Management Systems) and incorporates FEMA Incident Command System (FEMA IS 100) training. It also complies with the National VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) Points of Consensus for Disaster Spiritual Care.Participants who complete NDIN training can volunteer with the National Disaster Interfaiths Network (NDIN) or its partners. NDIN can assist volunteers in finding disaster spiritual care volunteer opportunities in local communities across the United States.

About National Disaster Interfaiths Network (NDIN):

NDIN is a 501(c)(3) non-profit working to build disaster resilient communities through the exchange of best practices information, cooperative support and training. NDIN courses, consultants and trainers help develop best practices resources and sustainable capacity for local advocacy, disaster chaplaincy, mitigation education, preparedness training, relief, and recovery coordination. More at:www.n-din.org