Compassionate Care

Every day, thousands of individuals are faced with life-changing reproductive decisions and losses. How should people of faith respond to these needs? How should we respond when we do not share values with those who are dealing with their reproductive issues? How should compassion guide the care we provide?

Compassion is an important value highlighted in all sacred texts. Compassion becomes even more important when deeply personal issues of people’s lives are treated with stigma, shame and judgment by others.

Background

It was the spirit of compassion that prompted Revs. Finley Schaef and Howard Moody to form the Clergy Consultation Services on Abortion (CCS) in1967.

Today, RCRC trains professionals in ministry, healthcare, social work, and other direct care services to provide judgment-free emotional and spiritual support at these times. We do this to help ensure that individuals who experience reproductive challenges and crises are supported in ways that honor their human dignity focusing on their lived experiences, spiritual beliefs, moral values, hopes and needs.

Practice-Based Training for Professionals and Students to:

Stay focused on the life situations, beliefs and values of care-seekers
Strengthen your skills to provide spiritual care in secular spaces
Learn about the origins of fetal personhood and the changes in attitudes and policies about reproduction across U.S. history
Increase your knowledge about what different religions teach about reproductive issues and how these teachings might impact care-seekers
Expand your network with other spiritual leaders, healthcare providers, social workers and direct services professionals and students in your community
Develop strategies for fostering more compassionate congregations and communities that support reproductive dignity and freedom

What Participants Are Saying

This was the best gift I have received in a long time — and is applicable to all of my work as an advocate.

Powerful training — appreciate the combination of ritual and information. Especially appreciate the focus on the history of RJ and centrality of women of color in this work.

I learned that compassion for reproductive health is a needed narrative that I was not supporting. I will now!

I know much better how to respond when patients raise spiritual issues.

Our Compassionate Care curriculum is designed for professionals and students in a number of helping professions, including:

Religious and spiritual ministry
Mental health
Social work
General medical health
Abortion and reproductive health
Sex education
Legal services for judicial bypass
And more . . .

Delivery Formats

Compassionate Care modules can be offered in a variety of formats to meet your organizational needs:

Two-day in-person
One-day in-person along with 2-3 webinars
Several webinars

To learn more about how Compassionate Care can be offered for continuing education, academic credit or workshop in your community, contact Rev. Dr. Cari Jackson at cjackson@rcrc.org.

RCRC’s Clergy and Laypeople Proudly Support:

Access

Access to comprehensive sexuality education

Planning

Family planning and contraception

Affordability

Affordable child care and health care

Adoption

Support for and access to adoption services

Abortion

Safe, legal abortion services, regardless of income or circumstance