CHAPTER 2 RELIGIOUS PROGRAM SUPPORT PART II As we explained in chapter 1, the area of religious program support is so broad that we have divided this subject into two parts. In chapter 1, we covered the basic aspects of worship and presented this information as Part I. In this chapter, Part II, you will study the other aspects  of  religious  program  support,  such  as  pastoral care  and  counseling,  fellowship,  outreach,  special events and programs, and general support. In your career as a Religious Program Specialist (RP), your duties  and  responsibilities  in  these  areas  will  be  just  as important  as  those  for  worship. After studying the information in this chapter, you should be able to identify the fundamentals of religious program  support  in  the  areas  of  pastoral  care, counseling, fellowship, outreach, special events and programs,  and  general  support.  You  should  also  be  able to  identify  the  ways  in  which  you,  the  RP,  will  be responsible  for  carrying  out  basic  duties  and responsibilities  in  these  important  areas. PASTORAL CARE AND COUNSELING A Navy chaplain is an ordained clergy member as well as a commissioned staff officer. Chaplains provide worship  in  their  own  faith  and  are  accountable  for furthering the free exercise of religion for those of other faiths. This includes not only rites but also pastoral care and  counseling. Because of their life-styles, Navy and Marine Corps personnel and their families are subjected to special demands.  These  demands  may  be  in  the  form  of frequent  readjustments,  self-sufficiency  on  the  part  of the   spouse   and   other   family   members,   family separations,  deployments,  detachments,  resettlements, budget pressures, and the stresses of being a single parent. All these may cause Navy and Marine Corps personnel and their families to experience feelings of being overwhelmed. To help our people handle these stresses, chaplains are available for pastoral service to active  duty  and  retired  personnel,  military  family members, and Department of Defense civilians and their families.  Naturally,  a  chaplain’s  primary  obligation  will be to the active duty service member. In many of these areas, the role of the RP is to provide support in a variety of ways to the chaplains who provide  pastoral  care  and  counseling.  If  assigned  to  a chaplain in these areas, you will be expected to provide support by anticipating and preparing for events, visits, and  occurrences;  screening  personnel  who  are  seeking assistance;  maintaining  a  complete  local  referral directory;   assisting   distraught   persons;   escorting chaplains during family home visits; and preparing daily census reports on unit personnel in the hospital and brig. In the following paragraphs, let’s take a look at each of these  areas. PREPARING FOR EVENTS, VISITS, AND OCCURRENCES As  an  RP,  you  may  discover  that  your  direct involvement with pastoral care and counseling of Navy and Marine Corps members and their families will be minimal. Always be aware that your primary role is to provide support for your chaplain who must render these services. In  many  ways,  your  job  is  every  bit  as important because you must prepare for the event, the visit, or occurrence so your chaplain can carry out his or her  responsibilities. You  may  even  experience  frustration  because  you will not always be informed about the purpose of the visit  or  event  for  which  you  must  prepare.  Often, confidentiality governs the extent of the circumstances about which you will be informed. Remember, it is not necessary for you to know the purpose of the situation to  carry  out  your  basic  responsibilities.  You  may, however, ask questions or even request your chaplain to advise you concerning any circumstances that might help you provide the best possible service. For example, you may need certain information about a client that will help you do a better job in preparing for the visit or event. Is a child involved? Is the client advanced in age? Is the   client   blind,   deaf,   developmentally   disabled, confused,  or  unable  to  speak  English?  Is  the  client dealing with stress or burnout? These are facts you have a right to know. If you are aware of some of the facts regarding the client’s visit or circumstances, you will be better equipped to provide the best environment for both the client and your chaplain. 2-1