The Academy
Becoming a chaplain begins long before your first call.
Supporting someone on what may be the hardest day of their life requires more than kindness and good intentions. It asks for emotional steadiness, humility, sound judgment, deep listening, cultural humility, and the ability to be “the calm in the storm.”
Our six-month Chaplain Academy is designed to prepare volunteers for that responsibility.
Meeting one evening each week, the Academy combines classroom learning, practical skill development, scenario-based training, field experiences, and supervised shadowing. Every aspect of the Academy is intended to ensure that those who complete it are prepared to serve our community with compassion, professionalism, and integrity.
Specialized Programs
Not Everyone Is Meant for This Work
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When requested by law enforcement, fire, or emergency medical services, our volunteer chaplains respond anywhere in Sonoma County, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to care for the people at the center of the crisis.
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Our School Crisis Team is a small group of specially trained senior chaplains honored to serve as part of the Sonoma County Crisis Response System of Support.
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More information coming soon.
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Our Critical Incident Support Team provides compassionate, structured support for groups and organizations following traumatic events.
This is a rigorous program. Graduation is not guaranteed. Candidates are continually evaluated for readiness, professionalism, emotional maturity, and alignment with our values. Some applicants discover this work is not the right fit, and some candidates are not invited to continue beyond the Academy.
We Are Building a Chaplaincy That Reflects Sonoma County
Our community speaks many languages, holds many cultures, and experiences grief in many different ways.
We are intentionally working to build a chaplaincy that reflects the richness of Sonoma County. We strongly encourage applications from bilingual and bicultural community members, particularly those who speak one or more of the county's most commonly spoken languages, including Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Chinese languages, Ukrainian, Russian, Hindi, Punjabi, Persian (Farsi), Kreyol and American Sign Language (ASL).
We make every effort to be able to help someone navigate unimaginable moments in the language of their heart.
Applicants from historically underrepresented communities are warmly encouraged to apply.
Requirements
A genuine desire to serve others with compassion, humility, and respect.
Emotional maturity, sound judgment, and the ability to remain calm during crisis.
The ability to be fully present with grief, trauma, uncertainty, and profound loss.
Excellent listening and communication skills.
Respect for people of every culture, identity, faith, and life experience.
A commitment to providing compassionate, trauma-informed, person-centered care.
Integrity, reliability, confidentiality, and healthy professional boundaries.
A collaborative spirit and willingness to work alongside public safety and community partners.
Openness to learning, receiving feedback, and ongoing personal growth.
Becoming a chaplain is a commitment and can be incredibly rewarding. Our work calls for people of exceptional character, humility, and emotional maturity. Not everyone who applies will be accepted into the Academy. Not everyone who starts will finish.
Become a Chaplain
Applicants should demonstrate
Practical Requirements
Applicants must:
Be at least 21 years of age.
Successfully complete the six-month Sonoma County Chaplain Academy.
Pass an interview process and background investigation.
Possess a valid California driver's license, reliable transportation, and automobile insurance.
Be able to respond throughout Sonoma County, including evenings, weekends, and holidays and complete two 24 hour on call shifts per month.
Commit to ongoing training, continuing education, and regular on-call service following graduation.
We are committed to building a chaplaincy that reflects the community we serve.
We especially encourage applications from individuals who are:
Bilingual and bicultural.
Fluent in one or more of Sonoma County's most commonly spoken languages or American Sign Language (ASL).
Connected to communities that have been historically underserved.
Bringing diverse professional or lived experience that strengthens compassionate and trustworthy community care.
Applicants do not need to be religious or belong to a particular faith tradition. All chaplains, however, must be willing to receive training in providing respectful, nonsectarian spiritual care to people of every faith, no faith, and every worldview.
Applicants who are ordained clergy or active faith leaders are warmly welcomed.
Personal faith may be an important touchstone and provide guiding principles for how you conduct yourself in the world. While serving as a chaplain, you must commit to serving all people equitably and offer spiritual support only when requested, always honoring the unique beliefs, wishes, and consent of the person receiving care.
More than anything, we are looking for people who know how to be present. We can teach emergency response, procedures, and first responder protocols. A warm and sturdy presence is the foundation of this work.
A Note About Faith
Academy Details
Crisis intervention and psychological first aid
Death notifications
Grief, bereavement, and traumatic loss
Supporting children, teens, and families after tragedy
Suicide response and postvention
Homicides, accidents, and sudden or unexpected deaths
Trauma-informed and healing-centered care
Active listening, compassionate communication, and presence
Cultural humility and cultural competency—including the cultures of the communities we serve and the unique culture of law enforcement and first responders
Disability awareness, communication access, and inclusive care
Ethics, professional boundaries, confidentiality, and consent
Working alongside law enforcement, fire, EMS, hospitals, the Coroner’s Office, and other community partners
Incident command, public safety systems, scene safety, and situational awareness
Spiritual competency and care across diverse beliefs, traditions, and worldviews—including supporting people with no religious or spiritual practice and providing care without a religious agenda
Self-awareness, resilience, self-care, peer support, compassion fatigue, and sustainable service
Understanding and tending to the impact this work can have on chaplains, their families, and those who support them
Community resources and referrals
Throughout the Academy, trainees learn directly from experienced chaplains, mental health professionals, law enforcement, the Coroner’s Office staff, and other community and public safety partners. Role play, realistic scenarios, weekly insights from current chaplains, peer support, and regular opportunities for feedback help trainees move from learning concepts to practicing them in real time.
The Academy asks a great deal of its trainees. It also prepares them carefully. By commissioning, graduates have practiced, reflected, received feedback, and demonstrated their readiness to serve as chaplains.
Academy Curriculum
While every Academy evolves to meet emerging community needs, core areas of study include:
Candidates also complete assigned readings, reflective writing, classroom participation, field observations, a law enforcement ride-along, and an on-call shadow phase before responding independently. Academy participants are expected to attend all scheduled classes except for pre-approved absences, illness, or emergencies.
Graduating from the Academy marks the beginning—not the end—of your training.
New chaplains continue with supervised field experiences before serving independently and receive ongoing continuing education, mentorship, peer support, and regular recertification throughout their time with the organization.
Volunteer chaplains commit to:
Serving two scheduled 24-hour on-call shifts each month.
Participating in regular chaplain meetings and continuing education.
Supporting our annual fundraising event.
Completing recertification every two years.
After Graduation
FAQs
Do I need to be religious?
No. Our chaplains come from many faith traditions, and many do not identify with a religious tradition at all. We provide spiritual care only when it is welcomed by the people we serve. Our role is never to persuade, preach, or proselytize.
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Do I need previous chaplain experience?
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No. We provide extensive training. What matters most is who you are, how you relate to people, and your willingness to learn.
How competitive is admission?
Admission is selective and not everyone will commission. We intentionally keep Academy cohorts small to allow for meaningful mentorship, hands-on learning, and careful evaluation throughout the training process.
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Can I work full-time while attending?
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Many of our chaplains do. Classes are held one evening each week, though candidates should also expect reading, assignments, ride-alongs, shadow shifts, and occasional weekend training.
Is this a paid position?
No. Our chaplains are highly trained volunteers serving the Sonoma County community.
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How long is the commitment after graduation?
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As a largely self-funded 501(c)(3) our investment in training is significant. We hope that graduates are willing to make a commitment of at least 2 years of service in our chaplaincy.
Additional questions?
Choosing to apply is a significant decision, and we welcome thoughtful questions.
If you're wondering whether this work might be the right fit—or simply want to learn more about the Academy, the application process, or what it means to serve as a community chaplain—we would be honored to talk with you.