The court house chaplaincy—a project in collaboration

Summary This paper describes a Court House Chaplaincy Program in which Clinical Pastoral Education trainees and local clergymen were assigned to regular voluntary assignment as chaplains of the Harvey County Court House. Worked out in coordination with the Newton Ministerial Alliance and the commissioners of Harvey County, the project served court house clients, staff, and pastors as well. The paper describes a model for community collaboration that could be operated in many settings. In this plan, the mental health center clergyman joins with other clergymen in the community in a task that is directed toward the community's whole good and not specifically a project operated by the mental health center. The importance of careful preparation, of political negotiations, of responsible supervision, and clarity regarding the issues of funding are also illustrated.     

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Pastoral Psychology -     

A short duration group treatment of smoking behavior by stimulus saturation

Two saturation procedures of different lengths were administered to Ss who desired to quit smoking. Ss chain-smoked for either 20 hr (group E₁) or 10 hr (E₂). Total abstinence was the main dependent measure. Both groups experienced relatively equal success on a short-term basis. Long-term abstinence was noted for group E₁ only. Sixty per cent of the E₁ Ss were not smoking 4 months after treatment.     

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Conclusion Wise counseling can relieve the anxiety and inner conflict of parents torn between the dread of their retarded offspring becoming a parent and the fear of an operation they believe to be illegal, immoral, and castrating.By knowing where to refer patients, clergymen can make it possible for some of these deprived members of society to find support and love within marriage without being overburdened by children they are not capable of rearing properly.