ENHCC
European Network of Health Care Chaplaincy
Pastoral Care in the Estonia
Pastoral care has been practiced in Estonia since 1992. The first training
of professional pastoral caregivers was organised as a joint project by
Estonian and Finnish Lutheran churches ten years ago in Tartu (Estonia).
The educators leading this project were all professionals from Finland.
During this training the students also started to practice pastoral care
in several hospitals in Estonia.
1993-1995 three graduates of the first training program continued their
studies in Finland where they passed more complex training of pastoral
care and counselling. 1996-1998 two of them attended the program of
pastoral care supervisors there.
In 1994 the Centre of Pastoral Care was founded by the Estonian Evangelic
Lutheran Church. For that time the Estonian pastoral caregivers had got
their first practical experiences and the field of pastoral care was
actualised and recognised also outside of church. Now the Centre of
Pastoral Care of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church has closed. But
the responsibility for pastoral care is taken over by Diaconal Council
with a coordinator of pastoral care, who is responsible for this area of
work within the Lutheran Church
The field of Pastoral Care has two main focuses. First the provision of
training courses in pastoral care and counselling to educate professional
caregivers and to ensure the continuity of pastoral care tradition in
Estonia. The second aim is to develop and regulate the practice of
pastoral care and counselling in hospitals, communities and welfare
institutions. One of the important purposes is to introduce the field of
the pastoral care outside of the church community by cooperating with
public institutions.
The basic training in pastoral care and counselling lasts one year. After
the basic training the students can attend additional courses in more
specific subjects. In most cases the participants of the training program
are community workers and workers from welfare institutions who can apply
the skills of pastoral care and counselling in their professional life.
But also other members of community and volunteers benefit from the basic
training.
Today one of the main priorities of pastoral caregivers in Estonia is to
introduce the field of pastoral care and the profession of pastoral
caregiver outside of church community as the official status of pastoral
caregivers is still undefined in Estonian society. The pastoral caregivers
usually find a full-time job in the institutions where the leadership
board is aware of the field of pastoral care and able to understand the
functions of pastoral caregiver and to value the advantages of his/her
work. In recent years there is a growing awareness of pastoral care in
society and there is an increasing circle of institutions who hire
pastoral caregivers to solve internal problems of organisation,
education or supervision in their organisations. For example there is very
good cooperation with the state Victim Support program and also with the
Central Rescue Department etc.
Last Year in the field of pastoral care, the Centre of Pastoral Care in
Tartu was opened. It is staffed by students of Pastoral Care who had
been educated by Naatan Haamer in basic training courses. The idea of this
centre is to offer people the possibility of getting free help from
professionals. This possibility was available in Tartu outside of
hospitals where pastoral caregiver are working. The Centre of Pastoral
Care, like this, is the first in Estonia and is made possible only by
enthusiasm of students and with help of local sponsors. The Centre is
still working very successfully and has a high reputation amongst the
citizens as well in the city government.
Naatan Haamer
The coordinator of pastoral care
Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church
[May 2006]