SC FAST Director Patti Graham graduates from Public Safety Chaplaincy program

January 10, 2025

South Carolina First Responders Assistance and Support Team (SC FAST) Director Patti Graham received her Public Safety Chaplaincy Certification from the Lutheran Theological South Seminary at Lenoir-Rhyne University. The 18-month long training included discussion on the foundations of public safety chaplaincy, pastoral theology and issues in public safety chaplaincy, crisis intervention training, clinical perspectives and issues and answers in public safety chaplaincy, and a final project that demonstrated each student’s own gifts and qualifications for public safety chaplaincy.

A chaplain since 2009, Patti is well-versed in chaplaincy but regularly seeks continuing education opportunities in order to best serve her department, community, peer team members, and state. She’s preparing to start the first unit of Clinical Pastoral Education this month.

“There wasn’t nearly the training available in 2009 that there is now,” Patti commented. While there is no chaplaincy training requirement, having formal training under your belt is beneficial for the individual, organization, and department as a whole.

“Continuing education, continuing training, is vital to being the best we can and doing what we need to do to care for our people,” she continued. “There’s always more to learn, absolutely there’s always more to learn. If we think we have it figured out, we become complacent or arrogant and potentially dangerous.”

Patti’s experience as a chaplain and director of the statewide SC FAST peer teams gives her a unique perspective on how the two roles work together. She says, “Peer support and chaplaincy are similar, because we go to walk with the person no matter what their faith is, no matter whether they have faith or not, we come along side and we’re there to serve… service is still the most important part.”

Patti shares simple, straightforward advice for departments interested in adding a chaplain to the team, saying, “Having a good description for a department when they want to bring a chaplain on, I think is very, very important. What are the roles and responsibilities?”

The next cohort for the Public Safety Chaplaincy Certification starts in April 2025 and there are still spots remaining. Reach out to Chaplain Eric Skidmore [email protected] or 803.206.8961 for more information.