Reference Letters — Mary Muhammad
Cross Life School of Divinity
Established 2019
Office of the Registrar
support@crosslifeschoolofdivinity.org · crosslifeschoolofdivinity.org
To: Director of Spiritual Care / Volunteer Services, Hospice Program
Re: Endorsement of Mrs. Mary Muhammad for Clinical Pastoral Placement (Hospice Setting)
Dear Director,
It is my distinct privilege to write in strong endorsement of Mrs. Mary Muhammad, a student in the Certified Chaplain Assistant (CCA) program at Cross Life School of Divinity. Mrs. Muhammad is seeking a clinical placement at your facility to complete the supervised practicum hours required for her certification, and I commend her to you without reservation.
Academic Standing
Mrs. Muhammad has successfully completed the full academic coursework of our Chaplaincy program, a six-module curriculum covering:
- The Biblical Foundation of Chaplaincy
- Pastoral Care and the Theology of Suffering
- Crisis, Grief, and Bereavement Support
- Ethics and Confidentiality in Spiritual Care
- Ministry in Institutional Settings (Hospital, Correctional, Hospice)
- Spiritual Assessment and Documentation
She has met every written, quiz, and reflection requirement of the coursework phase and has been issued a Certificate of Completion — Chaplaincy Coursework. The remaining requirement for full CCA certification is the completion of documented clinical hours under a qualified site supervisor — which is the placement we are requesting of you.
Professional Background
Mrs. Muhammad brings to chaplaincy a distinguished career as a retired educator, having spent years in the classroom shaping both minds and character. This background gives her an exceptional combination of patience, communication skill, intercultural sensitivity, and the ability to remain calm and present with people in distress — qualities directly transferable to pastoral care. She is also a minister-elect, in good standing, currently in the process of ordination with active experience in preaching, teaching, and congregational care in her local faith community.
Character and Fitness for Clinical Service
In her coursework and interactions with our faculty, Mrs. Muhammad has consistently demonstrated:
- Compassion and presence — a natural capacity to sit with people in suffering without rushing to fix or preach.
- Cultural and religious humility — a commitment to providing spiritual care that respects the patient's own faith tradition.
- Professional boundaries — clear understanding of confidentiality, institutional protocol, and the role of the chaplain within an interdisciplinary care team.
- Reliability and teachability — she approaches supervision with the discipline of a seasoned professional and the openness of a true student.
Our Commitment to You as the Supervising Site
Cross Life School of Divinity will remain in active partnership with you throughout Mrs. Muhammad's placement. Specifically, we commit to:
- Curricular support — providing any documentation of her coursework your institution requires for credentialing or liability coverage.
- Faculty liaison — a named faculty contact available to consult with you regarding her progress, learning goals, or any concern that arises.
- Documentation of clinical hours — we will provide the clinical log template and track her hours toward certification in coordination with your sign-off.
- Adherence to your policies — Mrs. Muhammad has been instructed that she is a guest of your institution and will comply with all orientation, immunization, background-check, and conduct requirements your site imposes.
Mrs. Muhammad has expressed a particular calling to end-of-life and bereavement ministry. Her coursework in Crisis, Grief, and Bereavement Support directly prepares her to accompany hospice patients and their families through the sacred and difficult territory of dying, loss, and remembrance. We believe she will be a gentle, steady, and faithful presence at the bedside.
A Note on Our Accreditation Status
Cross Life School of Divinity operates as a private, faith-based institution accredited under religious exemption by The Council for Theological Accreditation and Review (CTAR), headquartered in Wyoming. Our chaplaincy program is structured to meet the competency standards of a Certified Chaplain Assistant credential issued under this accreditation. We are candid that this institutional certification is distinct from a CPE unit accredited by ACPE; clinical sites supervising our students are supporting the completion of our program's practicum requirement, not granting transferable ACPE credit.
Closing
Mrs. Muhammad represents the very best of what our chaplaincy program hopes to send into the field: a mature, called, and clinically-prepared caregiver who will serve those in your care with dignity and faithful presence. I am confident she will be an asset to your spiritual care team, and I ask that you give her placement your favorable consideration.
Respectfully and in His service,
Larry Fisher
Larry Fisher
Director of Academics
Office of the Registrar, Cross Life School of Divinity
studio6817@yahoo.com
Cross Life School of Divinity
Established 2019
Office of the Registrar
support@crosslifeschoolofdivinity.org · crosslifeschoolofdivinity.org
To: Chaplain / Director of Religious Services, Cook County Department of Corrections
Re: Endorsement of Mrs. Mary Muhammad for Clinical Pastoral Placement (Correctional Setting)
Dear Chaplain,
It is my distinct privilege to write in strong endorsement of Mrs. Mary Muhammad, a student in the Certified Chaplain Assistant (CCA) program at Cross Life School of Divinity. Mrs. Muhammad is seeking a clinical placement at your facility to complete the supervised practicum hours required for her certification, and I commend her to you without reservation.
Academic Standing
Mrs. Muhammad has successfully completed the full academic coursework of our Chaplaincy program, a six-module curriculum covering:
- The Biblical Foundation of Chaplaincy
- Pastoral Care and the Theology of Suffering
- Crisis, Grief, and Bereavement Support
- Ethics and Confidentiality in Spiritual Care
- Ministry in Institutional Settings (Hospital, Correctional, Hospice)
- Spiritual Assessment and Documentation
She has met every written, quiz, and reflection requirement of the coursework phase and has been issued a Certificate of Completion — Chaplaincy Coursework. The remaining requirement for full CCA certification is the completion of documented clinical hours under a qualified site supervisor — which is the placement we are requesting of you.
Professional Background
Mrs. Muhammad brings to chaplaincy a distinguished career as a retired educator, having spent years in the classroom shaping both minds and character. This background gives her an exceptional combination of patience, communication skill, intercultural sensitivity, and the ability to remain calm and present with people in distress — qualities directly transferable to pastoral care. She is also a minister-elect, in good standing, currently in the process of ordination with active experience in preaching, teaching, and congregational care in her local faith community.
Character and Fitness for Clinical Service
In her coursework and interactions with our faculty, Mrs. Muhammad has consistently demonstrated:
- Compassion and presence — a natural capacity to sit with people in suffering without rushing to fix or preach.
- Cultural and religious humility — a commitment to providing spiritual care that respects the patient's own faith tradition.
- Professional boundaries — clear understanding of confidentiality, institutional protocol, and the role of the chaplain within an interdisciplinary care team.
- Reliability and teachability — she approaches supervision with the discipline of a seasoned professional and the openness of a true student.
Our Commitment to You as the Supervising Site
Cross Life School of Divinity will remain in active partnership with you throughout Mrs. Muhammad's placement. Specifically, we commit to:
- Curricular support — providing any documentation of her coursework your institution requires for credentialing or liability coverage.
- Faculty liaison — a named faculty contact available to consult with you regarding her progress, learning goals, or any concern that arises.
- Documentation of clinical hours — we will provide the clinical log template and track her hours toward certification in coordination with your sign-off.
- Adherence to your policies — Mrs. Muhammad has been instructed that she is a guest of your institution and will comply with all orientation, immunization, background-check, and conduct requirements your site imposes.
Mrs. Muhammad has expressed a particular calling to ministry within the correctional setting, where her background as an educator and minister-elect equips her to bring dignity, hope, and non-judgmental spiritual care to incarcerated men and women. Her coursework in Ministry in Institutional Settings and Ethics and Confidentiality in Spiritual Care directly prepares her to serve within the protocols and security requirements of a jail environment. We believe she will be a steadying and faithful presence on your unit.
A Note on Our Accreditation Status
Cross Life School of Divinity operates as a private, faith-based institution accredited under religious exemption by The Council for Theological Accreditation and Review (CTAR), headquartered in Wyoming. Our chaplaincy program is structured to meet the competency standards of a Certified Chaplain Assistant credential issued under this accreditation. We are candid that this institutional certification is distinct from a CPE unit accredited by ACPE; clinical sites supervising our students are supporting the completion of our program's practicum requirement, not granting transferable ACPE credit.
Closing
Mrs. Muhammad represents the very best of what our chaplaincy program hopes to send into the field: a mature, called, and clinically-prepared caregiver who will serve those in your care with dignity and faithful presence. I am confident she will be an asset to your spiritual care team, and I ask that you give her placement your favorable consideration.
Respectfully and in His service,
Larry Fisher
Larry Fisher
Director of Academics
Office of the Registrar, Cross Life School of Divinity
studio6817@yahoo.com
These letters are issued on behalf of Cross Life School of Divinity for the purpose of clinical placement of a named student.