The Value of the CHT Program for Australian Communities
Hindu Community Institute (HCI) provides strong foundational training for community volunteers in the field of spiritual care. HCI's Counselor of Hindu Tradition (CHT) course is a graduate certificate course of 24-weekend sessions over 9 months. Through Karma Yogi scholars like me, the online course puts Hindu Tradition to work. The course teaches essential guidance in physical and spiritual well-being, palliative care, hospice care, and end-of-life care. The growing Hindu population of Australia is among the intended beneficiaries of these services.
I strongly feel that there is a critical need for Hindu tradition counselors in Australia as there are many people requiring guidance and emotional support in these difficult times. Australia already has a strong infrastructure of Chaplaincy services and other counseling services provided by various government institutions; however, with demographic and population shifts, there is a developing need for such services among communities from minority religions and cultural traditions. Statistics show that the need is not limited to hospitals but extends to requirements for spiritual services at educational institutions, corporations and funeral services. Fundamental demographic analyses indicate that existing counseling systems will not address projected requirements based on the growing diversity of the Australian population.
As a current CHT Scholar, I have seen an appreciable increase in my knowledge of the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita and an increased ability to address practical aspects of such areas as estate planning, palliative, and hospice care.
There is now a significant presence of people following Hindu traditions in Australia, and the numbers are increasing yearly. The global CHT course conducted online and readily available to all Australians is a systematic foundational course for volunteering and provides a direct pathway to Hindu chaplaincy. Once Australia reaches a critical number of CHTs, it can create a chapter of the Hindu Community Institute that covers nearby countries, like New Zealand, and even extend into Southeast Asia. By engaging local subject matter experts (SMEs) to teach legal, cultural and regulatory aspects, HCI Australia can simultaneously achieve accreditation, address spiritual care needs for the community with trained CHTs, and offer a pathway for training chaplains who can be employed at various institutions.
I am also better equipped for public speaking and will be able to serve my community as a compassionate volunteer in many ways.
Interested individuals can visit the HCI website www.hinduci.org.
Amit Mehta
Mr. Mehta is a current CHT scholar from Australia. He has been involved in community work with many different associations over the past 15 years. He has worked in journalism, quality assurance, judiciary, and chemistry.