Scheduling Appointments

Counseling and office visits to chaplains are ^{arranged by a combination of walk-in and} appointment visits. Whereas walk-in counseling has an advantage of promptly dealing with problems, appointments may be a more effective time-sharing tool. This permits the chaplain to provide ministry out of the office and avoids having several people waiting in the office and being observed by other ^people.

Accurate appointment schedules are a necessity in the chaplain's office. Make sure you record eachchaplain's appointments on his or her desk calendarto make sure you do not overlap appointments.

Figure 6-1 shows a sample appointment calendar. In this example, the CRP planner provided by the ^{Chaplain Resource Board is used as the appointment calendar.}

Figure 6-1.-Sample appointment calendar.

ACTIVITY CALENDARS

The spaces in RMFs are used for a multitude of religious, command, and civic functions during normal duty hours, in the evenings, and on weekends. One of your most important responsibilities will be to make sure there are no scheduling conflicts.

Only one person in the RMF should manage the activity calendar. This person should be the only one to make changes to the activity schedule. For the sake of accuracy, the person who has this responsibility should make each change in schedule on the activity calendar immediately upon being notified of the change.

Just as only one person should manage the activity calendar, only one activity calendar, such as the one shown in figure 6-2, should be prepared and maintained. A good practice is to have an activity calendar for the current month and one each for the following 2 months. Remember, the chaplain's office may be notified of scheduled meetings, ceremonies, and other activities several months in advance. This is particularly true if your RMF handles wedding ceremonies that may be scheduled up to a year in advance.

Keeping track of all scheduled events in an RMF is a big job. For an effective activity calendar, each entry you make for a scheduled event should include the following four elements:

1. Time of the event

2. Description of the event

3. Place or location of the event

4. Person (name and phone number) coordinating the event

When entering events in the activity calendar, be aware that you will need more information for some events than for others. For example, in the case of routinely occurring events, such as weekly religious services, you will not need the depth of information, such as the name and phone number of the person coordinating the event, as you would for a wedding that is scheduled to take place in the RMF the following month.

At the beginning of each month, give a copy of the activity calendar to the command chaplain and chapel staff. Be aware that the commander or commanding officer (CO) and executive officer (XO) or chief of staff may also need copies. Since the CRP is the overall responsibility of these officials, the chaplain should keep them informed of the activities occurring in the RMF.

PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATION

Privileged communication is a legal term defined as a special relationship involving a spoken or written communication between two or more persons. This relationship seals the counselor or confessor from releasing any information derived from the privileged communication. You refer to the person protected as the counselee or penitent. Privileged communication occurs between a counselee or penitent and a clergyman or clergywoman, chaplain, minister, priest, or rabbi and, by extension, an RP.

Some examples of situations in which you, the RP, would be bound by privileged communication are presented in the following cases: . You are in the berthing area when a service

member approaches you for the purpose of having you relay details to a chaplain concerning a personal difficulty.

. A shipmate solicits you at your quarters specifically so you can relay facts concerning a personal problem to one of the chaplains. . A shipmate approaches you, explains a personal

problem, and asks you whether you feel he should see a chaplain. l A shipmate approaches you, tells you about a

personal problem and his intention to see a chaplain, and asks if you could help him get an earlier appointment. . A friend confronts you concerning a personal

dilemma and asks you to recommend someone to whom she can turn.

In all these cases, you are in a situation that involves privileged communication. A privileged communication is confidential if it is made to a chaplain in the chaplain's capacity as a spiritual adviser or to an RP in the RP's official capacity. Because it is confidential, a privileged communication is not intended to be disclosed to third persons other than those to whom the person has given his or her explicit ^permission. This privilege may be claimed by the person, by the guardian or conservator, or by a personal representative if the person is deceased. The chaplain or RP who receives the communication may also claim the privilege on behalf of the person. The authority of the chaplain or RP to do so is presumed in the absence of evidence to the contrary.

Obviously, you must use care and control whenever a person seeks your counsel on a personal matter.

Figure 6-2.

Guiding troubled shipmates to seek advice from a chaplain is the best path you can take. You should be polite and discerning. Explain that a chaplain is a better resource in these matters and refer the person to the _{appropriate chaplain.} Remember, the Navy assigns chaplains because chaplains are trained to render specific counseling as well as pastoral counseling aboard a command.

For additional information concerning the areas of privileged communication, confidentiality, and personal privacy, consult the following publications: the Manual

for Courts-Martial, Military Rules of Evidence (M.R.E.) 503; the Department of the Navy Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Program, SECNAVINST 5720.42E; and the Personal Privacy and Rights of Individuals Regarding Records Pertaining to Themselves, SECNAVINST 5211.5C.

Confidentiality

As you have just read, privileged communication involves confidentiality. You should keep confidential all private and personal information you gain in working for the chaplain. You must safeguard against unauthorized disclosure all items or information containing personal facts. Personal facts include (but should not be limited to) interview information, appointments made, check-in and check-out cards, record lists, telephone lists, and correspondence. You should treat all personal information as if it were For Official Use Only and follow the guidelines set forth in the Department of the Navy Freedom of Information Act, SECNAVINST 5720.42E.