Steve Gomes was born in Sacramento, California and grew up in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. They lived 15 miles from town and had horses, chickens, and the woods to play in. His family were Seventh-day Adventists and their lives revolved around the church and the small community they were in. His family were very musical, playing and singing at home and church. They were surrounded by family and friends, in this peaceful setting. Steve loves music, hiking, camping, snow skiing, whitewater rafting, and driving back country roads. When Steve was 18, his family decided to explore his father's family heritage, by moving to Hawaii and working in the Castle Memorial Hospital on the Island of Oahu. Steve's Grandfather and his family grew up on the Island of Hawaii, working in the sugar cane fields. This was a major cultural awakening for Steve, having lived in northern California all his life, and now immersed in this multi-cultural heaven, where he was in the minority. In the hospital, Steve worked as a housekeeper and later a nurse's aide. Steve attended Loma Linda University, La Sierra campus, in Riverside, CA, where he received his B.A. in Religion, and learned to rock climb and snow camp from his college roommate. He was hired by the Seventh-day Adventist church in Southern California, and after a short internship in Alhambra, he went to Andrews University, where he earned his Master of Divinity. He returned to Southern California where he was placed in the Hollywood Church, then to Santa Barbara and Bellflower churches. His fiancé, from Oregon, said she wouldn't marry him as long as he lived in Southern California, So, he took a Health Education job at a hospital in Colorado and together they moved to Englewood, a suburb of Denver, for the next 30 years. Steve's job (6 years) as a Health Educator was focused on Addiction and Recovery, initially, smoking cessation, later included court-ordered alcohol and drug education and therapy groups, then court-ordered domestic violence and parenting groups. When a new hospital in Littleton, Colorado, was built, Steve became the new director of chaplains, opening and developing the new department. Steve had started taking CPE during his M. Div., now he completed his 4 units, while working at his hospital. His family loved Colorado, because there were so many wonderful things to do outdoors; camping, hiking, snow skiing, fishing, 4-wheeling, and whitewater rafting. Steve felt deeply fulfilled working as a chaplain, meeting people of differing views and cultures and learning from each of them about their experiences and beliefs. The Hospital grew quickly from a small facility to one of the largest and most active in the Denver area, and the system it was a part of became the largest in Colorado. After 10 years of working as a chaplain and director, in 1997 Steve began training as a CPE educator, with Foy Richey. Foy was dually certified as an ACPE supervisor and a CPSP supervisor.
Under Foy, Steve was certified as a Pastoral Counselor with The College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) and in 1999, he began his SIT training and CPE groups, first with CPSP. Other ACPE supervisors who supervised Steve's training were Hal Geiss, Francis McWilliams, and Pam Roberts. In 2009 Steve became a Certified ACPE Educator. Steve started an accredited ACPE program at Littleton Hospital, which was a part of CenturaHealth CPE system centers. After being in Colorado for 30 years, He and Mary retired to the Cascade Mountains in Oregon along the beautiful McKenzie River. They bought a couple of acres and enjoyed their small farm with a small orchard, vineyard, garden and a couple of goats for entertainment. Steve loves being in CPE groups and couldn't stay away from it, so he did a couple of units, in Puerto Rico, before being hired by PeaceHealth to be the educator/supervisor at Sacred Heart Medical Center for the next 8 years. This was the most amazing place to do CPE: In a house by the McKenzie River surrounded by 100 acres of woods and meadows nestled in a big bend in the river. There they were able to have class outdoors, amid the giant Douglas fir or under the big leaf Maples, while training in a remarkable regional medical and trauma center, with an outstanding group of chaplains to partner with. Even with COVID, they were able to continue the CPE training online and adjust their placements to obtain their 400-hour units. In 2022, after a developing issue with his eyes, Steve decided to retire again. As he was retiring, he was asked by his former student and friend, Arbenit Rrustemaj, to consult with him as he set up his new CPE program with Chaplaincy.Pro at Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Portland, Oregon. So much for retirement...Steve Gomes' journey from a childhood in the Sierra Nevada foothills to his impactful career in chaplaincy and pastoral education exemplifies a life dedicated to service, learning, and spiritual care. His experiences across diverse cultures and communities, from the pastoral settings of northern California to the multicultural environment of Hawaii, have enriched his approach to chaplaincy, making him a valued educator and mentor in the field. Steve's commitment to his own continuous learning and development, as well as his dedication to nurturing the next generation of chaplains, continues to leave a lasting impact on those he works with and the many lives he touches through his ministry and educational efforts
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