The Shay Moral Injury Center at Volunteers of America is dedicated to education and research on moral distress and moral injury and to the provision of recovery strategies that are contextual, adaptable, and scalable.
We implement recovery programs in partnership with VOA affiliates and other organizations, communities, and institutions.
We educate professionals in diverse fields, including chaplaincy, social services, mental health, healthcare, spiritual care, and ministry.
Experiential
Experience firsthand moral injury processing methods in facilitated small groups.
Contextual
Be equipped with moral injury recovery methods that can be utilized in participant's community and care context.
Interactive
Access to live session zoom course as well as links to videos, articles, and general resources.
Current Courses
Moral Injury Certificate Program (Fall 2023): October 2 – December 20, 2023
Moral Injury Recovery and Care (MIRAC) Course: September 25, 2023
Click on the course links to see more information and pricing options.
Sponsoring Partner
MIRAC is proudly sponsored by the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab to advance moral healing in, among, and by chaplains. Find more resources for spiritual caregivers at ChaplaincyInnovation.org.
"I was very fortunate to attend the Shay Moral Injury Center day-long online training event for chaplains, clergy, spiritual caregivers. It was so well worth a day of my time! As the pastor of a church that is beginning to come back together in person, I highly recommend this for clergy who want to find a pathway forward for themselves and their congregants. You will receive tools that help."
– Rev. Dr. Susan Diamond
Senior Minister, Florence Christian Church
Hi, we're the Shay Moral Injury Center.
The Shay Moral Injury Center at Volunteers of America offers educational programs for the general public and service providers, such as mental health professionals, medical workers, chaplains, and clergy about moral injury, an affliction of conscience, identity, and meaning because of harm we cause, witness, or experience from others. Through our research and training programs, we offer effective strategies and processes that support healing for those who experience moral injury and that enhance moral resilience.
The Shay Center is led by Rita Nakashima Brock, Ph.D., Senior Vice President for Moral Injury Recovery Programs, and a commissioned minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She is the first Asian American woman to earn a doctorate in philosophy of religion and theology and an award-winning author. Among her publications are Soul Repair: Recovering from Moral Injury After War (2012), Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire (2008), and Proverbs of Ashes: Violence, Redemptive Suffering, and the Search for What Saves Us (2001).