Chaplain
What you'd do
This position is located within the Illiana VA Medical Center, Danville, Illinois for Chaplain Services. The Chaplain provides services within various settings, including Veterans Integrated Service Networks, Inpatient Clinics, and Outpatient Clinics. Chaplains provide pastoral counseling and treatment to Veteran patients, patient's families, and staff in various inpatient and outpatient settings.
Major duties
Serves as a primary Chaplain resource, spiritual advisor, and liaison for the spiritual needs of patients, caregivers, and staff. Conducts comprehensive religious services and worship, pastoral ministry, and administration of Chaplain services. Provides emotional support and counseling using empathy and strong interpersonal skills to effectively connect with people of all ages. Provides thorough spiritual leadership, offers prayers, and provides overall religious services for Veteran patients, patient families, staff, and community. Conducts rituals before groups of people, which requires effective leadership and public speaking skills. Builds strong interpersonal relationships with patients and ensures all patients are provided opportunities for the free exercise of religion. Supervises, trains, and coaches volunteer groups who offer their services as assistants. Serves as professional clinical Chaplain in specialty clinics. Provides pastoral counseling on medical and ethical matters, including moral injury, problems of conscience, family or marital difficulties, justice or confinement matters, terminal diagnoses, or crises. Counsels patients with long term health illness to aid in developing and maintaining patience, determination, and perseverance. Work Schedule: Intermittent Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 03233F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency - Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Education. Applicants must possess a Master of Divinity degree or equivalent educational qualifications as evidenced by a graduate-level theological degree from a college, university or theological school accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. NOTE: For applicants who do not possess a Master of Divinity degree or equivalent educational degree, an approved educational equivalency review from a nationally recognized board certification body for chaplains is acceptable. Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). Applicants must have completed four units of CPE from a CPE center that is accredited by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Ecclesiastical Endorsement. In accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 17.655, ecclesiastical endorsement is a condition of employment as a VA chaplain. An individual must possess and maintain a full and active ecclesiastical endorsement to be employed as a VA chaplain. Applicants must have an ecclesiastical endorsement, dated within the past 12 months. Ecclesiastical endorsements must be from the official national endorsing authority of the applicant's/employee's faith group or denomination. Ecclesiastical endorsement is a written official statement, by the official national endorsing body of the faith group or denomination, certifying that the applicant is in good standing with the applicant's faith group or denomination; and stating that the individual is, in the opinion of the endorsing body, qualified to perform the full range of ministry required in the VA pluralistic setting. Loss of endorsement will result in removal from the GS-0060 Chaplain series and may result in termination of employment. Certification. Applicants must be a Board-Certified Chaplain certified by BCCI ® or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI ®. Board Certification requires 4 units of CPE is qualifying. https://www.professionalchaplains.org/content.asp?pl=198&sl=254&contentid=254 Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met: Chaplain - GS-12 Experience: One full year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level that is directly related to the position to be filled. Experience may include: independently serving as a primary resource and point of contact for the spiritual needs of patients, caregivers and staff; providing advance care planning education, information, and counsel for patients and their families; providing guidance and/or support for patients to express values through processes such as life review, oral history, and end of life preparation and documentation; developing pastoral care programs that are measurable, outcome-driven, and evidence-based in coordination with the department guidelines; providing pastoral counseling on medical and ethical matters, including but not limited to, moral injury, problems of conscience, family or marital difficulties, justice or confinement matters, terminal diagnoses, or crisis; supporting the development of staff resiliency by providing emotional and spiritual support and compassionate presence and developing programs for staff development and wellness; providing education and equipping other healthcare staff and trainees to screen for spiritual and religious needs, and the importance of appropriate referrals to chaplains for complex spiritual distress; coordinating with community organizations to ensure the provision of comprehensive spiritual care, and engaging community resources to meet religious needs of patients that cannot be met by chaplain staff. Chaplain, GS-12 Specialty Certification: Specialty certification is demonstrated advanced practice and/or specialization in chaplaincy beyond the board certification and is required for the GS-12 grade level. Specialty certification from a professional chaplain certifying body that is directly related to the assignment is qualifying for a senior chaplain assignment. (Specialty Certification such as Grief Recovery Method Specialist; Palliative Care & Hospice; Drug & Alcohol Addiction; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Mental Health; Moral Injury; or Suicide Prevention). (Note announcement updated 5/11/2022 removing Military Specialty Certification). Chaplain, GS-12 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to apply relevant theories and methodologies to their ministry specialty. Ability to integrate specialized psychological and sociological theory with an advanced approach to spiritual care. Skill to seek out primary research and research literature that informs the ministry specialty and one's spiritual care practice. Skill in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of chaplain practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes. Ability to mediate conflict, hold various emotions and diffuse moral distress among staff and complex crisis situations. Ability to provide specialized consultation, teaching and mentoring to colleagues and students on advanced spiritual care interventions in the service delivery area. Ability to apply advanced clinical knowledge to write policies, procedures and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. Experience in Palliative Care and Community Care Settings preferred. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: This position requires the Chaplain to meaningfully engage with Veteran patients and family members by walking and moving within the healthcare setting or with the incumbent using an assistive device. The Chaplain is required to speak, hear (hearing aid permitted) and work closely with others, computer terminal typing data while talking on a telephone headset.
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