Chaplain
What you'd do
The position provides services within various settings, including Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs), Inpatient Clinics, Outpatient Clinics and domiciliary throughout the United States. Most Chaplain services are usually provided in a medical facility structure. The CS provides pastoral counseling and treatment to Veteran patients, patient's families and staff in various inpatient and outpatient settings. The incumbent serves as a Chaplain professional for the VHA.
Major duties
Duties Include but not limited to: Serves as a Chaplain professional providing complete religious ministry services to Veteran patients according to their specific needs and desires. Serves as a primary resource, spiritual advisor and point of contact for the spiritual needs of patients, caregivers, and staff. Conducts religious services and worship, pastoral ministry, and administration of Chaplain services. Engage as a spiritual leader, a compassionate listener and counselor, especially during times of crisis. Provides emotional support and counseling using empathy and strong interpersonal skills to effectively connect with people of all ages. Ensures assignments are carried out in a pluralistic environment, which encompasses sensitivity to the religious needs of many separate religious denominations and faith groups. Leads and offers prayers and religious services for Veteran patients, patient families, staff, and community. Conduct rituals in front of groups of people, which requires effective leadership and public speaking skills. Uses leadership skills to lead prayer and religious services. Addresses the religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of patients and staff. Provides counseling services to patients and staff. Conducts regular rounds of hospital wards where patients are critically ill. Ministers to newly admitted, pre- and post-operative patients, the critically ill, and the families of concerned veteran patients. Provides advance care planning education, information, and counsel for patients and their families. Provides pastoral ministry to patients of his/her faith group, including conscientious attention during emergencies and crises. Ensures all patients are provided opportunities for the free exercise of religion and that Veterans are protected from proselytizing and coercing from any source. Serves as a fully recognized member of an integrated multi-professional treatment team. Maintains liaison with physicians, medical officers, psychologists, nurses, therapists, social workers, or others involved to exchange information relative to the background and current condition of patients. Supervises, trains and coaches' volunteer groups who offer their services as assistants as needed. Serves as professional clinical chaplain in specialty clinics such as Inpatient/Outpatient Mental Health, Inpatient/Outpatient Substance Use Disorder Clinics, Hospice and Palliative Care, Grief and Bereavement Clinics, Women's Health Clinics, Cancer Treatment Centers, Spinal Cord/Polytrauma units, Pain clinics, Infectious Disease Clinics, Whole Health Clinics/Programs, etc. Spends minimally 70% of time in patient care Work Schedule: Rotating 08:00am-4:30pm - Sunday-Thursday, Monday-Friday, Tuesday-Saturday, and some-on-call. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 02061F, 02068F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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: 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) (https://www.chea.org/) or Association of Theological Schools (ATS) (https://www.ats.edu/) and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. o For applicants who do not possess a Master of Divinity degree or equivalent educational degree may meet this requirement with an approved educational equivalency review from a nationally recognized board certification body for chaplains. This would include the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. (BCCI) or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI. Endorsement: Applicants must possess and maintain a full and active ecclesiastical endorsement and must be dated within the past 12 months. A complete list of Ecclesiastical Organizations that the Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes as Ecclesiastical Endorsing Organizations is available here: https://www.patientcare.va.gov/chaplain/Ecclesiastical_Endorsement.asp Note: Current VA Chaplains do not have to get updated endorsements after they are hired. Certification: Applicants must be a Board-Certified Chaplain by the Board of Chaplaincy Certifications Inc. (BCCI), or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI. Board Certification that requires four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is qualifying. https://www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/ . o Exception for Non-Board-Certified Chaplains (GS-9 Entry-Level Only): Applicants pending board certification may be given a temporary appointment not to exceed two years if they meet all other eligibility requirements and provide proof of completion of four units of CPE as required by an approved board certifying body. Grandfathering Provision. All Chaplains employed in VHA under permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard (07/03/2025), are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/assignment held, including positive education and certification, where applicable. For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard, but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: - Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the FPL, or be changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions. - If an assignment above the FPL level requires an additional certification over and above the basic requirements, employees must meet the assignment-specific requirement before they can be reassigned or promoted. - Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. - Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation. - Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional certification(s) that meets all the basic or assignment-specific qualification requirements of this standard must maintain the required credential(s) as a condition of employment in the occupation. Grade Determination GS-9 Chaplain: To qualify at the GS-9 level, you must meet the basic requirements and must demonstrate that you have the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): - Knowledge of spiritual assessments to identify patient strengths and needs and documenting services provided. - Ability to use the information of the spiritual assessment to create care plans in all dimensions of pastoral care. - Ability to provide crisis intervention and stabilization. - Skill in healthcare team collaboration to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual issues. - Ability to ensure free exercise of religion for patients and staff. - Knowledge of individual and group interventions to address spiritual and emotional needs of patients and families, providing referrals for continuity of spiritual care. - Skill in the coordination of religious services respecting the faith tradition of individual patients. - Ability to communicate verbally and in writing with persons of varied backgrounds GS-11 Chaplain (Full Performance level) Experience Requirements: 1. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify at the GS-11 level you must possess at least one (1) year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-9) 2. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: - Knowledge of advance care planning to educate, inform, and counsel patients and families. - Skill in guiding patients in verbalizing and expressing values through life review, oral history, and end of life preparation and documentation. - Ability to develop pastoral care programs that are measurable, outcome-driven and evidenced based within the department guidelines. - Skill in counseling on medical and ethical issues, terminal diagnoses or crises, moral injury, problems of conscience, family or marital difficulties and justice or confinement matters. - Ability to support the development of staff resiliency and develop programs for staff development and wellness by providing spiritual and emotional support. - Ability to educate and equip healthcare staff and trainees screening for spiritual and religious needs of patients and the importance of appropriate referrals to chaplains for complex spiritual distress. - Knowledge of community needs to coordinate with community organizations to provide comprehensive spiritual care, utilizing outside community resources to meet the religious needs of patients that cannot be met by chaplain staff. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-09 to GS-11. 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.
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