Summary The Chaplain will advise on, administer, supervise, or perform professional work involved in a program of spiritual welfare and religious guidance for patients of the Department of Veteran Affairs. The Chaplain will address religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of the patient, providing adequate ministration to the newly admitted, pre- and post-operative patients, the critically ill and the families concerned. Responsibilities Duties include but not limited to: Provides a pastoral ministry to patients of their own faith group beginning with initial visits to newly admitted patients and continuing with conscientious attention to their spiritual needs in crisis situations, as well as regular pastoral care. He/she provides guidance and religious instruction, as appropriate, to individuals or groups; arranges for and conducts regular weekly religious worship services and as required, "ward services" for those unable to attend regular chapel services. Much time is devoted to the Provides pastoral counseling of individual patients, seeking the solution of personal problems. Appropriate attention is given to the needs of patients' families, especially in times of crisis. Participates in the consideration of patients' problems with other personnel in the Medical Center maintaining a cooperative relationship with these allied services. Conducts religious services and worship; establishes periods for public worship, seasonal and occasional services, and individual devotions; administering ordinances, rites or sacraments; preparing and delivering sermons; arranging for the atmosphere and symbolism of worship; and conducting funeral services when needed. Conducts personal visits with medical facility patients in the course of regular routine rounds through the units of the institution, by special visits, and interviews, or on the basis of requests and referral. Such visits involve ritual and bedside administration of sacraments, or pastoral counseling. Maintains contact with medical officers, psychologists, nurses, social workers, therapist, or others involved to exchange of information relative to the background and current condition of patients; Participates in group consultative discussions or conferences with them to evaluate and review patient progress, discuss appropriate treatment approach, and recommend course of action; and offer informed advice on methods whereby religious understanding and practices can be integrated with the other professional services to attain the necessary therapeutic goals. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. but may also include weekends and on-call. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 0000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications 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. 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. You must submit a copy of your transcripts. 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. You must submit a copy showing completion. 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. The National Chaplain Service maintains a list of approved endorsing organizations that can be found here: https://www.patientcare.va.gov/chaplain/Employment\Information\and_Resources.asp. You must submit a copy of your endorsement. Board 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 that requires 4 units of CPE is qualifying. Failure to Obtain Board Certification. In all cases, Chaplains must actively work to meet requirements for board certification starting from the date of their placement into the occupation. At the time of appointment, the HR Office staff in collaboration with the supervisor will provide the employee with the written requirements for board certification, including the time by which the board certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming board certified by the deadline. Failure to obtain board certification during this time may result in separation from employment. Loss of Credential. Management officials, in collaboration with HR Office staff must immediately relieve employees who fail to maintain any of the required certifications (board certification, ecclesiastical endorsement, or when applicable a speciality certification) of the duties and responsibilities associated with this occupation which may also result in separation from employment. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be submitted to a current affiliate agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) at https://www.naces.org/members and be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f) Specialty Certification in one of the following preferred: Mental Health, Drug & Alcohol Addiction, PTSD, Moral Injury or Suicide Prevention certified by the National Association of Veterans Affairs Chaplains. You must submit a copy of your certification. Grade Determinations: GS-12 Experience: The candidate must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the journey level (GS-11) that is directly related to the position to be filled. 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA's: 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. Assignments: For all assignments above the journey level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. This assignment is a senior chaplain. Senior chaplain assignments may include serving at a facility in clinical settings where there is limited access to onsite supervision such as small healthcare systems, Community Based Outpatient Clinics, other Federal agencies or satellite outpatient clinics. Senior chaplains typically practice in a specialized program area, that may include intensive and extended pastoral counseling as an integral part of the treatment program, with patients facing complex moral, ethical, or spiritual problems. The senior chaplain may be assigned administrative responsibility to independently develop and implement programs and curriculum. They are accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns, which may include research and leadership of clinical teams. The senior chaplain works with full understanding of its relationship to the objectives of the institution, and to successfully integrate it with the work of the institutional staff, collaborates with and advises the other senior members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive healthcare services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality. The senior chaplain provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned 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-12. 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. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
