Chaplain

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Serves as a Chaplain professional providing comprehensive religious ministry services to Veteran patients according to their specific needs and desires. Carries out a ministry which is highly integrated into VHAs Chaplain program. Provides thorough guidance and advice to Chaplain Service management staff other Chaplains and other stakeholders.
• May serve at a facility in a clinical setting or a small healthcare system satellite outpatient clinic other federal agency or Community Based Out-patient Clinic (CBOC) where there is limited access to onsite supervision.
• Provides extended and intensive pastoral counseling as an integral part of the treatment program with patients facing complex ethical moral and spiritual issues.
• Ensures program effectiveness and modification of service pattern which includes research and leadership of clinical teams.
• Practices typically in a specialized clinic/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.
• Serves as a Chaplain representative and a fully recognized member of an interdisciplinary treatment team (IDT). Advises and collaborates with other members of the IDT to provide comprehensive healthcare services to Veterans.
• Works with a full understanding of Chaplains relationships to the objectives of VHA to successfully integrate the work of the medical facilitys staff. Collaborates with and advises the other members of the IDT in the provision of comprehensive healthcare services to Veterans.
• Maintains effective rapport with physicians medical officers psychologists nurses therapists social workers or others involved with the IDT. Ensures equity of access service and benefits to Veterans and provides the highest quality of care. Provides leadership direction orientation coaching in-service training staff development and continuing education programs.
• 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.
• Leads various complex and sensitive projects task groups and assignments to obtain pertinent high-level information needed for Chaplain Service management officials.
• Engages 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 various complex assignments are carried out in a pluralistic environment which encompasses sensitivity to the religious needs of many separate religious denominations and faith groups.
• 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. Uses sound guidance and advice to lead prayer and religious services.
• Addresses the religious spiritual moral and ethical problems of patients and staff. Provides effective 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 with respect to the patients faith group including conscientious attention during emergencies and crises. Builds strong interpersonal relationships with patients and ensures all patients are provided opportunities for the free exercise of religion. Ascertains Veterans are protected from proselytizing and coercing from any source.
• Provides chaplain service expertise to exchange information relative to the background and current condition of patients. Supervises trains and coaches volunteer groups who offer their services as assistants. Provides expert guidance and advice to other VHA Chaplains 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 Womens Health Clinics Cancer Treatment Centers Spinal Cord/Polytrauma units Pain clinics Infectious Disease Clinics Whole Health Clinics/Programs etc.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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.

• 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.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

All Chaplains must meet the following basic requirements:

Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to38 U.S.C. 7407(a).

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.

Ecclesiastical Endorsement. In accordance with 38 C.F.R. 17.655ecclesiastical 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 applicants/employees 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 applicants 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: 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.

Note: Provisional or Associate or other status as a candidate for board certification does not meet the board certification requirement for the FPL GS-11 or above.

Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation under a permanent appropriate and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or 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.

GS-12 Chaplain - To qualify at the GS-12 level you must also meet both of the following grade level requirements.

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.

• 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 ones 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 Hospice Palliative Care