Chaplain

Duties include but are 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.
• 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 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 Womens Health Clinics Cancer Treatment Centers Spinal Cord/Polytrauma units Pain clinics Infectious Disease Clinics Whole Health Clinics/Programs etc.
• Conduct spiritual assessments to identify patients strengths and needs and creates plans for care in response to the moral injuries and spiritual distress of patients that enhance the Holistic Treatment of veteran patients.
• Collaborates with healthcare teams to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual distress grief and loss as existential concerns to enhance holistic care. Communicates effectively both in writing and verbally with persons of varied backgrounds.
• Uses skills developing pastoral care programs that are measurable outcome-driven and evidenced based within the department guidelines; skills counseling on medical and ethical issues terminal diagnoses or crises moral injury problems of conscience family or marital difficulties and justice or confinement matters.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Intermittant
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: PD260491F and PD260490F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
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.

• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification 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.

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 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.

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.
• 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 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 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.
• Board 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. The National Chaplain Service maintains a list of approved certifications found on the National VA Chaplain Service SharePoint. Note: Provisional or Associate or other status for board certification does not meet the board certification requirement for the FPL GS-11 or above.
  • Exception for Non-Board-Certified Chaplains.
    • Non-Board-Certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment as a Chaplain under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2) not to exceed 2 years.
    • Non-Board-Certified Chaplains must provide proof of completion of 4 units of CPE as required by an approved board certifying body.
    • Non-Board-Certified individuals may only provide care under the supervision of a certified Chaplain at or above the FPL.
    • Non-Board-Certified individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained. Temporary appointments of non-board-certified Chaplains may not be extended beyond 2 years or be converted to a new temporary appointment.

Grandfathering Provision. All Chaplains employed in VHA under permanent appropriate legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard (07/03/2025) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade/assignment held including positive education and certification. 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 of appointment the following 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 grandfathered into this occupation who later 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 Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment candidates must meet the following grade determining criteria for placement.

GS-9

• Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.
• Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs). The candidate must demonstrate the following 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

• Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-9). Experience includes: Conducts spiritual assessments to identify patient strengths and needs creates plans for care in response to the moral injuries and spiritual distress. Provides crisis intervention and stabilization as required Collaborates with health care teams to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual distress grief and loss as existential concerns to enhance holistic care Uses a variety of intervention methods: individual and group intervention to address the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families. Communicates effectively both in writing and verbally with all individuals
• Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting 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 health care 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