Clarification from the agency

Open to all U.S. Citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

• Serve as a Chaplain professional providing comprehensive religious ministry services to Veteran patients according to their specific needs and desires.
• Carry out a ministry integrated into VHA's Chaplain program.
• Provide guidance and advice to Chaplain Service management staff, other Chaplains, and stakeholders.
• May serve in a clinical setting, small healthcare system, satellite outpatient clinic, other federal agency, or Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) with limited onsite supervision.
• Provide extended and intensive pastoral counseling as part of the treatment program for patients facing complex ethical, moral, and spiritual issues.
• Ensure program effectiveness and service pattern modification, including research and leadership of clinical teams.
• Serve as a Chaplain representative on an interdisciplinary treatment team (IDT), advising and collaborating with team members.
• Maintain effective rapport with IDT members to ensure equity of access, service, and benefits to Veterans, and provide the highest quality of care.
• Provide leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs.
• Serve as a primary Chaplain resource, spiritual advisor, and liaison for the spiritual needs of patients, caregivers, and staff.
• Lead complex and sensitive projects, task groups, and assignments for Chaplain Service management officials.
• Engage as a spiritual leader, compassionate listener, and counselor, especially during crises.
• Ensure complex assignments are carried out in a pluralistic environment, respecting various religious needs.
• Provide spiritual leadership, offer prayers, and conduct religious services for Veteran patients, families, and staff.
• Address religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of patients and staff, providing effective counseling.
• Conduct regular rounds of hospital wards, especially for critically ill patients; minister to newly admitted, pre- and post-operative, and critically ill patients and their families.
• Provide advance care planning education and counsel for patients and families.
• Provide chaplain ministry respecting the patient's faith group, particularly during emergencies and crises.
• Build strong interpersonal relationships with patients, ensuring opportunities for religious freedom and protection from proselytizing and coercion.
• Exchange information regarding patients' backgrounds and current conditions with other professionals.
• Supervise, train, and coach volunteer groups.
• Serve in specialty clinics, such as Mental Health, Substance Use Disorder, Hospice, Palliative Care, Women's Health, Cancer Treatment, Spinal Cord/Polytrauma, Pain, Infectious Disease Clinics, and Whole Health Programs.
• Collaborate with treatment team professionals to discuss therapeutic goals and patient progress.
• Identify community religious leaders to meet patients' religious needs when necessary.
• Maintain records and appropriately document chaplaincy care services in the Electronic Health Record Management (EHRM) system.
• Provide pastoral counseling on medical and ethical matters.
• Counsel patients with long-term health illnesses and mental health concerns.
• Develop measurable, outcome-driven, and evidence-based pastoral care programs.
• Support staff resiliency by providing emotional and spiritual support.
• Provide education and training to healthcare staff on screening and referrals for spiritual and religious needs.
• Conduct and arrange worship services for patients unable to attend chapel services.
• Maintain cooperative relationships with Medical Center personnel, families, local clergy, and community groups.
• Engage community resources to meet religious needs unmet by chaplain staff.
• Serve as a communication link between patients and the outside community.
• Conduct spiritual assessments and create care plans addressing moral injuries and spiritual distress.
• Provide crisis intervention and stabilization as required.
• Collaborate with healthcare teams to enhance holistic care.
• Communicate effectively with persons of varied backgrounds.
• Perform complex intervention methods to address emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families.
• Coordinate religious services respecting patients' faith traditions and expressions.
• Adhere to VHA Chaplain Service guidelines and coordinate with relevant officials.
• Ensure effective program management, including record-keeping, budgeting, and staff coordination.

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 635-54247-A

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.
• 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 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

Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS. To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:

• Citizenship: You must be a citizen of the United States. 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.
  • 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.
• Ecclesiastical 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.
• Board 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/ .

GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified.

Chaplain, GS-12

• Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify at the GS-12 level you must possess at least one (1) year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11).
• Specialty Certification: Specialty certification is demonstrated advanced practice and/or specialization in chaplaincy beyond the board certification. You must possess a Specialty Certification from a professional chaplain certifying body that is directly related to the position being filled. The list of Board Certifying Chaplain Organizations and Specialty Certifying Organization is located here: https://www.patientcare.va.gov/chaplain/Employment_Information_and_Resources.asp
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience and specialty certification requirements above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. Ability to apply relevant theories and methodologies to their ministry specialty.
  2. Ability to integrate specialized psychological and sociological theory with an advanced approach to spiritual care.
  3. Skill to seek out primary research and research literature that informs the ministry specialty and one's spiritual care practice.
  4. 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.
  5. Ability to mediate conflict, hold various emotions and diffuse moral distress among staff and complex crisis situations.
  6. Ability to provide specialized consultation, teaching and mentoring to colleagues and students on advanced spiritual care interventions in the service delivery area.
  7. Ability to apply advanced clinical knowledge to write policies, procedures and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area.

Preferred Experience: Experienced in providing pastoral care in clinical and community settings, with a focus on veterans' issues. Demonstrated leadership, public speaking, and counseling skills, with competence in engaging in a pluralistic environment. Capable of collaborating with healthcare professionals and community organizations to deliver comprehensive spiritual care. Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to prepare policies, procedures, and practice guidelines.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

This vacancy is above the full performance level.

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 by using an assistive device if needed. The Chaplain must be able to speak, hear (hearing aid permitted), and work closely with others.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred based on Veterans' Preference.