Clarification from the agency

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

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Major Duties May Include:

• Serves as a Chaplain professional providing complete religious ministry services to Veteran patients according to their specific needs and desires.
• 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.
• 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.
• The incumbent works independently and receives technical and administrative guidance from the Chief, Chaplain Service, or ELT Member who provides strategic guidance and priorities. The incumbent refers questions that are beyond the incumbent's scope of responsibility to the Chief, Chaplain Service. Work is reviewed in terms of overall effectiveness through performance evaluations and program assessments.
• The incumbent's relationship with Veterans, Veteran patients, management, colleagues, and the public are consistently courteous, respectful, and cooperative. The incumbent displays a cooperative attitude and works effectively together with others to implement the organization's mission and goals. The incumbent ensures productivity is maintained at the established level of the program for which he or she is responsible.
• Completes various Chaplain related administrative assignments, projects and reports. Coordinates work schedule with other VHA Chaplains as necessary to ensure overall coverage during the incumbent's absence. Maintains records, supplies, and religious equipment for the assigned program; and tracks and maintains the program's budget.
• Maintains cooperative relationships with Medical Center personnel and individuals and groups in the community including local clubs, church groups, special agencies, business organizations and other stakeholders. Coordinates with community organizations to ensure the provision of comprehensive spiritual care. Engages community resources to meet the religious needs of patients that cannot be met by chaplain staff.

Work Schedule: Monday -Friday 8am -4:30pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 25529-F
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.

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

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.
• 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.

Grade Determinations:
Grade 9: 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.

Grade 11: 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).
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-9 to GS-11.

How you will be evaluated

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

AREA OF CONSIDERATION: Qualified Candidates will be referred and considered in the following order:
(1). Current Permanent Employees of other federal agencies
(2). The public.


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.