Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent employees of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), VISN 8, and HT38 Other Federal Employees. The first area of consideration will be given to VISN 8 employees. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The position serves as a Chaplain professional performing clinical assignments for the VHA. The individual will provide comprehensive religious, spiritual, and pastoral care to all persons that are commensurate with the needs, desires, and voluntary consent of the Veteran, caregiver, or staff. They will addresses the spiritual component of health and wellness in every patient care setting to ensure that spiritual care is fully integrated into all aspects of Chaplain Service.

Duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Serves as a primary Chaplain resource, spiritual advisor, and liaison for the spiritual needs of Veteran patients, caregivers, and staff.
• Provides extended and intensive pastoral counseling in a specialized clinic/program area as an integral part of the treatment program with patients facing complex, ethical, moral, and spiritual issues.
• Administers ordinances/sacraments or coordinates resources to meet specific faith needs of Veteran patients, and partners with community clergy when requested support is beyond ecclesiastical endorsement agreement.
• Conducts comprehensive religious services, pastoral ministry, facility observances, and administration of Chaplain services.
• Offers spiritual assessments and addresses any religious, ethical, spiritual, or moral injury issues of Veteran patients when ministering to pre/post-operative, seriously ill, mental health, hospice, palliative care patients and their families.
• Advises and collaborates with other members of the IDT to provide comprehensive healthcare services, ensure holistic care, and better meet the needs of Veteran patients.
• Uses appropriate therapeutic models, empathy and strong interpersonal skills when providing individual or group counseling with Veteran patients of all ages and employs VA Video Connect or other authorized virtual technology when necessary.
• Provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, continuing education programs and performs additional duties as assigned.
• Conducts regular rounds of hospital wards, accepts nightly on-call responsibilities, ensures all assignments are completed, and demonstrates excellent customer service.
• Responds in a timely manner to emergencies/crises when spiritual care is appropriate and engages as a spiritual leader, a compassionate listener, and pastoral counselor. This will sometimes require travel to other medical facilities.
• Ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to Veterans and provides the highest quality of care.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 0730-1600 & rotate weekends
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:4187
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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

To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Currently employed applicants in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation.

All Chaplains must meet the following basic requirements:

1. Citizenship - You must be a citizen of the United States
2. English Language Proficiency - Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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/ .

• 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.

Grandfathering Provision. All Chaplains employed in VHA under permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard (07/03/2025), are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/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-11 Chaplain (Full Performance level) Experience Requirements:

1. 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)
2. 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/.

Physical Requirements: This position requires the Chaplain to meaningfully engage with VA 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.

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.