Clarification from the agency

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

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• 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 under the direct supervision and guidance of a higher-grade chaplain.
• Engages as a spiritual leader, a compassionate listener and counselor especially during times of crisis. Provides emotional support and counseling using strong interpersonal skills to effectively connect with people of all ages with empathy.
• Offers prayers and religious services for Veterans patients, staff, and community. Conducts rituals in front of groups of people including leading prayers, requiring effective leadership and public speaking skills.
• Addresses religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of patients and staff under the direct supervision and guidance of a higher-grade chaplain for complex non-routine issues. Provides counseling services to patients and staff and conducts regular rounds of hospital wards containing the 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 coercion 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 background and current condition of patients under the direct supervision and guidance of a higher-grade chaplain. Trains and coaches volunteer groups who offer their services as assistants as needed.
• Engages in group consultative discussions or conferences with these professionals to evaluate and review the patient's progress. Collaborates with treatment team professionals to discuss the recommended course of action and other informed advice under the direct supervision and guidance of a higher-grade chaplain to attain the necessary therapeutic goals for the patient.
• Locates other Chaplains and/or persons from the community to provide for patients' religious needs if necessary. Uses knowledge of different faiths to perform various religious rituals, lead prayers, and answer spiritual questions.
• Provides guidance and/or support for patients to express values through processes such as life review, oral history, and end of life preparation and documentation.
• Maintains records and documents chaplaincy care services.
• Provides pastoral counseling on medical and ethical matters, including moral injury, problems of conscience, family or marital difficulties, justice or confinement matters, terminal diagnoses, or crisis. Addresses fears that patients have when facing surgery and answers questions regarding the meaning of life, when confronted with the reality of pain, illness permanent disfigurement, crippling, or death under the direct supervision and guidance of a higher-grade chaplain.
• Counsel's patients with long-term health illness to aid in developing and maintaining patience, determination, and perseverance. Provides advice to mental health patients with deeply troubling concerns of anxiety, depression, obsessions, and fears. Provides referrals for continuity of spiritual care.
• Develops measurable, outcome-driven, and evidence-based pastoral care; and creates staff development and wellness programs. Supports the development of staff resiliency by providing emotional and spiritual support and compassionate presence.
• Provides appropriate education and training to other healthcare staff and trainees to screen for spiritual and religious needs and the importance of appropriate referrals to chaplains for complex spiritual distress. Coordinates with the appropriate VHA Chaplain Service officials and adheres to the department's guidelines.
• Provides guidance and religious instruction to individuals and groups. Conducts and arranges for religious worship services in chapels and at other locations for patients that are unable to attend regular chapel services.
• 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.

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 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.

• 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

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: Chaplains must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j
• Education Requirement: Applicants must possess a Master of Divinity degree or equivalent educational qualifications asevidenced by a graduate-level theological degree from a college, university or theological school accredited by a member of theCouncil 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 (BCCIor Equivalency).
• Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE): Applicants must have completed four units of CPE from a CPE center that is accredited by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Currently only Association for CPE (ACPE) CPEs and Institute for Clinical Pastoral Training (ICPT) CPE Units are accredited by the US 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 applicant's/employee's 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 applicant's 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. The National Chaplain Service maintains a list of approved endorsing organizations that can be found here: https://www.patientcare.va.gov/chaplain/Employment_Information_and_Resources.asp
• Board Certification: Applicants must be a Board Certified Chaplain certified by the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. (BCCI) ®or nationally recognized certification body that utilizes the BCCI ® Common Qualifications and Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy or a certifying organization that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI.
  • Exception. Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may begiven a temporary appointment under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2) for a period not to exceed two years. This exception only applies at the entry level. For the journey level and above, the candidate must have board certification. At the time of appointment, the supervisor in collaboration with Human Resources, will provide the uncertified chaplain with the written requirements for obtaining certification, the date by which the certification must by acquired, and the consequences for not becoming certified by the deadline. The written notice must be provided prior to the entrance on duty date. Failure to become certified within two years from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0060 Chaplain series and may result in termination of employment. Temporary graduate chaplain appointments may not be extended beyond two years and may not be converted to a new temporary appointment in this occupation.
• Loss of Endorsement or Certification. Chaplains must maintain ecclesiastical endorsement and board certification. Loss of endorsement or board
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

• Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to meeting the basic experience requirements, 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 toprovide 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.

• Experience: Promotion or appointment to the GS-11 full performance level requires one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-9 level that is directly related to the position to be filled.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of 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 .

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.