Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent employees of the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, including CBOCs NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Duties of the Chaplain 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.
• 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
• Counsels 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, obsession, and fear. 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 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
• 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
• Provides support for individual(s) or unit emergencies, natural disasters, man-made disasters or planned special events
• Collaborates with healthcare teams to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual distress, grief, and loss as existential concerns to enhance holistic care
• Uses 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

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:00am-3:30pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the service)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: GS-9, 598-00350-F; GS-11, 598-00030-F
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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• 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.
• Must be able to independently operate Government Vehicle.
• Must provide clean driving record report from the DMV during the pre-employment process.

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:
1. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
2. English Language Proficiency. Chaplain candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English.
3. 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.

• 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 (the BCCI ® Common Qualifications and Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy or a certifying organization that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI) is acceptable.

4. 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.
5. 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: National VA Chaplain Service Sharepoint
6. 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 be given a temporary appointment under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2) for a period not to exceed two years
• 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

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-9
Experience: None beyond the basic requirements
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the basic experience requirements, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
a. Knowledge of spiritual assessments to identify patient strengths and needs and documenting services provided.
b. Ability to use the information of the spiritual assessment to create care plans in all dimensions of pastoral care.
c. Ability to provide crisis intervention and stabilization.
d. Skill in healthcare team collaboration to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual issues.
e. Ability to ensure free exercise of religion for patients and staff.
f. Knowledge of individual and group interventions to address spiritual and emotional needs of patients and families; providing referrals for continuity of spiritual care.
g. Skill in the coordination of religious services respecting the faith tradition of individual patients.
h. Ability to communicate verbally and in writing with persons of varied backgrounds.

Chaplain, GS-11
Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
a. Knowledge of advance care planning to educate, inform, and counsel patients and families.
b. Skill in guiding patients in verbalizing and expressing values through life review, oral history, and end of life preparation and documentation.
c. Ability to develop pastoral care programs that are measurable, outcome-driven and evidenced based within the department guidelines.
d. 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.
e. Ability to support the development of staff resiliency and develop programs for staff development and wellness by providing spiritual and emotional support.
f. 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.
g. 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.

Physical Demands: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

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.