Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies and all US Citizens.

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This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC), Chaplain Service (CS). The position provides services within various settings, including Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs), Inpatient Clinics, Outpatient Clinics and domiciliaries throughout the United States. Most Chaplain services are usually provided in a medical facility structure. The CS provides pastoral counseling and treatment to Veteran patients, Patients families and staff in various inpatient and outpatient settings.

The duties of the position may include but, are not limited to:

• The incumbent provides religious, spiritual, and pastoral care to all persons that are commensurate with the needs, desires, and voluntary consent of the Veteran, caregiver, or staff.
• The incumbent addresses the spiritual component of health and wellness in every patient care setting to ensure that pastoral care is fully integrated into all aspects of service.
• The incumbent serves in a developmental Chaplain capacity under the direct supervision and frequent guidance of a higher-grade chaplain for complex non-routine assignments.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Develops measurable, outcome-driven, and evidence-based pastoral care; and creates staff development and wellness programs
• 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.
• Provides regular and routine personal visits, special visits, and new patient interviews based on requests and referrals/consults; may involve friendly visitation, ritual and bedside administration of sacraments, or pastoral counseling.
• Possesses the ability to educate and equip healthcare staff and trainees, screening for spiritual and religious needs of, and the importance of appropriate referrals to chaplains for complex spiritual distress.
• 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.
• The incumbent reports to the Chief, Chaplain Service/Supervisory Chaplain within a vast majority of the VHA locations.
• 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'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.
• 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.
• Performs a variety of complex intervention methods, including individual and group interventions to address the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families.

Work Schedule: On an as needed basis
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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.

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

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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Board Certification. Applicants must be a Board-Certified Chaplain certified by BCCI ® or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI ®. Board Certification that requires 4 units of CPE is qualifying. The National Chaplain Service maintains a list of approved certifications found on the National VA Chaplain Service SharePoint.
• Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be submitted to a current affiliate agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) at https://www.naces.org/members and be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program.

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).

Grade Determinations: Chaplain GS-09:
Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1.Knowledge of spiritual assessments to identify patient strengths and needs and documenting services provided.
2. Ability to use the information of the spiritual assessment to create care plans in all dimensions of pastoral care.
3. Ability to provide crisis intervention and stabilization.
4. Skill in health care team collaboration to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual issues.
5. Ability to ensure free exercise of religion for patients and staff.
6. Knowledge of individual and group interventions to address spiritual and emotional needs of patients and families; providing referrals for continuity of spiritual care.
7. Skill in the coordination of religious services respecting the faith tradition of individual patients.
8. Ability to communicate verbally and in writing with persons of varied backgrounds.

Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve in an entry level position. It is expected that they receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require daily direct supervision. Chaplains serve in a career development position practicing under close supervision of a supervisor or qualified individual who reviews and ensures the employee meets competency requirements. The chaplain conducts spiritual assessments to identify patient strengths and needs and creates plans for care in response to the moral injuries and spiritual distress of patients. The candidate provides crisis intervention and stabilization as required. The chaplain collaborates with health care teams to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual distress, grief, and loss as existential concerns to enhance holistic care. The chaplain ensures free exercise of religion and protects Veterans from proselytization and coercion from any source.

Chaplain GS-11
Experience.One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge of advance care planning to educate, inform, and counsel patients and families.
2. Skill in guiding patients in verbalizing and expressing values through life review, oral history, and end of life preparation and documentation.
3. Ability to develop pastoral care programs that are measurable, outcome-driven and evidenced based within the department guidelines.
4. 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.
5. Ability to support the development of staff resiliency and develop programs for staff development and wellness by providing spiritual and emotional support.
6. Ability to educate and equip health care staff and trainees screening for spiritual and religious needs of patients and the importance of appropriate referrals to chaplains for complex spiritual distress.
7. 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.

Preferred Experience: 3-5 years working as a Chaplain

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 Veteran patients and family members by walking and moving within the healthcare setting or with the incumbent uses 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.

Area of consideration- Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility
.2. All other VA employees
3. Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies.
4. All other applicants.

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.