Chaplain

Summary

Serve as a Chaplain for the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center. The Chaplain will provide 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 Chaplain 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.

Duties

Duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Provide religious ministry services to Veteran patients according to their specific needs and desires. Engage as a spiritual leader, a compassionate listener and counselor, especially during times of crisis. Lead and offer prayers and religious services for Veteran patients, patient families, staff, and community. Address the religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of patients and staff. Minister to newly admitted, pre- and post-operative patients, the critically ill, and the families of concerned veteran patients. Provide pastoral ministry to patients of his/her faith group, including conscientious attention during emergencies and crises. Serve as a fully recognized member of an integrated multi-professional treatment team such as serving as a liaison between physicians, medical officers, psychologist, nurses, therapists, social workers and other medical staff. Provide regular and routine personal visits, special visits, and new patient interviews based on requests and referrals/consults. Conduct spiritual assessments to identify patients' strengths and needs and create plans for care in response to the moral injuries and spiritual distress of patients that enhance the Holistic Treatment of veteran patients. Collaborate with healthcare teams to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual distress, grief, and loss as existential concerns to enhance holistic care. Work Schedule: 7:30am - 4pm, Monday through Friday including rotating weekends Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

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 Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). 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 (see paragraph d) is acceptable. 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. 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. Exception for Non-Board-Certified Chaplains. Non-Board-Certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements, may be given a temporary appointment as a Chaplain under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2) not to exceed 2 years. Non-Board-Certified Chaplains must provide proof of completion of 4 units of CPE as required by an approved board certifying body. Non-Board-Certified individuals may only provide care under the supervision of a certified Chaplain at or above the FPL. Non-Board-Certified individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained. Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard (7/3/2025), are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and certification, where applicable. 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-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: 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 health care 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. 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. Other assignments can be found in the qualification standards of this occupational series. 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: 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 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. Knowledge of community needs to coordinate with community organizations to provide comprehensive spiritual care, utilizi