Chaplain (Intermittent)

Summary

The incumbent serves as a Chaplain at VANJHCS, covering the East Orange and Lyons campuses, providing religious, spiritual, and pastoral care to Veterans, caregivers, and staff in accordance with their needs, desires, and voluntary consent. The incumbent addresses the spiritual dimension of health and wellness across all patient care settings, ensuring pastoral care is fully integrated into service delivery.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to the following: 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, 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, with sensitivity to the religious needs of diverse denominations and faith groups Leads and offers prayers and religious services for Veteran patients, patient families, staff, and the community Conducts rituals in front of groups of people, requiring effective leadership and public speaking skills Addresses the religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical concerns of patients and staff Provides counseling services to patients and staff Conducts regular rounds of hospital wards where patients are 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 Perform other assigned duties as required. Preferred Experience: 3-5 years of experience as a Chaplain Work Schedule: On an as needed basis. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 75065, 75066 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

Qualifications

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. Loss of endorsement will result in removal from the GS-0060 Chaplain series and may result in termination of employment. Board Certification. (1) 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. Note: Provisional or Associate or other status as a candidate for board certification does not meet the board certification requirement for the FPL GS-11 or above. Exception for Non-Board-Certified Chaplains. (a) 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. (b) Non-Board-Certified Chaplains must provide proof of completion of 4 units of CPE as required by an approved board certifying body. (c) Non-Board-Certified individuals may only provide care under the supervision of a certified Chaplain at or above the FPL. (d) 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. Failure to Obtain Board Certification. In all cases, Chaplains must actively work to meet requirements for board certification starting from the date of their placement into the occupation. At the time of appointment, the HR Office staff in collaboration with the supervisor will provide the employee with the written requirements for board certification, including the time by which the board certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming board certified by the deadline. Failure to obtain board certification during this time may result in separation from employment. Loss of Credential. Management officials, in collaboration with HR Office staff must immediately relieve employees who fail to maintain any of the required certifications (board certification, ecclesiastical endorsement, or when applicable a specialty certification) of the duties and responsibilities associated with this occupation which may also result in separation from employment. 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. Grade Determination: Chaplain, GS-09. (1) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, 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 health care 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. (1) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. (2) 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