Amended-Chaplain

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.

EDUCATION: Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ . RESPONSIBILITIES: **Amended-updated the salary, documents to be submitted and added resume details under the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section below and extended due date to 10/13/26 due to upcoming federal holiday**

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 # : GS-9 55770F and GS-11 55771F

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.

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-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, utilizing outside community resources to meet the religious needs of patients that cannot be met by chaplain staff.

Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve as an FPL Chaplain. The chaplain independently serves as a primary resource and point of contact for the spiritual needs of patients, caregivers, and staff. The chaplain provides advance care planning education, information, and counsel for patients and their families. The chaplain 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. The chaplain develops pastoral care programs that are measurable, outcome-driven, and evidence-based in coordination with the department guidelines. The chaplain provides pastoral counseling on medical and ethical matters, including but not limited to, moral injury, problems of conscience, family or marital difficulties, justice or confinement matters, terminal diagnoses, or crisis. The chaplain also supports the development of staff resiliency by providing emotional and spiritual support and compassionate presence and develops programs for staff development and wellness. The chaplain provides education and equips other health care staff and trainees to screen for spiritual and religious needs, and the importance of appropriate referrals to chaplains for complex spiritual distress. At this level, the chaplain coordinates with community organizations to ensure the provision of comprehensive spiritual care, and engaging community resources to meet 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 GS-11.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation. 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 patient using an assistive device. The Chaplain is required to speak, hear (hearing aid permitted) and work closely with others. 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. SALARY: QuantitativeValue EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Other