The incumbent serves as a professional Chaplain (National Program Manager (NPM)) for Transitional Care and Education (TC&E) providing leadership for policy, planning, programming, education, and evaluation related to TC&E. The NPM liaisons with Department of Defense (DoD), Veteran Benefits Administration (VBA), VHA's Office of Rural Health (ORH), and VHA's Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.

Duties

Duties and Responsibilities: Serves as a NPM providing comprehensive religious ministry services for VHA's TC&E program for service members and their families. Provides expert advice and guidance to Chaplain Service management staff, other Chaplains, service members and their families, and other stakeholders. Oversees and manages all religious and spiritual care. Provides leadership guidance for policy, planning, programming, education, and evaluation related to the program assigned. Provides national oversight of programming implementation and data collection; and administration, communication, public relations, and outreach concerning the program. Provides organizational direction and serves as the principle interagency liaison with other federal entities. The NPM has personnel management responsibilities for professional and non-professional supervisory and non-supervisory staff at the GS-13 grade level or below. Oversees TC&E chaplaincy practice, including all administrative functions of the program, such as budget management, development of policy and clinical practice standards. Develops and oversees programming and establishes and ensures performance and productivity metrics and outcomes are met. Ensures various complex assignments are carried out in a pluralistic environment, which encompasses sensitivity to the religious needs of many separate religious denominations and faith groups. Has shared responsibility for maintaining VACO meditation room and resources needed for the provision of spiritual care, education, and programming. Serves as facilitator, negotiator, primary point-of-contact, head writer and principal decision-maker for the multi-layered, multi-organizational TC&E program. Supports large-scale public relations events as required, which may attract the attention of U.S. and world press resulting in multimedia reports. Develops and maintains effective relationships with other programs and key administrative support functions within VHA, VBA, DoD, and with other federal agencies and private entities. Completes various national program projects by developing detailed plans, tasks, milestone dates and schedules. Has administrative oversight responsibility to independently develop and implement programs and curriculum. Interacts and maintains cooperative relationships with Medical Center personnel, family, local clergy, individuals, and groups in the community. Coordinates with community organizations to ensure the provision of comprehensive spiritual care, local clubs, church groups, special agencies, business organizations, and other stakeholders, to sustain the necessary links with the outside community. Communicates effectively, both in writing and verbally, with persons of varied backgrounds to prepare Chaplain Service-related policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines on the service delivery area. Captures a minimum of 10% workload productivity in Direct Patient Care as tracked through the EHRM system. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: Chaplains must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part. 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 is acceptable (such as 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 .) Foreign education: To be creditable, theological or related education completed outside the U.S. must be submitted to a current affiliate agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) listed at https://www.naces.org/members. Copy verification must be provided. 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. 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. 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 . *Must include supporting documentation verifying the board certification requirement in application packet.* 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 (National Program Coordinator), GS-14 Experience. At this level, the candidate must possess one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level that is directly related to the position to be filled. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to serve as facilitator, negotiator, primary point of contact, head writer and principal decision-maker for a multi-layered, multi-organizational chaplain health care, transitional care or bereavement/family care program. Ability to provide day-to-day technical guidance to chaplain staff across the continuum of a large geographically dispersed organization, monitor performance, review and approve staffing models, review and approve reports and deliverables, recommends required adjustments to existing staff models and debrief both positive and negative field action proposal merits/deficiencies. Ability to collaborate with internal and external partners (such as, VHA, VBA, NCA, DOD, and Faith Group Endorsers) to further program goals and enhance Veteran centered care. Skill in supporting large-scale public relations events as required, which may attract the attention of U.S. and world press resulting in multimedia reports. Ability to conduct onsite assessments of progress towards meeting program goals; to modify objectives; and keep the agency, department or organization's leadership informed of fluctuations in performance trends. Skill in developing reports, policies, procedures and/or practice guidelines for the program and in participating in national program development. Ability to provide technical management support for complex, long-range, multi­year strategic goals for a very large, complex, geographically dispersed national program. Preferred Experience: Coordination with DoD in Transitional Care. Collaboration with Interdisciplinary teams in the development and execution of spiritual care programs for moral injury, suicide prevention and post-vention References: VA Handbook 5005/135 PART II APPENDIX G67 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. 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 using an assistive device. The Chaplain is required to speak, hear (hearing aid permitted) and work closely with others.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address VHA Servicing Human Resources Office - 1 2402 Wildwood Ave Suite 301 Sherwood, AR 72120 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]