Job opening: Chaplain

Salary: $82 830 - 107 680 per year

Published at: Nov 01 2023

Company: Veterans Health Administration

Employment Type: Full-time

The Chaplain serves in the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System (TXVCBHCS) with full responsibility for providing comprehensive religious, spiritual, and pastoral care in accordance with VHA guidelines. The Chaplain addresses the spiritual component of health and wellness and ensures pastoral care is fully integrated and based on the needs, desires, and voluntary consent of the Veteran, caregiver, or staff.

Duties

The Chaplain has full responsibility for providing comprehensive religious, spiritual, and pastoral care in accordance with VHA guidelines, addresses the spiritual component of health and wellness and ensures pastoral care is fully integrated and based on the needs, desires, and voluntary consent of the Veteran, caregiver, or staff, The incumbent provides guidance and religious instruction, as appropriate, to individuals or groups; arranges for and conducts regular weekly religious worship services and, may, as appropriate, for those unable to attend regular chapel services, addresses the religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of patients and staff. Provides effective counseling services to patients and staff, Conducts spiritual assessments to identify patients' strengths and needs. Creates plans for care in response to the moral injuries and spiritual distress of patients that enhance the Holistic Treatment of Veteran patients. Develops and implements a tele-chaplaincy program in order to provide Veterans across all health care system locations access to Chaplain services. Conducts personal visits with medical facility patients in the course of regular routine rounds through the units of the institution, by special visits, and interviews, or on the basis of requests and referral. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:Chaplain Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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. 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 f) is acceptable. 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. 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. 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. 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 ®. Loss of Endorsement or Certification: Chaplains must maintain ecclesiastical endorsement and board certification. Loss of endorsement or board certification will result in removal from the GS-0060 Chaplain occupation and may result in termination of employment. Grandfathering Provision. All chaplains employed in VHA, in this occupational series, performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all the qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements of this standard, but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to the position, the following provisions apply: Chaplains who do not meet the basic requirements for education and certification may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Chaplains appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended, or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Chaplains initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain education and/or certification that meets all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. Chaplains who were retained in this occupation, under this provision, and subsequently leave the occupation, lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. English Language Proficiency: Chaplains must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations: Chaplain, GS-12 Experience. The candidate must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the journey level (GS-11) that is directly related to the position to be filled. Specialty Certification. Specialty certification is demonstrated advanced practice and/or specialization in chaplaincy beyond the board certification and is required for the GS-12 grade level. Specialty certification from a professional chaplain certifying body that is directly related to the assignment is qualifying for a senior chaplain assignment. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to apply relevant theories and methodologies to their ministry specialty. Ability to integrate specialized psychological and sociological theory with an advanced approach to spiritual care. Skill to seek out primary research and research literature that informs the ministry specialty and one's spiritual care practice. Skill in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of chaplain practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes. Ability to mediate conflict, hold various emotions and diffuse moral distress among staff and complex crisis situations. Ability to provide specialized consultation, teaching and mentoring to colleagues and students on advanced spiritual care interventions in the service delivery area. Ability to apply advanced clinical knowledge to write policies, procedures and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. Preferred Experience: One-two years of Chaplain experience as defined in VA Handbook 5005, Part II Appendix G67, Chaplain Qualification Standard GS-0060 Veterans Health Administration. Experience working with Veterans, Veteran families and/or caregivers. Experience working with interdisciplinary teams and collaboration. Experience in facilitating support groups, family and individual sessions. References: VA Handbook 5005/135 Part II Appendix G67 Chaplain Qualification Standard GS-0060 Veterans Health Administration September 24, 2020. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: light lifting (under 15 pounds), light carrying (under 15 pounds), walking (5 hours), standing (5 hours), repeated bending (half hour), operation of a motor vehicle, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable to 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, depth perception, hearing (aid may be permitted).

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Failure to provide transcripts may result in non-referral of your application if education cannot be verified.

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.

Accreditation Information: 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: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

NOTE: If your school was accredited by CHEA or ATS and recognized by the US Department of Education at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the CHEA or ATS or DAPIP website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

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.