The incumbent serves as a Chaplain professional for the VHA. The incumbent provides 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 incumbent 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

Serve as a Chaplain professional providing comprehensive, religious ministry services to Veteran patients according to their specific needs and desires Carries out a ministry which is highly integrated into VHA's Chaplain program Provides thorough guidance and advice to Chaplain Service management staff, other Chaplains, and other stakeholders May serve at a facility in a clinical setting, or a small healthcare system, satellite outpatient clinic, other federal agency, or Community Based Out-patient Clinic (CBOC) where there is limited access to onsite supervision Provides extended and intensive pastoral counseling as an integral part of the treatment program with patients facing complex, ethical, moral, and spiritual issues Ensures program effectiveness and modification of service pattern, which includes research and leadership of clinical teams Practices typically in a specialized clinic/program area, that may include intensive and extended pastoral counseling as an integral part of the treatment program, with patients facing complex moral, ethical, or spiritual problems Serves as a Chaplain representative and a fully recognized member of an interdisciplinary treatment team (IDT) Advises and collaborates with other members of the IDT to provide comprehensive healthcare services to Veterans Works with a full understanding of Chaplains' relationships to the objectives of VHA to successfully integrate the work of the medical facility's staff Collaborates with and advises the other members of the IDT in the provision of comprehensive healthcare services to Veterans Maintains effective rapport with physicians, medical officers, psychologists, nurses, therapists, social workers, or others involved with the IDT Ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to Veterans and provides the highest quality of care Provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs Serves as a primary Chaplain resource, spiritual advisor, and liaison for the spiritual needs of patients, caregivers, and staff Conducts comprehensive religious services and worship, pastoral ministry, and administration of Chaplain services Leads various complex and sensitive projects, task groups, and assignments to obtain pertinent high-level information needed for Chaplain Service management officials Engages as a spiritual leader, a 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 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 Provides thorough spiritual leadership, offers prayers, and provides overall religious services for Veteran patients, patient families, staff, and community Conducts rituals before groups of people, which requires effective leadership and public speaking skills Uses sound guidance and advice to lead prayer and religious services Addresses the religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of patients and staff Provides effective 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 Provides pastoral ministry to patients with respect to the patient's faith group, including conscientious attention during emergencies and crises Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Relocation Incentive 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. Language: Chaplains must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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. 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 TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED OR YOU WILL BE FOUND INELIGIBLE 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. PROOF OF 4 HOUR CPE COMPLETION MUST BE SUBMITTED OR YOU WILL BE FOUND INELIGIBLE 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. YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR ENDORSEMENT WITH YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE OR YOU WILL BE FOUND INELIGIBLE 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 ®. CERTIFICATION MUST BE SUBMITTED OR YOU WILL BE FOUND INELIGIBLE 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 Determination: GS-11 (a) Experience. Promotion or appointment to the GS-11 full performance level requires one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-9 level that is directly related to the position to be filled. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of 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 healthcare 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. Grade Determinations: GS-12 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. YOU MUST SUBMIT PROOF OF SPECIALTY CERTIFICATION OR YOU WILL BE FOUND INELIGIBLE Specialized Experience GS-12: 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. 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 KSAs MUST BE DEMONSTRATED IN YOUR RESUME OR YOU WILL BE FOUND INELIGIBLE Preferred Experience: Palliative and Hospice Care References: VA Handbook 5005/135 PART II APPENDIX G67 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. ****All required documentation must be uploaded before the announcement closes, to support eligibility.**** Failure to submit documentation will constitute the application being categorized as incomplete and therefore ineligible for referral.

Education

IMPORTANT: A legible 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.

TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED OR YOU WILL BE FOUND INELIGIBLE

****All required documentation must be uploaded before the announcement closes, to support eligibility.****

Failure to submit documentation will constitute the application being categorized as incomplete and therefore ineligible for referral.

Contacts

• Address Wilmington VA Medical Center 1601 Kirkwood Highway Wilmington, DE 19805 US
• Name: Amanda Griffin-Fikes
• Phone: 216-791-2300 X42198
• Email: [email protected]