The Kansas City VA Medical Center is recruiting for one (1) Chaplain. The incumbent provides comprehensive 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 chaplain services.

Duties

Kansas City VA Medical Center is committed to Diversity and Inclusion. Together, we strive to create and maintain a working and learning environment that promotes professional growth and teamwork. We offer an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment where we celebrate our individual differences and unite as a team toward a common goal of providing outstanding service to our Nation's Veterans. Major Duties include, but are not limited to: Serving as a Chaplain professional providing comprehensive, religious ministry services to Veteran patients according to their specific needs and desires. 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. Providing extended and intensive pastoral counseling as an integral part of the treatment program with patients facing complex, ethical, moral, and spiritual issues. Ensuring program effectiveness and modification of service pattern, which includes research and leadership of clinical teams. Practicing 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. Serving as a Chaplain representative and a fully recognized member of an interdisciplinary treatment team (IDT). Working with a full understanding of Chaplains' relationships to the objectives of VHA to successfully integrate the work of the medical facility's staff. Maintaining effective rapport with physicians, medical officers, psychologists, nurses, therapists, social workers, or others involved with the IDT. Serving as a primary Chaplain resource, spiritual advisor, and liaison for the spiritual needs of patients, caregivers, and staff. Leading various complex and sensitive projects, task groups, and assignments to obtain pertinent high-level information needed for Chaplain Service management officials. Engaging as a spiritual leader, a compassionate listener, and counselor, especially during times of crisis. Providing thorough spiritual leadership, offers prayers, and provides overall religious services for Veteran patients, patient families, staff, and community. Addressing the religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of patients and staff. Engaging in group consultative discussions or conferences with these professionals to provide Chaplain related input to collaborate on the evaluation and review of the patient's progress. Developing measurable, outcome-driven, and evidence-based pastoral care; and creates staff development and wellness programs. Interacting and maintaining cooperative relationships with Medical Center personnel, family, local clergy, individuals, and groups in the community. Engaging community resources to meet the religious needs of patients that cannot be met by chaplain staff. Administering ordinances, rites or sacraments; prepares and delivers sermons; arranging for the atmosphere and symbolism of worship; and conducting funeral services when needed. Completing various complex Chaplain related administrative assignments, projects, and reports; and independently developing and implementing programs and curricula. Maintaining a good understanding of the theories, practices, and problems of other medical professional disciplines and the latest developments in their fields. Using effective skills supporting the development of staff resiliency and developing programs for staff development and wellness by providing sound spiritual and emotional support. Possessing skills to educate and equip healthcare staff and trainees. Work Schedule: Sunday - Thursday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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. 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. 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. The National Chaplain Service maintains a list of approved endorsing organizations that can be found here: https://www.patientcare.va.gov/chaplain/Employment_Information_and_Resources.asp 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 ®. 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: In addition to the basic requirements above, candidates must meet the following grade requirements. GS-12 Experience: At this level, the candidate must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-11 level that is directly related to the position to be filled. AND in addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of 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. 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. Proof of Certification required with application package. Specialty Certifications Accepted: Drug & Alcohol Addiction Grief Recovery Method Specialist Hospice & Pallative Care Mental Health Moral Injury Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Suicide Prevention Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Kansas City VA Medical Center 4801 Linwood Boulevard Kansas City, MO 64128 US
• Name: Precious Sibley Bernard
• Phone: 816-861-4700 X53235
• Email: [email protected]