The Supervisory Chaplain services as a professional performing supervisory and senior clinical assignment. This individual provides comprehensive religious, spiritual, ad pastoral care to all persons that are commensurate with the needs, desires, and voluntary consent of the Veteran, caregiver, or staff. Spiritual component of health and wellness are addressed in every patient care setting to ensure that pastoral care is fully integrated into all aspects of chaplain services.

Duties

Duties of the Supervisory Chaplain include, but are not limited to: Services as a professional providing comprehensive, religious ministry services to Veterans patients according to their specific needs and desires. Provides thorough guidance and advise to Chaplain Services management staff, other Chaplains, and other stakeholders. Provides supervision for the chaplaincy program of a major faith ministry which is highly integrated into VHA's Chaplain program. Manages and supervises the full spectrum of chaplaincy service operations for a small moderately complex chaplain service program. Supervises non-supervisory and supervisory professional staff primarily at the GS-11 level and below. Manages and oversees all religious and spiritual care and proves counsel to facility leadership concerning religious expression and develops local polices, productivity and clinical practice standards. Serves as an active participant and a key administrative staff member of the organization with VHA's leadership. Engages with other program heads and the VHA facility's administrator in decision­ making conferences concerning policies, practices, and regulations affecting the care and treatment program of the facility. Develops one or more subprograms (training, research, community relationships, or religious education if in relationship to the intensive overall treatment program). Provides supervision with full responsibility for assignment of work, performance evaluations, selection of staff, recommendation of awards, advancements, and disciplinary actions. Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, establishes and adjusts short-term priorities, and prepares schedules for completion of work. Assigns work to subordinates based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments, and the capabilities of employees. Supervises all administrative functions of the department, such as clinical practice, program management, education, human resource management, budget management, development of policy, and clinical practice standards. Aligns local chaplaincy services and programming with the strategic goals and objectives of all levels of the agency, department, or organization. Ensures compliance with chaplaincy practice, policy, and accreditation standards across the continuum of health care. Establishes performance and productivity metrics and productivity outcomes, organizational plans, and staff development issues. Ensures compliance with agency and accreditation requirements and sets the strategic direction of the service. Ensures the religious needs of patients are met through partnerships with community religious leaders and organizations, and community, state, and federal agencies. Builds strong interpersonal relationships with patients and ensures all patients are provided opportunities for the free exercise of religion and protects against proselytizing. 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. Provides crisis intervention and stabilization as required. Provides support to individual(s) for unit emergencies, natural disasters, man-made disasters, or planned special events. 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. Supervises, trains, and coaches volunteer groups who offer their services as assistants. Serves as Supervisory Chaplain representative in specialty clinics. Provides pastoral counseling on medical and ethical matters, including moral injury, problems of conscience, family or marital difficulties, terminal diagnoses, or crises. 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. Provides advice to mental health patients with deeply troubling concerns of anxiety, depression, obsession, and fear. Conducts and arranges for religious worship services in chapels and at other locations for patients that are unable to attend regular chapel services. Coordinates with community organizations to ensure the provision of comprehensive spiritual care. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00 am - 3:30 pm or 7:30 pm - 4:00 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: FS-598-00800F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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. English Language Proficiency: Chaplains must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Education Requirement: 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. Foreign Graduates. 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: 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 ®. Grade Determinations: GS-12 Supervisory Chaplain Requirements Experience. At this level, the candidate must possess one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level that is directly related to the position to be filled. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs): i. Knowledge of administrative, personnel, resource management and strategic planning for chaplaincy and chaplain pastoral education programs. ii. Ability to provide the full range of supervisory duties which include responsibility for assignment of work, performance evaluations, selection of staff and recommendation of awards, advancements and disciplinary actions. iii. Skill in interpersonal relationships including conflict resolution and ability to work collaboratively with managers from other departments. iv. Ability to develop local policy, productivity and clinical practice standards. v. Ability to align local chaplaincy services and programming with the strategic goals and objectives of all levels of the agency, department or organization. vi. Ability to ensure compliance with chaplaincy practice, policy and accreditation standards across the continuum of health care. vii. Skill in providing consultation to facility leadership, managers and other staff on all religious expression and spiritual care. Note: KSAs must be clearly reflected in your resume under description of duties to be found qualified for this position/grade level. 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). Preferred Experience: Leadership, supervisory, and administrative experience. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Demands: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for this occupation, see duty section for essential duties of this position. 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. Work Environment: Work is performed in an office clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted heated and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once and sometimes stressful situations.

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 John L McClellan Memorial Veterans' Hospital 4300 West Seventh Street Little Rock, AR 72205 US
• Name: April Bookout
• Phone: 315-800-7297
• Email: [email protected]