Seasonal Chaplain Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Summary
This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC), Chaplain Service (CS). The position provides services within various settings, including Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs), Inpatient Clinics, Outpatient Clinics, and domiciliaries. The CS provides pastoral counseling and treatment to Veteran patients, patient's families, and staff in various inpatient and outpatient settings.
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Duties
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Duties include but are not limited to:

• Leads and offers prayers and religious services for Veteran patients, patient families, staff, and community. Conduct rituals in front of groups of people, which requires effective leadership and public speaking skills. Uses leadership skills to lead prayer and religious services.
• Addresses the religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of patients and staff. Provides 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 of his/her faith group, including conscientious attention during emergencies and crises. Ensures all patients are provided opportunities for the free exercise of religion and that Veterans are protected from proselytizing and coercing from any source.
• Engages in group consultative discussions or conferences with these professionals to evaluate and review the patient's progress. Collaborates with treatment team professionals to discuss the recommended course of action, and other informed advice to attain the necessary therapeutic goals for the patient.
• Develops measurable, outcome-driven, and evidence-based pastoral care; and creates staff development and wellness programs. Supports the development of staff resiliency by providing emotional and spiritual support and compassionate presence.

Work Schedule: Full Time
Telework: Ad-Hoc as determined by agency policy
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 654 41209-A; 654 41210-A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
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: All chaplains must meet the following basic requirements:

• Citizenship- 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 - Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• Education: 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) (https://www.chea.org/) or Association of Theological Schools (ATS) (https://www.ats.edu/) and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
  
  • For applicants who do not possess a Master of Divinity degree or equivalent educational degree may meet this requirement with an approved educational equivalency review from a nationally recognized board certification body for chaplains. This would include the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. (BCCI) or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI.
• Endorsement: Applicants must possess and maintain a full and active ecclesiastical endorsement and must be dated within the past 12 months. A complete list of Ecclesiastical Organizations that the Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes as Ecclesiastical Endorsing Organizations is available here: https://www.patientcare.va.gov/chaplain/Ecclesiastical_Endorsement.asp
  
  • Note: Current VA Chaplains do not have to get updated endorsements after they are hired.
• Certification: Applicants must be a Board-Certified Chaplain by the Board of Chaplaincy Certifications Inc. (BCCI), or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI. Board Certification that requires four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is qualifying. https://www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/

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:
GS-9 Chaplain: To qualify at the GS-9 level, you must meet the basic requirements and must demonstrate that you have the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

• Knowledge of spiritual assessments to identify patient strengths and needs and documenting services provided.
• Ability to use the information of the spiritual assessment to create care plans in all dimensions of pastoral care.
• Ability to provide crisis intervention and stabilization.
• Skill in healthcare team collaboration to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual issues.
• Ability to ensure free exercise of religion for patients and staff.
• Knowledge of individual and group interventions to address spiritual and emotional needs of patients and families, providing referrals for continuity of spiritual care.
• Skill in the coordination of religious services respecting the faith tradition of individual patients.
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing with persons of varied backgrounds

GS-11 Chaplain Experience Requirements:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify at the GS-11 level you must possess at least one (1) year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-9)
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate 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

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-09 to GS-11.
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. Meets the qualification requirements for the GS-11 Chaplain as defined in VA Handbook 5005, Part II Appendix G67, Chaplain Qualification Standard GS-0060 Veterans Health Administration.
Education
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) (https://www.chea.org/) or Association of Theological Schools (ATS) (https://www.ats.edu/) and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

• For applicants who do not possess a Master of Divinity degree or equivalent educational degree may meet this requirement with an approved educational equivalency review from a nationally recognized board certification body for chaplains. This would include the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. (BCCI) or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI.

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/.
Additional information
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hi