Chaplain

Summary

The Chaplain, GS-12, serves within Chaplain Service at the West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System and provides comprehensive religious, spiritual, and pastoral care to Veterans, their families, caregivers, and staff. The incumbent functions as an integral member of interdisciplinary treatment teams and delivers ministry services throughout inpatient and outpatient settings, including specialty clinics, CBOCs, and other healthcare environments.

Duties

• The Chaplain assesses spiritual and emotional needs, develops and implements pastoral care interventions, provides counseling during times of crisis, illness, grief, and end-of-life care, and supports Veterans of diverse faith traditions. The position promotes whole health by addressing spiritual, religious, moral, and emotional concerns that impact treatment and recovery. The Chaplain also provides staff support, education, consultation, and leadership in matters related to spiritual care while ensuring Veterans' religious rights and needs are respected and accommodated. Major Duties Provide comprehensive religious, spiritual, and pastoral care services to Veterans, families, caregivers, and staff. Conduct spiritual assessments and develop appropriate pastoral care interventions. Serve as a member of interdisciplinary treatment teams and collaborate in patient care planning. Provide crisis intervention and emotional support during illness, injury, trauma, grief, and end-of-life situations. Counsel patients and families regarding spiritual, ethical, religious, and emotional concerns. Conduct religious services, worship activities, rituals, sacraments, memorial services, and funerals as appropriate. Ensure Veterans' religious rights are protected and opportunities for religious expression are available. Provide ministry services to patients in inpatient units, outpatient clinics, and community-based settings. Document chaplain encounters, assessments, care plans, and interventions in the electronic health record. Participate in ethics consultations and provide guidance on spiritual and moral issues affecting patient care. Develop and deliver staff education, resiliency programs, wellness initiatives, and training related to spiritual care. Consult with healthcare providers, leadership, and community faith groups to support Veterans' spiritual care needs. Coordinate volunteer ministry programs and maintain relationships with faith-based community organizations. Support patients through advance care planning, life review, bereavement, and end-of-life decision-making. Participate in quality improvement, program development, and administrative activities within Chaplain Service. Work Schedule: Tuesday - Saturday; 7:30am-4:00pm Ad-hoc eligible Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 41784F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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: 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. 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 is acceptable such as the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. (BCCI) or a 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. 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. https://acpe.edu/ ENDORSEMENT: Applicants must possess a full and active ecclesiastical endorsement, 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 need 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 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. https://www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/ Note: Current Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Chaplains who were employed in the position as of September 24, 2020 that were grandfathered are considered to have met the positive education, CPE, and certification requirements. 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).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: (1) 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. (2) 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. (3) Chaplains initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain education and…

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/.