Chaplain

Summary

The Chaplain serves in the VA Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) with full responsibility for providing comprehensive religious, spiritual, and pastoral care in accordance with VHA guidelines. The Chaplain addresses the spiritual component of health and wellness and ensures pastoral care is fully integrated and based on the needs, desires, and voluntary consent of the Veteran, caregiver, or staff.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

06/24/2024 to 07/02/2024

• Salary

$86,962 - $113,047 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 12

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Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

• Waco, TX 1 vacancy

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

Yes-as determined by the agency policy.

• Travel Required

Occasional travel - within CTVHCS facilities

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Permanent

• Work schedule

Full-time

• Service

Excepted

• Promotion potential

None

• Job family (Series)

0060 Chaplain

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

CAZM-12455245-24-KJH

• Control number

797001400

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This job is open to

• Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

Open to all current permanent employees of the Central Texas VA Health Care System only.

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Duties

Major duties include, but not limited to:

• Serves 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Counsels patients with long term health illness to aid in developing and maintaining patience, determination, and perseverance. Provides advice to mental health patients with deeply troubling concerns of anxiety, depression, obsession, and fear. Provides referrals for continuity of spiritual care.

Work Schedule: Monday

• Friday, 8:30am

• 5:00pm; Rotating Sunday (When working on Sunday schedule is Sunday

• Thursday, 8:30am

• 5:00pm)

Telework: Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: Chaplain / PD000000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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Requirements

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.

• You may be required to serve a probationary period.

• Subject to background/security investigation.

• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 .

• 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.

• Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

• English Language Proficiency. Chaplains must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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:

Chaplain, GS-12:

Experience. 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.

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.

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.

Preferred Experience:

• 7 years or more of hospital chaplain experience with emphasis in the following areas: palliative care/hospice care, end-of-life care, and/or oncology.

• Skilled in providing grief and bereavement care to family of deceased patients, including funeral/memorial services, interments, and 1:1 grief counseling and grief support groups.

• Skilled in providing spiritual care to patients and family from various religious traditions, including those who have no religious identity.

• Proficient in Electronic Health Record (EHR) documentation for Clinical Chaplains, particularly Spiritual Assessments/Reassessments and SOAP format for Joint Commission Standards of timeliness.???????

• Ability to work in teaching environment to mentor CPE students and engage students in the CPE chaplain training process regarding palliative care/hospice population.

• Ability to assess religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of patients for appropriate spiritual care interventions.

References: VA Handbook 5005/135, Part II, APPENDIX G67

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Accreditation Information: 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: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

NOTE: If your school was accredited by CHEA or ATS and recognized by the US Department of Education at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the CHEA or ATS or DAPIP website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

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 or 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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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.

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• 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 window

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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 hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.