Chaplain

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Battle Creek (MI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The Battle Creek VA Medical Center in Michigan seeks a Chaplain to provide spiritual care to Veterans, families, and staff as part of an interdisciplinary health care team. Role involves assessments, crisis intervention, and coordination of religious services with respect to diverse faith traditions.

Basic requirements include a Master of Divinity, ecclesiastical endorsement, and board certification or reciprocity.

Qualifications

• Master of Divinity degree or equivalent from CHEA/ATS accredited institution.
• Ecclesiastical endorsement dated within the past 12 months from endorsing authority.
• Board Certification by BCCI or U.S. body with reciprocity; 4 CPE units qualifying.
• Foreign education only creditable if evaluated as equivalent by NACES member.

Responsibilities

• Perform spiritual assessments and create care plans addressing holistic needs.
• Provide crisis intervention and stabilization as part of patient care.
• Collaborate with health care teams to address spiritual distress, grief, and existential concerns.
• Ensure freedom of religion for patients and staff and protect from coercion.
• Coordinate and lead religious services that respect patient faith traditions.

Skills

Spiritual assessment knowledge

Care planning

Crisis intervention

Healthcare team collaboration

Religious freedom protection

Pastoral care interventions

Cross-cultural communication

Education

Master of Divinity or equivalent

Ecclesiastical endorsement knowledge

Board Certification (BCCI) or reciprocity

NACES foreign education evaluation awareness

Job description

The Battle Creek VA Medical Center is actively recruiting for a Chaplain. This role is part of the Department of Veterans Affairs within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The position resides in the Chaplain Service where the Chaplain provides spiritual care and support to Veterans, their families, and staff as part of an interdisciplinary healthcare team.

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.
• 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: National VA Chaplain Service SharePoint.
• Board Certification. Applicants must be a Board-Certified Chaplain certified by BCCI ® or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI ®. Board Certification that requires 4 units of CPE is qualifying. The National Chaplain Service maintains a list of approved certifications found on the National VA Chaplain Service SharePoint.
• Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be submitted to a current affiliate agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) at https://www.naces.org/members and be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program.

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-09

Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

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

Assignment

Employees at this grade level serve in an entry level position. It is expected that they receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require daily direct supervision. Chaplains serve in a career development position practicing under close supervision of a supervisor or qualified individual who reviews and ensures the employee meets competency requirements. The chaplain conducts spiritual assessments to identify patient strengths and needs and creates plans for care in response to the moral injuries and spiritual distress of patients. The candidate provides crisis intervention and stabilization as required. The chaplain collaborates with health care teams to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual distress, grief, and loss as existential concerns to enhance holistic care. The chaplain ensures free exercise of religion and protects Veterans from proselytization and coercion from any source. The candidate uses a variety of intervention methods, including individual and group intervention, to address the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families. The candidate coordinates religious services in a manner which respects the faith traditions and religious expression of patient.

Chaplain GS-11

Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

• 1. Knowledge of advance care planning to educate, inform, and counsel patients and families.
• 2. Skill in guiding patients in verbalizing and expressing values through life review, oral history, and end of life preparation and documentation.
• 3. Ability to develop pastoral care programs that are measurable, outcome-driven and evidenced based within the department guidelines.
• 4. 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.
• 5. Ability to support the development of staff resiliency and develop programs for staff development and wellness by providing spiritual and emotional support.
• 6. Ability to educate and equip health care staff and trainees screening for spiritual and religious needs of patients and the importance of appropriate referrals to chaplains for complex spiritual distress.
• 7. 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.

Preferred Experience

Long-term Care, Hospice and Palliative Care

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-9 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 uses an assistive device. The Chaplain is required to speak, hear (hearing aid permitted) and work closely with others.