CHAPLAIN

State of Maryland; Hagerstown (MD); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental and vision plans

Paid time off

Pension

Holidays

Job summary

State of Maryland is seeking dedicated chaplains to serve in Maryland correctional institutions. The role focuses on meeting religious needs and supporting inmate adjustment through worship, education, and pastoral care.

Qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree, two years of ministerial leadership, and ecclesiastical endorsement; foreign credentials must be evaluated. The position involves flexible duties across faiths and requires collaboration with staff and inmates.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Two years of ministerial leadership experience following formal certification, or an acceptable equivalent experience.
• Chaplains must possess current endorsement from a recognized denominational authority.
• Education obtained outside the United States requires foreign credential evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Planning, developing, monitoring and maintaining worship activities and religious education.
• Providing guidance by communicating with incarcerated individuals in housing units and during visits.
• Posting a monthly calendar of religious services to facilitate participation.
• Counseling incarcerated individuals and their families about illness, injury or death.

Skills

Ministerial leadership

Spiritual counseling

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Introduction

If you are looking for an exciting career with great benefits, pension, generous leave, competitive salary, and the opportunity for advancement and professional growth.

The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) is seeking dedicated candidates to fill important roles within our department. We are one of the largest departments in Maryland with nearly 12,000 employees and a budget of more than $1 billion. In order to fulfill our mission of promoting safety, we have increased security at our institutions while leading the way in innovative restorative justice projects that will help offenders reintegrate into society upon release.

As a member of the DPSCS team, you can have a fulfilling career, while also enjoying a wide range of benefits such as medical and dental coverage, paid time off (i.e. vacation, sick leave), becoming vested in the State pension, supplemental retirement options, and even joining the Maryland State Employees Credit Union.

This recruitment will fill current and future contractual and regular state Chaplain vacancies throughout Maryland.

GRADE

15

LOCATION OF POSITION

MCI-H Information
Address: 18601 Roxbury Road
Hagerstown, Maryland 21746

JCI Information
Address: Post Office Box 534
Jessup, Maryland 20794

Main Purpose of Job

The main purpose of this position is to attend to the religious needs of the incarcerated individual population as a means of facilitating their adjustment to confinement within the Maryland Correctional Institution-Hagerstown

POSITION DUTIES

This position is open for all religious faiths to apply. The candidate must provide duties in an impartial manner to support all religions represented within the prison's population.

Essential functions of this position include:

• Planning, developing, monitoring and maintaining a program of worship activities, religious education, administration of sacraments, holy day observances, and special programs in order to accommodate incarcerated individuals' spiritual needs in accordance with agency directives and policy.
• Providing assistance and guidance by communicating with incarcerated individuals in housing units, bi weekly visitation in all housing areas including special confinement populations responding to incarcerated individual request slips.
• Notifying the incarcerated individual population of religious services to facilitate participation by posting a monthly calendar of religious activities.
• Contacting incarcerated individuals and their families in order to provide information and counseling concerning serious illness, injury or death in accordance with agency directives and policy.
• Preparing reports as required by the Department.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

Experience: Two years of ministerial leadership experience following formal certification, or an acceptable equivalent experience, in that the applicant has fashioned a firm cleric identity.

• 1  Additional experience in spiritual counseling or other chaplaincy professional work may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the required education.
• 2  Additional graduate level education at an accredited college or university may be substituted at the rate of 30 semester credit hours on a year-for-year basis for the required general experience.
• 3  Credit may be given for relevant part‑time, temporary or volunteer experience, if the number of hours worked per week is listed.

Chaplains must possess current endorsement from a recognized denominational authority.

For education obtained outside of the United States, it is required to provide proof of the equivalent American education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service.All information used to determine qualifications must be submitted by the closing date including foreign credential evaluations.

DESIRED OR PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in the disciplines of Theology, Religious Studies, or Sacred Studies from an accredited institute.
• Two years of ministerial experience working under a correctional setting (or similar setting) with various religious groups.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• 1  Employees who have not already done so must meet the required selection Standards.  Selection standards for correctional training are listed in detail in the Code of Maryland Regulations 12/10/09 and include the following:
• U.S. Citizenship or Resident Alien status
• Must be at least 21 years of age
• A completed background investigation
• Oral interview
• 2  A degree in the disciplines of theology, religious studies, or sacred studies from an accredited institute, seminary or equivalent.
• 3  Candidate must be willing to work with other religious groups outside of their own religious faith.
• 4  Possess current Ecclesiastical/Religious endorsement that certifies experience and/or degree requirements that meet the standards of the respective Ecclesiastical/Religion's Group.
• DPSCS Chaplains must maintain a flexible work schedule to meet the diverse operational and religious needs of the populations we serve.

BENEFITS

As an employee of the State of Maryland, you will have access to outstanding benefits, including: health insurance, dental, and vision plans offered at a low cost.

• Personal Leave - new State employees are awarded six (6) personnel days annually (prorated based on start date)
• Annual Leave - ten (10) days of accumulated annual leave per year
• Sick Leave - fifteen (15) days of accumulated sick leave per year
• Parental Leave - up to sixty (60) days of paid parental leave upon the birth or adoption of a child
• Holidays - State employees also celebrate at least twelve (12) holidays per year
• Pension - State employees earn credit towards a retirement pension

Please be advised that these benefits apply to state regular positions. Contractual benefits will reflect differently.

Miscellaneous statements and EEO

We thank our Veterans for their service to our country.

As an equal opportunity employer, Maryland is committed to recruiting, retaining, and promoting employees who are reflective of the State's diversity.