Supervisory Chaplain

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Town of Tomah (WI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Telework available

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Supervisory Chaplain to provide comprehensive spiritual care across inpatient and outpatient settings within the VA medical centers.

The role includes supervision of chaplain staff, development of chaplaincy programs, and liaison with facility leadership to align religious services with organizational goals. Requirements include a Master of Divinity, ecclesiastical endorsement, and Board Certification as a chaplain.

Qualifications

• Requires Master of Divinity or equivalent, CHEA/ATS accredited.
• Ecclesiastical endorsement within 12 months, from official endorsing authority.
• Board certification as chaplain (BCCI) or equivalent with reciprocity.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive religious, spiritual, and pastoral care to Veterans, families, and staff.
• Supervise chaplaincy program and personnel, including performance evaluations and staff development.
• Develop local policy, productivity, and clinical practice standards within chaplaincy.
• Coordinate with facility leadership on religious expression and spiritual care across settings.
• Conduct rounds and provide pastoral counseling in hospital wards and clinics.

Skills

English proficiency

Pastoral leadership

Interpersonal skills

Policy development

Education

Master of Divinity

Ecclesiastical endorsement

Board Certification (BCCI)

Job description

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.

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
• English Language Proficiency
• Chaplains must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - part II - chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3j
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Supervisory Chaplain GS-13 Experience
• At this level - the candidate must possess one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level that is directly related to the position to be filled
• AND In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities i
• Knowledge of administrative - personnel - and resource management and strategic planning for chaplaincy and chaplain pastoral education programs
• ii
• Ability to provide the full range of supervisory duties - which include responsibility for assignment of work - performance evaluations - selection of staff and recommendation of awards - advancements and disciplinary actions
• iii
• Skill in interpersonal relationships - including conflict resolution and ability to work collaboratively with managers from other departments
• iv
• Ability to develop local policy - productivity and clinical practice standards
• v
• Ability to align chaplaincy services and programming with the strategic goals and objectives of the facility - Veterans Integrated Service Network and VHA
• vi
• Ability to ensure compliance with chaplaincy practice - policy and accreditation standards across the continuum of health care
• vii
• Skill in providing consultation to facility leadership - managers and other staff on all religious expression and spiritual 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-13.

Duties

• The incumbent serves as Chaplain professional performing supervisory and senior clinical assignments for the VHA
• The incumbent provides comprehensive religious - spiritual - and pastoral care to all persons that are commensurate with the needs - desires - and voluntary consent of the Veteran - caregiver - or staff
• The incumbent addresses the spiritual component of health and wellness in every patient care setting to ensure that pastoral care is fully integrated into all aspects of chaplain services
• Provides thorough guidance and advice to Chaplain Service management staff - other Chaplains - and other stakeholders
• Provides supervision for the chaplaincy program of a major faith ministry which is highly integrated into VHA's Chaplain program
• Manages and supervises the full spectrum of chaplaincy service operations
• Supervises non-supervisory and supervisory professional staff at the GS-12 level or below
• Manages a moderately complex to very complex chaplain service program with identified specialty chaplains working in (Hospice and Palliative Care - Suicide Prevention - Mental Health Residential and Outpatient programs - Substance Use Disorder Clinics - Cancer Treatment Clinics - Women's Health Clinics - Spinal Cord Injury Clinics - etc)
• Performs supervisory and non-supervisory assignments consisting of significant scope - complexity - difficulty - and variety
• Supervises the professional practice of all facility chaplains and provides chaplaincy services and programming
• Manages and oversees all religious and spiritual care and provides counsel to facility leadership concerning religious expression
• Develops local policy - productivity - and clinical practice standards
• Oversees pastoral ministry - including intensive pastoral counseling - close integral working relationships with other staff disciplines - and active community liaison
• Serves as an active participant and a key administrative staff member of the organization with VHA's leadership
• Develops one or more subprograms (training - research - community relationships - or religious education if in relationship to the intensive overall treatment program) - to advance the religious program and the mission of the medical facility
• Works in difficult environmental settings that require considerably more than a working knowledge of the behavioral sciences
• and understands and effectively addresses highly sensitive issues Provides supervision with full responsibility for assignment of work - performance evaluations - selection of staff - recommendation of awards - advancements - and disciplinary actions
• Interviews candidates for positions in the unit
• and recommends appointment - promotion - or reassignment to such positions
• Provides emotional support and counseling using empathy and strong interpersonal skills to effectively connect with people of all ages
• Provides thorough spiritual leadership - offers prayers and provides overall religious services for Veteran patients - patient families - staff - and community
• 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
• Maintains records and appropriately documents chaplaincy care services in the Electronic Health Record Management (EHRM) system/Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) through either service approved template or Subjective - Objective - Assessment - and Plan (SOAP) note format
• Provides pastoral counseling on medical and ethical matters - including moral injury - problems of conscience - family or marital difficulties - terminal diagnoses - or crises
• Conducts and arranges for religious worship services in chapels and at other locations for patients that are unable to attend regular chapel services
• All other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: 7:30 am to 4:00 pm Compressed/Flexible: Not authorized
• Telework: Available
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 06554F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.