Chaplain

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, . Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL GRADES: Candidates must meet the following requirements: Ecclesiastical Endorsement: Candidates must have ecclesiastical endorsement, dated within the past 12 months, from the official national endorsing authority of their faith group or denomination. For the purpose of this standard, 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 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. Education: Candidates must possess the Master of Divinity degree, normally based upon completion of 3 years of graduate study, or possess equivalent educational qualifications. Equivalent educational qualifications means possession of a bachelor’s degree of at least 120 semester hours plus successful completion of 70 semester hours of graduate study which included or was supplemented by all of the following: 20 semester hours of pastoral ministry (examples: homiletics, preaching, ministry, pastoral counseling, supervised ministry and/or practice); 20 semester hours in any combination of theology, ethics, and philosophy of religion; 10 semester hours in religious history or world religions; and 20 semester hours in the study of sacred or religious writings, including the study of languages in which sacred or religious writings are written. NOTE: Education achieved prior to the issuance of this standard that included the post-baccalaureate Bachelor of Divinity or Bachelor of Sacred Theology Degrees is generally considered substitutable for the Master of Divinity Degree. Accreditation: At the time the education was obtained, the entire institution, applicable school within the institution, or the applicable curriculum must have been appropriately accredited by an accrediting organization recognized by the Secretary, United States (U.S.) Department of Education; or the specific courses taken must have been accepted for college-level credit by such an accredited institution. NOTE: Institutions with acceptable accreditation are listed in the Directory of Postsecondary Institutions, U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE): Candidates must have completed at least two units of CPE as defined by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) or the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) or have equivalent training. Equivalent training is not less than 800 hours of supervised ministry in a health-care setting, such as a hospital or nursing home, which incorporated both ministry formation and pastoral care skills development. Combinations of CPE and appropriate supervised ministry which total 800 hours meet this CPE requirement. The requirement for CPE may be waived for part time GS-11 positions, of not more than 416 hours per annum, which involve liturgical ministry with no participation in interdisciplinary health-care activities. Experience in such a position would not be creditable as “equivalent training” toward meeting the CPE requirement. Individuals for whom the CPE requirement is waived may not be reassigned or promoted to other chaplain positions until meeting the CPE requirement. EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-11: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, 2 years experience, following completion of the basic education described under Education above which has demonstrated both practical pastoral knowledge and skill, and the ability to minister in a pluralistic setting. Supervised or guided pastoral experience completed during graduate professional education may be credited for up to 1 of the 2 years of experience required for GS-11. Substitution of Education for Experience: Successful completion of a doctoral degree which is directly related to pastoral ministry, at an accredited college or university, may be substituted for 1 of the 2 years of required experience (unless the doctoral degree is being used to satisfy the minimum educational requirement). GS-12: In addition to meeting the requirements for GS-11, 1 year of progressively responsible specialized professional experience equivalent in complexity and responsibility to the GS-11 level. This experience must have demonstrated the following: a. Ability to serve as consultant or expert to a multidisciplinary treatment team. b. In-depth knowledge of related professional fields, particularly in the behavioral sciences. c. Understanding of, and ability to respond to, the particular concerns and issues pertaining to treatment of veterans. d. Knowledge of the structure, regulations, practices, and programs of health care delivery systems. e. Ability to interpret and apply a body of rules, regulations, policies, and procedures in professional practice. f. Ability to develop and maintain liaisons with a variety of outside organizations. 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: Applicants must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing, or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant for appointment. The loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation may also be considered in determining an applicant’s ability to perform the duties of a position. Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to: the use of assistive devices, job modification or restructuring, provision of readers and interpreters, or adjusted work schedules. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management’s website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
The incumbent serves as a Chaplain professional performing 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.