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:

• a
• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• b
• 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 (see paragraph d) is acceptable
• Note: 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
• c
• 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
• d
• Board Certification: 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
• Provisional or Associate or other status as a candidate for board certification does not meet the board certification requirement for the GS-12
• Loss of Credential
• Management officials, in collaboration with HR Office staff must immediately relieve employees who fail to maintain any of the required certifications (board certification, ecclesiastical endorsement, or when applicable a specialty certification) of the duties and responsibilities associated with this occupation which may also result in separation from employment
• Grade Determinations: Chaplain GS-12 Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade
• 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
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
• 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: Candidate will have experience leading spirituality groups with a focus on moral injury, trauma, addiction, and grief
• The candidate will provide spiritual support for veterans in the acute psychiatric ward
• Experience in mental health chaplaincy including leading spirituality groups and providing individual counseling sessions
• Experience will also include serving female veterans coping with addiction, grief, and trauma
• Creating and building programs for both veterans in the inpatient and outpatient setting
• Candidate will have experience serving veterans diagnosed with PTSD in both group and individual settings
• Candidate will have a specialization in one or more of the following areas: Moral Injury, Mental Health, or PTSD
• 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-12
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-12 to GS-12
• Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position
• Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.