Chaplain

Chaplain

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Louisville, Kentucky

Salary Range: $61722 - $97087 Per Year

Job 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 throughout the United States.

Major Duties:

• The incumbent serves as a Chaplain professional for the VHA. The incumbent provides 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 service. Duties include but are not limited too: Serves as a Chaplain professional providing complete religious ministry services to Veteran patients according to their specific needs and desires. Serves as a primary resource, spiritual advisor and point of contact for the spiritual needs of patients, caregivers, and staff. Conducts religious services and worship, pastoral ministry, and administration of Chaplain services. Addresses religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of patients and staff under the direct supervision and guidance of a higher-grade chaplain for complex non-routine issues. Ministers to newly admitted, pre- and post-operative patients, the critically ill, and the families of concerned veteran patients Provides pastoral ministry to patients of his/her faith group, including conscientious attention during emergencies and crises. Engages in group consultative discussions or conferences with these professionals to evaluate and review the patient's progress. Locates other Chaplains and/or persons from the community to provide for patients' religious needs if necessary. Develops measurable, outcome-driven, and evidence-based pastoral care; and creates staff development and wellness programs. Provides appropriate education and training to other healthcare staff and trainees to screen for spiritual and religious needs and the importance of appropriate referrals to chaplains for complex spiritual distress. Coordinates with community organizations to ensure the provision of comprehensive spiritual care. Provides pastoral ministry and care involving initial nonroutine pastoral interviews that are subject to evaluation through supervisory review and discussion. 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. Provides crisis intervention and stabilization as required. Collaborates with healthcare teams to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual distress, grief, and loss as existential concerns to enhance holistic care under the direct supervision and guidance of a higher-grade chaplain. Provides guidance and/or support for patients to express values through processes such as life review, oral history, and end of life preparation and documentation. Work Schedule: 8:30am-5:00pm Monday-Friday Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 40939-F, 40938-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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. 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) https://www.chea.org/ 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. 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. 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 at the National VA Chaplain Service SharePoint. Board Certification. (1) 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. Note: Provisional or Associate or other status as a candidate for board certification does not meet the board certification requirement for the FPL GS-11 or above. (2) Exception for Non-Board-Certified Chaplains (a) Non-Board-Certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements, may be given a temporary appointment as a Chaplain under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2) not to exceed 2 years. (b) Non-Board-Certified Chaplains must provide proof of completion of 4 units of CPE as required by an approved board certifying body. (c) Non-Board-Certified individuals may only provide care under the supervision of a certified Chaplain at or above the FPL. (d) Non-Board-Certified individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained. Temporary appointments of non-board-certified Chaplains may not be extended beyond 2 years or be converted to a new temporary appointment 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. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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. (1) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of spiritual assessments to identify patient strengths and needs and documenting services provided (b)Ability to use the information of the spiritual assessment to create care plans in all dimensions of pastoral care. (c)Ability to provide crisis intervention and stabilization. (d)Skill in health care team collaboration to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual issues. (e)Ability to ensure free exercise of religion for patients and staff. (f)Knowledge of individual and group interventions to address spiritual and emotional needs of patients and families; providing referrals for continuity of spiritual care. (g)Skill in the coordination of religious services respecting the faith tradition of individual patients. (h)Ability to communicate verbally and in writing with persons of varied backgrounds. Chaplain, GS-11 (Full Performance Level). (1) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of advance care planning to educate, inform, and counsel patients and families. (b) Skill in guiding patients in verbalizing and expressing values through life review, oral history, and end of life preparation and documentation. (c) Ability to develop pastoral care programs that are measurable, outcome-driven and evidenced based within the department guidelines. (d) 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. (e) Ability to support the development of staff resiliency and develop programs for staff development and wellness by providing spiritual and emotional support. (f) 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. (g) 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 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-09 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 using an assistive device. The Chaplain is required to speak, hear (hearing aid permitted) and work closely with others.

How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/23/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12911422. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-23