Chaplain

Summary The Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ is seeking a compassionate and mission-driven Chaplain to provide spiritual care and emotional support to Veterans, their families, and staff. As a key member of the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Chaplain will offer counseling, conduct religious services, and support holistic, patient-centered care in a diverse and inclusive healthcare environment. Duties Key Responsibilities: Spiritual Care & Counseling Provide intensive pastoral counseling and spiritual support during times of crisis, trauma, ethical dilemmas, and end-of-life situations. Conduct spiritual assessments and develop individualized care plans to address moral injury and spiritual distress. Patient-Centered Ministry Spend at least 70% of time in direct patient care, including routine visits, spiritual assessments, and crisis intervention. Use a variety of intervention methods to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families. Religious Services & Worship Lead worship services, sacraments, rites, and religious instruction for diverse faith traditions. Provide bedside ministry, administer religious rituals, and conduct funeral or memorial services as needed. Clinical Integration & Interdisciplinary Collaboration Serve as a core member of interdisciplinary treatment teams (IDTs), contributing to holistic care planning. Participate in specialized clinics (e.g., mental health, palliative care) and document care in the Electronic Health Record (EHR). Community & Interfaith Engagement Build and maintain relationships with local clergy, faith groups, and community organizations. Coordinate with external resources to meet Veterans' spiritual needs and ensure religious freedom is respected. Education, Leadership & Staff Support Provide training to healthcare staff and trainees on spiritual care and referral processes. Lead staff wellness and resiliency initiatives; mentor volunteers and junior chaplains. Program Development & Administration Design and implement outcome-driven, evidence-based pastoral care programs. Manage religious supplies, equipment, and program budgets; ensure chaplain coverage and continuity of care. These responsibilities reflect the Chaplain's vital role in promoting whole health, spiritual well-being, and compassionate care for Veterans across all faith traditions. Work Schedule: Full-Time, 40 hours a week, Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 0000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Why VA Chaplaincy? Mission-Driven Ministry Make a meaningful impact by helping Veterans navigate life's most profound challenges-grief, trauma, moral injury, and end-of-life transitions. Collaborative Environment Work alongside physicians, nurses, social workers, and mental health professionals as a respected member of the care team. Pluralistic Ministry Serve in a diverse environment that honors and supports a wide range of religious and spiritual traditions. Professional Growth Access continuing education, specialty certification opportunities, and mentorship through VA's national Chaplain Center. Clinical Variety Offer care in specialized settings such as palliative care, mental health, hospice, and Whole Health programs. Comprehensive Benefits Enjoy a competitive salary, generous paid leave, federal retirement, health insurance, and work-life balance. Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Basic Requirements: Citizenship - You must be a citizen of the United States English Language Proficiency - Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Education: 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) (https://www.ats.edu/) and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants who do not possess a Master of Divinity degree may meet this requirement through an approved educational equivalency review from a nationally recognized board certification body for chaplains. This would include the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. (BCCI) or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI. 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. Endorsement: Applicants must possess and maintain a full and active ecclesiastical endorsement and must be dated within the past 12 months. A complete list of Ecclesiastical Organizations that the Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes as Ecclesiastical Endorsing Organizations is available here: https://www.patientcare.va.gov/chaplain/Ecclesiastical_Endorsement.asp Note: Current VA Chaplains do not have to get updated endorsements after they are hired. Certification: Applicants must be a Board-Certified Chaplain by the Board of Chaplaincy Certifications Inc. (BCCI), or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI. Board Certification that requires four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is qualifying. https://www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/ . The list of Board Certifying Chaplain Organizations and Specialty Certifying Organization is located here: https://www.patientcare.va.gov/PATIENTCARE/chaplain/Board-Certifying-Chaplain-Organizations.asp Grade Determinations: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify at the GS-12 level you must possess at least one (1) year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11). Specialty Certification: Specialty certification is demonstrated advanced practice and/or specialization in chaplaincy beyond the board certification. You must possess a Specialty Certification from a professional chaplain certifying body that is directly related to the position being filled. The list of Board Certifying Chaplain Organizations and Specialty Certifying Organization is located here: https://www.patientcare.va.gov/PATIENTCARE/chaplain/Board-Certifying-Chaplain-Organizations.asp Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience and specialty certification requirements 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: This position is intended to meet the spiritual and sacramental needs of Catholic Veterans. Therefore, Roman Catholic priests who are fully endorsed and in good standing with the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (https://www.milarch.org/chaplains-in-the-military-and-veterans-affairs/) and able to administer Catholic sacraments are strongly preferred. Grandfathering Provision. All Chaplains employed in VHA under permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard (07/03/2025), are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/assignment held, including positive education and certification, where applicable. For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard, but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the FPL, or be changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions. If an assignment above the FPL level requires an additional certification over and above the basic requirements, employees must meet the assignment-specific requirement before they can be reassigned or promoted. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional certification(s) that meets all the basic or assignment-specific qualification requirements of this standard must maintain the required credential(s) as a condition of employment in the occupation. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.