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Posted: 03/11/2015 | Employer: VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Chaplain (Roman Catholic)Job Title:Chaplain (Roman Catholic)Department:Department Of Veterans AffairsAgency:Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health AdministrationJob Announcement Number:1348574-BUSALARY RANGE:$70,192.00 to $91,255.00 / Per YearOPEN PERIOD:Tuesday, March 10, 2015 to Tuesday, March 24, 2015SERIES & GRADE:GS-0060-12POSITION INFORMATION:Full Time - Excepted Service PermanentPROMOTION POTENTIAL:12DUTY LOCATIONS: 1 vacancy in the following location:Fargo, ND WHO MAY APPLY:United States Citizens SECURITY CLEARANCE:Public Trust - Background InvestigationSUPERVISORY STATUS:NoJOB SUMMARY:Come Join Our Team of Chaplains at the Department of Veterans Affairs Fargo Health Care System that provides a complete range of spiritual and pastoral care to Veterans and their families. Vacancy Identification Number: 1348574   OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise – "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" – by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans? JOB SUMMARY: This position is for a full-time Roman Catholic Chaplain at the Fargo North Dakota Veterans Health Care System.  The chaplain assesses religious, spiritual, moral, ethical problems of patients and plans and provides appropriate spiritual and pastoral care as a member of an interdiscipolinary treatment team.   The Roman Catholuic chaplain performs Mass, and other sacraments, rites, and ordinances to meet the religious needs of Roman Catholic Veteran patients.   For information about the Fargo Health Care System,  please click on the link:  http://www.fargo.va.gov/    TRAVEL REQUIREDNot RequiredRELOCATION AUTHORIZEDYesRecruitment and relocation expenses may be authorized for highly qualified applicants who possess unique and compentenciesKEY REQUIREMENTSMust be a US Citizen You will be required to serve a trial period of 1 yearEcclesiastical Endorsement by the Archdiocese for the Military ServicesA pre-employment physical exam is requiredMust perform call-back workDUTIES:Back to top The Chaplain's duties include: Providing comprehensive spiritual and pastoral care to Veteran patients in the Community Living Center, pre- and post-operative patients, the critically ill, the terminally ill, and mentally ill.  Providing extensive and intensive pastoral counseling of individual patients, as appropriate.  Providing counsel and pastoral support to relatives of patients in difficult and trying situations to alleviate their anxieties, to win effective cooperation of these relatives with the treatment regimen of the medical center, and to help them deal with grief.Responding to emergencies or crises when scheduled for call-back Providing Catholic celebration of Holy Mass, ministering of the Sacrament of Penance, Anointing of the Sick, celebrating the Eucharist, Baptism and Holy Matrimony to Roman Catholic Veterans and family members. Locating other VA chaplains in the medical center or clergy person from the community when patients have religious needs that he/she cannot meet. Providing counsel on medical ethical issues, such as advance directives, in the context of the patient’s particular faith background, when requested. Responsible for assuring that the right of each and every patient to free exercise of religion is upheld; and that patients are protected from proselytizing by staff, other patients, or visitors, regardless of faith group as appropriate within a therapeutic milieu.  Contributing to the formulation and accomplishment of chaplaincy objectives and activities by cooperating closely with colleagues and the supervisory chaplain in an ecumenical/interfaith, team approach to assignments.  Demonstrating sensitivity to the religious needs and requirements of each other and each individual patient.    Developing and conducting a well-rounded program of religious ministry for veteran patients and family members which are fully integrated into the overall treatment program of the medical center.  Actively participating on interdisciplinary teams/groups, and committees to assure that the religious and spiritual dimensions of health and wellness are addressed in all aspects of the medical center’s holistic patient care.  Assisting health care providers and treatment teams in recognizing and addressing the emotional and spiritual needs of veteran patients, using specialized knowledge and abilities in pastoral care of the sick.   Assisting patients, providers and teams in translating religious/spiritual values into effective living.Communicating effectively with persons of diverse races, cultures, religions, nationalities, ages, and persons having varying types and degrees of disability, in order to understand and address their specific needs. Documenting patient assessments, treatment, and ministry in electronic records systems as assigned.  Protecting patient information from unauthorized alteration or deletion and  following applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files and release of access codes.Planning and carrying out on-going activities which promote individual professional growth.Cooperating with and participating in community organizations and activities in order to assist in integrating the functions of the medical center into the larger community.  QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:Back to topTo be considered for thisposition applicants must meet all of the following requirements:1. Ecclesiastical Endorsement:  An ecclesiastical endorsement, dated within 12 months prior to the closing date of this announcement. Ecclesiastical endorsements for Roman Catholics are issued only by the Archdiocese for the Military Service USA in Washington, DC. All questions about Roman Catholic endorsement for VA Chaplaincy should be addressed to Bishop Richard Higgins, phone number 202-269-9100 ext. 21. Endorsements must be specifically for  VA Chaplaincy. Endorsement for the Armed Forces on the military endorsement form (2088) is not acceptable for VA Chaplaincy. Endorsements for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, for the Association of Professional Chaplains or for other groups are not valid for VA. 2. Education:  A Master of Divinity from an accredited institution or the equivalent.   Equivalent education is a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution plus at least 70 graduate semester hours which included all of the following: at least 20 semester hours in pastoral ministry; 20 semester hours in any combination of theology, ethics, and philosophy of religion; 20 semester hours in the study of sacred writings, including the study of languages in which sacred writings are written; and 10 semester hours in religious history and/or world religions.3. Clinical Pastoral Education: In addition to the experience requirement described below, applicants must have completed at least 2 units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) [as defined by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), or the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC).   Other training will be considered on a case-by-case basis for equivalency.  800 hours of supervised ministry in a formal training program which incorporated both ministry formation and pastoral care skills development is required for equivalency to two units of CPE.  4. Experience:  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; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work can help 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.   At least 3 years of professional ministry experience.  At least 2 years of this experience must have been obtained after completion of the Master of Divinity or equivalent.  Experience obtained during graduate education may be counted for up to one year of the 3 years required.   In addition to the GS-12, at least one year of the required ministry experience must have demonstrated all of the following:  (a) ability to serve as a 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 healthcare 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. Completion of a doctoral degree directly related to pastoral ministry in addition to the Master of Divinity or equivalent may be substituted for one year of this experience.5. English Language Competency:  All applicants must be proficient in written and spoken English.6. Selective Service Registration:  By law, all males born after December 31, 1959 must have registered with the Selective Service (the military draft) or have a valid exemption 7. Physical Requirements:  The work involves sitting at a well-lighted desk or table, walking, standing, and mental and emotional stability.  Items carried are typically under 15 pounds.  Environment factors include working closely with others and working alone.SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements. You must show proof that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs; or an accredited U.S. state university reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the state university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered with the Selective Service System or be exempt from registering (see http://www.sss.gov/ ).    HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:All applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements will be evaluated by the Board of Excepted Service Examiners to determine the degree to which the documents provided demonstrate that the applicant has the following competencies: Assessing patients’ spiritual needs and planning care in various care settings Communicating health care information to individuals, groups, patients, treatment teamsAcquiring new pertinent knowledge and skills through on-going professional self-development Organizing work, setting goals, measuring and documenting outcomesProviding information and assistance to internal and external stakeholders including patients, families, staff members, community organizations, Veterans organizationsProviding pastoral care in a hospital setting to patients, relatives and significant others in accordance with standards of cognate groups such as the Association of Professional Chaplains, the Joint CommissionAssuring that patients have opportunity for free exercise of religion and preventing proselytizing from any source Utilizing information technology including documenting care in electronic medical recordsAdvising interdisciplinary teams about patient needs and incorporating spiritual care into holistic health careProviding care and advice on difficult and complex issues in accordance with principles and practices of clinical and moral ethicsPerforming sacraments, rituals, ordinances, and worship service as appropriate to meet the needs of patients of the faith group by which the individual is endorsedDealing effectively with diversity. Providing culturally competent careTaking initiative to seek methods to improve care and to lead workgroups, committees, and teams Assessing patients’ spiritual needs and planning care in various care settingsApplicants will be given a numerical score between 70 and 100. The numerical score is based on the totality of relevant competencies. It is not determined by summing scores on each competency. Those Veterans who are entitled to preference will get either 5 or 10 points added. Applicants will be referred to the medical center for final consideration in score order. The medical center must select from among the highest three applicants. BENEFITS:Back to topBenefits: The Federal Government offers a comprehensive benefits package. Explore the major benefits offered to most Federal employees at http://www.usajobs.gov/EI/benefits.asp.  See also the Department of Veterans Affairs website:  http://www.vacareers.va.gov/why-choose-va/index.aspThe withholding rate for the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) for Federal civil service employees hired on or after January 1, 2014 will be 4.4% of the employee’s salary. The Federal Office of Personnel Management is modifying its systems to implement this new withholding rate. Until the personnel/payroll systems are updated, FERS retirement contributions will be withheld at the prior rate of 3.1%.  OTHER INFORMATION:The Department of Veterahns Affairs will provide reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities.   Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.   HOW TO APPLY:Back to topAll applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the View Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document type(s):Applicants may also submit the following supporting document type(s),which may not be required for all applicants:   ·OF-306   ·Other   ·Other Veterans Document   ·Resume   ·TranscriptThe complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 to receive consideration.1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. 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 Tuesday, March 24, 2015. Faxing Applications or Supporting Documents: You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online or unable to upload your supporting documents to your online application, follow the directions located at the following site: Fax Options The Vacancy ID of the job opportunity announcement is 1348574.NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do not fax the paper application (1203-FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.USAJOBS will not provide an accurate status and we may not be able to review if your application is complete. Follow the steps to verify your application is complete: Sign-in into www.usajobs.govSelect, “My Account” and a drop down menu will appear.Select, “Application Status” history of jobs will appear.Select, “More Information” and you will be directed to Application Manager (Application Package Status Page).Under "Documents," lists all documents that have successfully uploaded, pending upload or upload error.For Successfully uploaded documents: Open each documents and perform an inventory of what is required to be submitted.For upload Error(s): Click, "Add documents," and follow the instructions. * Main two reasons for upload errors - file is larger than 3 megabytes or wrong file format. The correct file formats are GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF or Word (Doc or DOCX). REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Your resume. Your resume should describe in detail your ministry in health care settings. List all jobs held whether paid or unpaid. You must indicate whether each job held was full time or part time. For part time jobs indicate the average number of hours you worked per week. 2. A complete Assessment Questionnaire (questions on-line) 3. Ecclesiastical Endorsement, dated within the past 12 months4. Federal Form OF-306 "Declaration for Federal Employment" signed and dated not earlier than 90 days prior to the closing date of this announcement 5. Certificates or evaluations showing completion of Clinical Pastoral Education. Only documented units of Clinical Pastoral Education completed in programs accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) or the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) automatically count toward the CPE requirement. You must provide a detailed narrative description of any other training you would like considered toward the CPE requirement. Your description must include the following information: The beginning and ending dates of trainingThe name and location of the institution(s) in which the supervised ministry was performed;The name(s) and title(s) of the educational supervisor(s)/instructor(s);The total number of hours of performance of ministry in a health care setting; The total number of hours of classroom or didactics, and individual meetings with the supervisor/instructor; The learning objectives, the method(s) of reporting on and evaluation of the practice of ministry, and how feedback from peers and teachers was obtained. 6. College transcript(s), copies are acceptable. Transcript must indicate you have been awarded the degree such as a completion, or conferred date. A copy of the certificate or diploma must be submitted, if no completion date is indicated on the transcript. Transcript must show the name of the institution 7. Veteran preference Documentation, if applicable. If you are a Veteran, submit copies of all discharge document DD 214 Member-4 or Service 4 copy. If claiming 10-points Veteran's preference submit SF-15 with documentation described in the form. *All documents must be submitted by midnight Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 Incomplete or applications received after the closing date will not be considered. AGENCY CONTACT INFO:Mario R. Dagulo Phone: (757)728-7069 Fax: (757)728-3179 Email: MARIO.DAGULO@VA.GOV Agency Information:VA National Chaplain CenterDepartment of Veterans Affairs100 Emancipation Dr Building 33Hampton, VA23667 Fax: (757)728-3179WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT: Once the online questionnaire is completed and submitted you will receive an automated email acknowledgement that your submission was successful. The acknowledgement email does not mean that your application is complete. You must submit all the documents listed in the How to Apply instructions. All applicants will be notified of the results of the review of their qualifications by the Board of Excepted Service Examiners. The Board of Excepted Service Examiners will assign a numerical rating from 70 to 100. Veteran's preference points will be added to the score of individuals entitled to preference. If your name is referred to the hiring official, you will be contacted directly by the medical center if an interview is desiredApproximately 2 weeks after the vacancy has closed, you will receive a "Notice of Results" via email, or by mail, if you did not provide an email address. The Notice will tell you your rating; and whether your application was forwarded to the selecting official for final consideration. If your application is referred and you are not selected you will be notified by email, generally about 3 weeks after you receive the Notice of Results.