Clinical Chaplain Pastoral Educator (CPE)

Summary

The incumbent serves as a Chaplain Clinical Pastoral Educator (CPE) performing senior-level clinical assignments. 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.

Duties

Help

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Serves as a certified Chaplain (CPE) providing comprehensive, religious ministry services and training to Veteran patients and students according to their specific needs.
• Carries out an education ministry with the CPE Center, which is highly integrated into VHA's Chaplain program. Provides thorough guidance and advice to Chaplain Service management staff, students, other Chaplains, and stakeholders.
• Manages the daily operations of the CPE Center and develops and implements program policies and procedures. Serves as a certified educator of record for all CPE students for an assigned designated area. Provides administrative oversight and programmatic resources and monitors educational outcomes.
• Offers students an opportunity to develop and expand professional caring skills in a clinical setting to address a person's spiritual, emotional, and physical needs; and offers students experience with hands-on spiritual care for hospitalized patients.
• Maintains records for all educator evaluations, student records, center portfolio, and CPE accreditation requirements, which may include off-site CPE satellite and placement contracts.
• Seeks approval for allied health trainee positions through the Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA). Conducts recruitment and interviews and selects students for the CPE program.
• Ensures all documentation is completed for compliance. Develops educational curricula that are measurable, outcome-oriented, and evidence-based and designed to meet board certification competencies.
• Develops relationships with key staff related to the CPE program, e.g., clinical preceptors, Advisory Group members, and OAA staff.
• Provides extended and intensive pastoral counseling as an integral part of the treatment program with patients facing complex, ethical, moral, and/or spiritual issues.
• Monitors the CPE Center's program effectiveness and modification of service pattern, which includes research and leadership of clinical teams. Develops and implements methods to measure the effectiveness of the Chaplain educational program.
• Uses outcome evaluations to improve educational services and to design education system changes. Seeks best practices, primary research, and research literature that informs the ministry specialty and one's spiritual care practice.
• Provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs.
• Serves as a primary senior Chaplain education resource, spiritual advisor, and liaison for the spiritual needs of Veterans patients, students, caregivers, and staff.
• Serves as a primary senior Chaplain education resource, spiritual advisor, and liaison for the spiritual needs of Veterans patients, students, caregivers, and staff.
• Serves as a Chaplain senior representative and a fully recognized member of an interdisciplinary treatment team (IDT). Advises and collaborates with other senior members of the treatment team to provide comprehensive healthcare services to Veterans.
• Engages in group consultative discussions or conferences with treatment professionals to provide senior-level Chaplain related input. Collaborates with IDT on the evaluation and review of VHA's CPE Center program progress.
• Coordinates with community organizations to provide spiritual care and educational outreach, e.g., interested community organizations, local clubs, church groups, special agencies, business organizations, and other stakeholders to sustain the necessary links with the outside community.

Work Schedule: 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday thru Friday

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: FS#000000 Chaplain (Clinical Pastoral Educator)

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Requirements

Help

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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• 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.
• 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.
• CPE Educator. CPE Educators must be certified by an agency whose CPE units of training are recognized by the BCCI ® or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI ®. CPE Educators must be certified by the same accrediting body as the CPE training program where the position is being filled for the CPE training program to maintain accreditation.
• 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.
• Board 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.

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: GS-12

• Specialized Experience. At the GS-12 level, the candidate must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-11, that is directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience can be described as but not limited to: Providing advance care planning education, information, and counseling for patients and their families. Providing guidance and/or support for patients to express values through processes such as life review, oral history, and end of life preparation and documentation. Supporting the development of staff resiliency by providing emotional and spiritual support and compassionate presence and develops programs for staff development and wellness. Providing education and equipping other healthcare staff and trainees to screen for spiritual and religious needs, and the importance of appropriate referrals to chaplains for complex spiritual distress.
• Certification. CPE Educators must be certified by an agency whose CPE units of training are recognized by the BCCI ® or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI ®. CPE Educators must be certified by the same accrediting body as the CPE training program where the position is being filled for the CPE training program to maintain accreditation.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  
  
  • Ability to independently educate all levels of CPE students and plan, organize, and implement all levels of the CPE program.
  • Skill in adhering to all accreditation standards, processes and practices including, but not limited to, timely and professional submission of all required program reports, center portfolio, fees and dues.
  • Skill in written and verbal communication that are articulate, professional and cohesive.
  • Ability to recruit, interview and select students for the CPE program.
  • Knowledge of professional ethics for certified educators and history of CPE.
  • Ability to apply theoretical understanding for and competence in administering and conducting all levels of CPE programs.
  • Knowledge of emerging trends and research in the area of pastoral education.
  • Knowledge of diverse conceptual frameworks for developing educational curriculum.

Preferred Experience:

• A certified Clinical Pastoral Educator from VA-approved professional organization and recognized by the Department of Education such as Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE)
• Experience in providing educational supervision for Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) to CPE Level 1 and CPE Level 2 students.
• Experience in providing educational supervision for students seeking to become CPE Educator.
• Experience in demonstrating skills in adhering to all CPE accreditation standards, processes and practices including, but not limited to, timely and professional submission of all required program reports, center portfolio, fees and dues.
• Proficiency in Electronic Health Record (EHR) documentation (particularly Spiritual Assessments/Reassessments) and in teaching Joint Commission documentation standards of timeliness to CPE students.

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.

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.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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.



Help

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.