Chaplain

The incumbent serves as a Chaplain professional for the New Mexico VAMC. 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 to: 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 the religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of patients and staff. Provides advance care planning education, information, and counsel for patients and their families. Uses knowledge of different faiths to perform various religious rituals, lead prayers, and answer spiritual questions. 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. Maintains cooperative relationships with Medical Center personnel and individuals and groups in the community including local clubs, church groups, special agencies, business organizations and other stakeholders. Maintains contacts with staff members of the other professional disciplines of the institution, usually for exchange of information relative to the background and current condition of the patient. Maintains contacts with the family and/or local clergy, church groups and interested community organizations to sustain the necessary links with the outside community. Completes various Chaplain related administrative assignments, projects and reports. Maintains records, supplies, and religious equipment for the assigned program; and tracks and maintains the program's budget. Collaborates with healthcare teams to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual distress, grief, and loss as existential concerns to enhance holistic care. Maintains and uses a good knowledge and understanding of other religions or denominations. Uses skills developing pastoral care programs that are measurable, outcome-driven and evidenced-based within the department guidelines. Uses skills supporting the development of staff resiliency and developing programs for staff development and wellness by providing spiritual and emotional support. Work Schedule: Tuesday - Saturday, 9:00am -5:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized

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. Must posses a valid driver's license. 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.