Chaplain

About the role

The Syracuse VA Medical Center is recruiting for one intermittent Chaplain. The Chaplain 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.

Responsibilities

• 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
• Counsels patients and staff on medical and ethical issues - terminal diagnoses or crises - moral injury - problems of conscience - family or marital difficulties - and justice or confinement matters
• Supports the development of staff resiliency and develops programs for staff development and wellness by providing spiritual and emotional support
• Trains and coaches volunteer groups who offer their services as assistants as needed
• 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
• Maintains records and appropriately documents chaplaincy care services in the Electronic Health Record Management (EHRM) system/Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS)
• Administers ordinances - rites or sacraments
• Prepares and delivers sermons
• Arranges for the atmosphere and symbolism of worship
• Conducts funeral services when needed
• Completes various Chaplain related administrative assignments - projects and reports
• Coordinates work schedule with other VHA Chaplains as necessary to ensure overall coverage during the incumbent's absence
• Maintains records - supplies - and religious equipment for the assigned program
• Tracks and maintains the program's budget
• Serves minimally 70% of time in patient care

Requirements

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
• Educational Requirements: 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
• Ecclesiastical Endorsement: In accordance with 38 C.F.R17.655 - ecclesiastical endorsement is a condition of employment as a VA chaplain
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C.7403(f)

Qualifications

Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs):

• Knowledge of spiritual assessments to identify patient strengths and needs and documenting services provided
• Ability to use the information of the spiritual assessment to create care plans in all dimensions of pastoral care
• Ability to provide crisis intervention and stabilization
• Skill in health care team collaboration to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual issues
• Ability to ensure free exercise of religion for patients and staff
• Knowledge of individual and group interventions to address spiritual and emotional needs of patients and families providing referrals for continuity of spiritual care
• Skill in the coordination of religious services respecting the faith tradition of individual patients
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing with persons of varied backgrounds

Skills

Knowledge of advance care planning to educate - inform - and counsel patients and families

Skill in guiding patients in verbalizing and expressing values through life review - oral history - and end of life preparation and documentation

Ability to develop pastoral care programs that are measurable - outcome driven and evidenced based within the department guidelines

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

Ability to support the development of staff resiliency and develop programs for staff development and wellness by providing spiritual and emotional support

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

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

Benefits

See VA Directive 5019

Pay

See VA Directive 5019

Schedule

Intermittent