Chaplain

Chaplain Duties

The Chaplain:

• provides pastoral ministry to patients with respect to the patient's faith group, including conscientious attention during emergencies and crises.
• builds strong interpersonal relationships with patients and ensures all patients are provided opportunities for the free exercise of religion.
• ensures Veterans are protected from proselytizing and coercing from any source.
• provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs.
• addresses the religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of patients and staff.
• provides effective counseling services to patients and staff.
• provides face to face services and establishes a physical presence in clinics, as assigned, throughout the health care system.
• provides a well-rounded religious ministry;
• participates in the total care program of the medical center with other professional and para-professional staff members and services
• interprets the purpose and mission of TXVCBHCS, as appropriate, to the religious and civic communities.
• serves at a facility in clinical settings where there is limited access to onsite supervision such as small health care systems, Community Based Outpatient Clinics, other Federal agencies or satellite outpatient clinics.
• practices in a specialized program area that may include intensive and extended pastoral counseling as an integral part of the treatment program for patients facing complex moral, ethical, or spiritual problems.
• may be assigned administrative responsibility for program development and implementation and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns, which may include research and leadership of clinical teams.
• operates with full understanding of the relationship of chaplaincy services to institutional objectives, integrating these services within the broader healthcare system and supporting equitable access to high-quality care for Veterans.
• provides leadership, staff development, and training for assigned chaplain staff.
• provides guidance and religious instruction, as appropriate, to individuals or groups;
• arranges for and conducts regular weekly religious worship services and, may, as appropriate, for those unable to attend regular chapel services.
• devotes time to the pastoral counseling of individual patients, seeking the solution of personal problems and to the needs of patients' families, especially in times of crisis.
• understands other religions or denominations.
• conducts religious services and worship; establishes periods for public worship, seasonal and occasional services, and individual devotions; administering ordinances, rites or sacraments; preparing and delivering sermons; arranging for the atmosphere and symbolism of worship; and conducting funeral services when needed.
• provides religious instruction for patients by various means, such as individual or group discussions, Bible classes, instructional classes, broadcasts, films, and tutoring for courses completed by correspondence and via telehealth modalities.
• fully participates, as appropriate, as a member of treatment team(s) to develop and address spiritual needs of Veterans utilizing medical and behavioral health services to include co-leading and/or independently leading groups on topics such as moral injury, traumatic growth, etc. as well as individual work with referred Veterans.
• participates in the Whole Health Program to inform and implement spiritual aspects of the Whole Health Model across and within all health care system facilities.
• conducts spiritual assessments to identify patients' strengths and needs.
• creates plans for care in response to the moral injuries and spiritual distress of patients that enhance the Holistic Treatment of Veteran patients.
• develops and implements a tele-chaplaincy program in order to provide Veterans across all health care system locations access to Chaplain services.
• conducts personal visits with medical facility patients in the course of regular routine rounds through the clinics of the health care system, by special visits, and interviews, or on the basis of requests and referral. Such visits involve ritual administration of sacraments, or pastoral counseling.
• conducts pastoral interviews with patients to ascertain their religious backgrounds, evaluate religious needs, and provides advice regarding the availability of chaplain services.
• serves as spiritual counselor to patients and their families on ethical and moral matters, including problems of conscience and family and marital differences.

Duties are continued in the benefits section.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM

Telework: Not available.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 56267-F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.