Chaplain Job in Tacoma, WA

Summary

This job is open to

• The public

  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

• Federal employees - Competitive service

  Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

• Federal employees - Excepted service

  Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

• Veterans

  Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Serves as a Chaplain professional providing complete religious ministry services to Veteran patients according to their specific needs and desires.
• Engages as a spiritual leader, a compassionate listener and counselor, especially during times of crisis.
• Leads and offers prayers and religious services for Veteran patients, patient families, staff, and community.
• Addresses the religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of patients and staff.
• Ministers to newly admitted, pre- and post-operative patients, the critically ill, and the families of concerned veteran patients.
• Provides pastoral ministry to patients of his/her faith group, including conscientious attention during emergencies and crises.
• Serves as a fully recognized member of an integrated multi-professional treatment team.
• Serves as professional clinical chaplain in specialty clinics such as Inpatient/Outpatient Mental Health, Inpatient/Outpatient Substance Use Disorder Clinics, Hospice and Palliative Care, Grief and Bereavement Clinics, Women's Health Clinics, Cancer Treatment Centers, Spinal Cord/Polytrauma units, Pain clinics, Infectious Disease Clinics, Whole Health Clinics/Programs, etc.
• Engages in group consultative discussions or conferences with these professionals to evaluate and review the patient's progress.
• Locates other Chaplains and/or persons from the community to provide patients' religious needs if necessary.
• 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.
• Provides pastoral counseling on medical and ethical matters, including moral injury, problems of conscience, family or marital difficulties, justice or confinement matters, terminal diagnoses, or crisis.
• Counsels patients with long term health illness to aid in developing and maintaining patience, determination, and perseverance.
• Develops measurable, outcome-driven, and evidence-based pastoral care; and creates staff development and wellness programs.
• 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.
• Provides guidance and religious instruction to individuals and groups.
• 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.
• Provides all necessary religious worship services and instruction on an individual or group basis for a major faith group.
• Administers ordinances, rites or sacraments; prepares and delivers sermons; arranges for the atmosphere and symbolism of worship; and conducts funeral services when needed.
• Provides pastoral care involving initial interviews, visits to the various units of the institution, and bedside ministry.
• Maintains contacts with staff members of the other professional disciplines of the institution.
• Maintains contacts with the family and/or local clergy, church groups and interested community organizations to sustain the necessary links with the outside community.
• Provides regular and routine personal visits, special visits, and new patient interviews based on requests and referrals/consults.
• Conducts spiritual assessments to identify patients' strengths and needs and creates plans for care in response to the moral injuries and spiritual distress of patients that enhance the Holistic Treatment of veteran patients.
• Collaborates with healthcare teams to create and update treatment plans to address spiritual distress, grief, and loss as existential concerns to enhance holistic care.
• Performs a variety of intervention methods, including individual and group intervention, to address the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families.
• Possesses knowledge of advance care planning to educate, inform, and counsel patients and families.
• Uses skills developing pastoral care programs that are measurable, outcome-driven and evidenced-based within the department guidelines; skills counseling on medical and ethical issues, terminal diagnoses or crises, moral injury, problems of conscience, family or marital difficulties, and justice or confinement matters.
• Uses skills supporting the development of staff resiliency and developing programs for staff development and wellness by providing spiritual and emotional support.

Requirements

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.
• You may be required to serve a trial period.
• 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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

How You Will Be Evaluated

Required Documents

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/21/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12780312.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.