National VA Chaplain Service
National VA Chaplain Service
National VA Chaplain Service is a vital part of the VA Healthcare System, dedicated to providing the highest quality pastoral care to the veteran.Chaplains are on call 24/7. The mission of National VA Chaplain Service is to provide spiritual/religious care to all Veterans and their family members.
NationalVA Chaplains provide complete religious ministry to veteran patients in accordance with their needs and desires. They address religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of patients, ministering to newly admitted, pre- and post-operative patients, the critically ill, and the families concerned.
Get in touch with your local Chaplain Find VA locations or in-network community care providers closest to you.
For National VA Chaplain Services points of contacts questions, please contact the VA National Chaplain Staff Group Email at: VANationalChaplainStaff@va.gov History of the Department of Veterans Affairs Chaplain Services
VA Secretary Denis McDonough Celebrates the Positive Impact of VA Chaplain Care
Close to 1,000 VA spiritual care providers, called chaplains, serve our nation’s Veterans, their families, caregivers, and VA employees. In this video, Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Denis McDonough, pays tribute to VA chaplains—selfless servants who serve all Veterans—those who hold religious or spiritual beliefs and those who do not. Whether you are a person of faith or not, this tribute will help you appreciate that VA chaplains uphold the dignity of every person they encounter; they care for all Veterans with compassion, love, and grace. VA Secretary Denis McDonough Celebrates the Positive Impact of VA Chaplain Care.
Announcements
Spiritual Care Week - Celebration of Spiritual Care Week: Supporting Our Veterans Through Unity and Prayer, please join us recognizing and honoring our chaplain colleagues for their role in caring for Veterans and their loved ones.
Providing Spiritual and Comprehensive Care
Chaplain Supportive Spiritual Care
- Grief and loss care
- Risk Screening to identify factors that may affect your recovery
- Facilitation of spiritual issues related to tissue/organ donation
- Communication with your caregivers
- Facilitation of staff communication
- Conflict resolution among staff members, patients, and family members
- Referral and linkage to internal and external resources
- Assistance with decision making and communication
- Advance Directives
- Staff and Family Support
Chaplains are Members of the Patient Care Team
- Participate in Medical Rounds and Patient Care Conferences
- Participate in Interdisciplinary Education
- Chart spiritual care interventions in medical charts
Spiritual and Religious Services
Our chaplains help patients and family members through outpatient treatment, hospital stays, and extended care. If needed, they will contact your personal clergy or spiritual care provider in the community. Our chaplains are clinical pastoral care specialists who provide religious and non-religious people with services such as:
- Baptisms
- Bereavement (grief and loss) care
- Comfort and counseling
- Communion
- Funerals
- Weddings
VA Chaplain Benefits and Services
The role of the VA chaplain has long been recognized as an essential part of complete and holistic health care for U.S. veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their families seeking medical treatment through VA facilities.
Any veteran or family member, regardless of religious affiliation, is welcome to speak with a chaplain at any point in the medical treatment process. Many VA patients and their families find that working with a VA chaplain helps them develop appropriate strategies for coping with the stress, grief, and anxiety that often accompany making important medical decisions.
