National VA Chaplain Service
Board Certifying Chaplain Organizations & Specialty Certifying Organizations
A complete list of Ecclesiastical Organizations that the Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes as Ecclesiastical Endorsing Organizations is available here:
https://www.patientcare.va.gov/chaplain/Ecclesiastical_Endorsement.asp
Board Chaplain Certifying Bodies – Needed for GS-11 Chaplain and Above
1. Association of Certified Christian Chaplains (ACCC) - www.certifiedchaplains.org/ *
2. Association of Professional Chaplains® (APC®) - www.professionalchaplains.org*
3. National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) - www.nacc.org*
4. Neshama Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC) - www.najc.org*
5. National Association of Veterans Affairs Chaplains (NAVAC) - https://www.navac.net/*
6. Spiritual Care Association (SCA) – www.spiritualcareassociation.org/*
Accepted Specialty Certifications from BCC Bodies (above) - Required for GS-12 Chaplain
Association of Certified Christian Chaplains (ACCC):
1. Grief Recovery Method Specialist: ACCC Grief Support Specialization – Association of Certified Christian Chaplains (certifiedchaplains.org)*
Association of Professional Chaplains (APC)
1. Palliative Care & Hospice: https://bcci.professionalchaplains.org/content.asp?admin=Y&pl=42&sl=42&contentid=45*
National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC)
1. Palliative Care & Hospice: Palliative Care and Hospice Advanced Certification (PCHAC) - The National Association of Catholic Chaplains (nacc.org)*
National Association of Veterans Affairs Chaplains (NAVAC) - https://www.navac.net/competencies*
1. Hospice & Palliative Care
2. Drug & Alcohol Addiction
3. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
4. Mental Health
5. Moral Injury
6. Suicide Prevention
Spiritual Care Association (SCA):
1. Hospice & Palliative Care: Hospice and Palliative Care Specialty Certification (APBCC-HPC) (spiritualcareassociation.org)
https://www.spiritualcareassociation.org/hospice-chaplaincy-certificate/*
https://www.spiritualcareassociation.org/palliative-care-professionals/*
*Link will take you outside of the Dept of Veterans Affairs (VA)Website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites. The link will open in a new window.
