Use this information if you will be need VA certification to work in a Veterans Affairs facility.
Applying for VA Initial Certification
If you meet the Prerequisites Required for VA Initial Certification, you may apply for the next upcoming deadline (See Initial Certification Application Timeline) or for any of our future application deadlines for which you may qualify. Please note that the NACC only accepts applications in the six weeks or so prior to the application deadline. For the February deadline, we will be accepting applications from January 4-February 15. For the September deadline, we accept applications from August 4-September 15.
If you are not yet an NACC full member, you will need to submit your Membership Application and pay your membership dues before you are eligible to request the Initial Certification Application form which is to be included in Tab 01 of your Application Portfolio. To begin your membership process, please visit the Apply for Membership page.
Necessary Materials for VA Initial Certification Application Submission
All of the following documents are necessary for applying for Initial Certification. Be sure to download and print each document.
Certification Application will only be provided to those that are Full Members of the NACC in good standing and are up-to-date on their annual membership fees.
Application materials will only be accepted via digital upload.
Please note that the NACC Staff is in the process of updating the checklist and templates below. These templates will not change the requirements of the essays, only the formatting of the documents. The new templates will be available by July 1, 2023.
- Checklist for Supportive Materials Initial VA Certification – This is a user-friendly document corresponding to the formal Certification Procedures Manual. It outlines exactly the way application materials are to be organized and submitted to the NACC office. This is your step-by-step guide to assembling your Certification Application Materials.
- Spiritual Care Encounter Cover Sheet – This is an instructional cover sheet to be included with your Spiritual Care Encounter in Tab 3 of your Certification Application Materials.
- Narrative Statement I Writing Guide NACC-Specific Competencies – This writing guide will assist you in writing your Narrative Statement I for NACC-Specific Competencies.
- Narrative Statement I NACC-Specific Competencies Template– This template will assist you in formatting your Narrative I Statement for NACC-Specific Competencies.
- Narrative Statement II Writing Guide for the Common Competencies. This writing guide will assist you in writing your Narrative Statement II for Common Competencies.
- Narrative Statement II Common Competencies Template– This template will assist you in formatting your Narrative II Statement for Common Competencies.
- Narrative Statement III VA Specific Competencies Writing Guide. This writing guide will assist you in writing your Narrative Statement II for VA-Specific Competencies.
- Narrative Statement III VA Specific Competencies Template. This template will assist you in formatting your Narrative II Statement for VA-Specific Competencies.
- Integrative Theological Essay Instructions-This document instructs you on the requirements for the composition of the Integrative Theological Essay.
- NACC Required E-Learning Module and Post-Test Instructions-This gives access to the e-learning module and post-test for ITP4.1.
- Code of Ethics for Spiritual Care Professionals – This document is reviewed before signing and dating the Ethics Accountability Statement. Please note that these are not the same as the Ethical and Religious Directives (ERDs).
- Current letter of recommendation from the person to whom the Applicant reports in his/her place of ministry. Letter is to be submitted directly to the NACC National Office by the person making the recommendation. Letter is to be a signed original on letterhead. Current is defined as within one year of application for certification.
- Evidence of employment by a Veterans Affairs facility (full time, part time, fee basis, contract basis) as a chaplain. A copy of the applicant’s listing in the National Chaplain Center Chaplain Directory will suffice.
- A resource that may assist you in addressing the research Competency – Please review the recorded webinar by LaVera Crawley, How to Speed Read a Research Article: A Beginner’s Guide to Research Literacy here: https://youtu.be/w-Yio7u-67w.
- Qualifications and Competencies – A complete document of the Qualifications and Competencies for VA Certification.
If you have any questions/concerns, you are strongly encouraged to contact the Administrative Specialist, Certification, (414) 483-4898, email to: certification@nacc.org.
