Blind Rehabilitation- Visual Impairment Services Team Coordinator (Vist)

Summary
The VIST Coordinator plans, develops, implements, directs and evaluates the Visual Impairment Services Team (VIST) program at the VHA sites within his or her catchment area. The VIST Coordinator is responsible for following a model of lifetime care coordination offered to all Veterans with Visual Impairment who are eligible to receive services. The model requires varying degrees of intervention based on the clinical and psychosocial needs of each Veteran.
This job is open to

• Federal employees - Competitive service
  Current or former competitive service federal employees.
• Federal employees - Excepted service
  Current excepted service federal employees.
• The public
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

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Duties
a. The Visual Impairment Services Team Coordinator care manages patient care and support services to an adult population of patients which is characterized by both male and female, older patients, as well as young OEF/OIF/OND Veterans who may have wound and trauma related vision loss. Within these broad categorizations, the employee must tailor patient care and support services to meet the needs of the individual patient. This includes the responsibility for assessment of each patient's needs and assuring the delivery of services that are responsive to the concerns of individual patients to the extent possible.
b. VIST Coordinators are responsible for Outreach and Education including: developing a cache of educational materials, in a variety of media that can be utilized to help achieve VIST outreach goals and objectives, providing in-service educational classes for VA and non-VA agencies and personnel, seeking to improve others' awareness regarding blindness issues, utilizing developed methodologies to identify Veterans who are eligible for VIST program services, to include identifying blind Veterans from VA medical centers, diagnosis codes entered in their electronic medical record, and educating VA medical center staff on the functional implications of vision loss and on Blind Rehabilitation matters.
c. The incumbent is responsible for care managing all eligible Veterans who have Visual Impairments requiring Blind Rehabilitation services including: coordination and overview of all of the Veteran's Blind Rehabilitation needs, determining the intensity of services based upon clinical judgment and the Veteran's goals, flagging VIST-eligible Veterans' patient records so that medical center staff who access patients' records electronically are alerted to the Veteran's visual status, and arranging VIST reviews.
d. The incumbent provides assessment, treatment, and planning and follow up on treatment for visually impaired Veterans, including: performing assessments to establish Veterans' needs as they relate to the continuum of vision and rehabilitation treatment services, referring Veterans to the appropriate service component in the continuum of care for visually impaired Veterans, developing focused treatment plans containing goals to meet the Veterans' needs, providing follow-up for rehabilitation services that the Veteran has received, and providing professional counseling, promoting psychosocial adjustment to blindness (and may require referrals to other appropriately qualified providers).
e. The incumbent develops, implements and oversees special programs for visually impaired Veterans such as group activities that may include recreational opportunities.
f. The incumbent maintains effective communication with all BRS field elements to maximize Veterans' blind and vision rehabilitation outcomes.
g. The incumbent ensures the VIST roster is maintained and updated on a routine basis to include all legally blind and low vision Veterans enrolled at the VA medical facility. The VIST coordinator must be knowledgeable with respect to all VA and non-VA benefits that may serve to enhance the lives of qualified Veterans. VIST Coordinators are also aware of Veterans Service Organizations that assist Veterans regarding the acquisition of benefits, and the VIST Coordinator may refer a Veteran to one or more of these agencies.
h. The incumbent will assist the Veteran and their family members with issues surrounding the emotional adjustment aspects of blindness. The VIST Committee and VIST Coordinator may draw on their own professional expertise to personally assist the Veteran and the Veteran's family members in this process, or the VIST Coordinator may make a referral to an appropriate clinician to assist.
Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 0730-1600
Telework: Yes-as determined by the agency policy.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Requirements
Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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 probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education. Applicants must have earned:
  
  • A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major field of study in blind or vision rehabilitation, closely related program in rehabilitation, special education for the visually impaired, family and consumer science education, or technology and industrial arts education .OR,
    
    • A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (without a major field of study as outlined in (1)(a) above) that included, or was supplemented by, at least one of the following:
      
      • At least 30 semester hours of directly related, upper level undergraduate courses (e.g., at least 200-course level or higher, or as identified by the college or university).
      • One full year of directly related graduate level coursework (typically at least 15 - 18 semester hours). A certificate from an accredited college or university in the core curriculum in orientation and mobility, vision rehabilitation therapy, assistive technology for blind and visually impaired individuals, or low vision therapy and a directly related practicum/internship in the occupation, either included in the degree or post-degree.
        
        • Foreign Graduates must have proof of a minimum of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (or foreign equivalent, as verified through an independent credential evaluation company), with a specialization in Blind Rehabilitation.
• Certification. (Applicants must possess at least one active, current, full and unrestricted certification to be eligible for appointment. Certification must be granted by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP), or another equivalent, closely related professional credential in special education or rehabilitation.
  
  • BRS VIST Coordinators may be drawn from traditional bind/vision rehabilitation backgrounds, and from counseling backgrounds such as social work, vocational rehabilitation counseling, etc. VIST Coordinators must be credentialed/certified through:
    
    • Any certification via the ACVREP OR
    • Individuals appointed based on experience as a Social Worker must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Note: A Doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the Master's degree in Social Work. OR
    • Individuals appointed based on experience in other health care occupations must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice in their field.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).Grade Determinations:GS-11 BRS VIST Coordinator-Developmental Level

• Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, completion of a minimum of one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level. OR
• Education. Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Doctoral Degree; or Doctoral Degree in Blind Rehabilitation or a directly related field.
• Certification: VIST Coordinator candidates must meet the certification requirements listed above. BRS who are VIST Coordinators may be drawn from traditional bind/vision rehabilitation backgrounds, and from counseling backgrounds such as social work, vocational rehabilitation counseling, etc. VIST Coordinators may be credentialed/certified through any of the following:
  
  • Certification via the ACVREP; Licensure via the Social Worker Licensure Board; Certification via the CRSS; OR
  • Equivalent and relevant professional credential in counseling or rehabilitation. Examples of other health care occupations may include but are not limited to Marriage and Family Therapists or Licensed Mental Health Counselors.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the KSA's described at the GS-9 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSA's:
  
  • Ability to assess Veterans having diverse in multiple disabilities to make recommendations for blind/vision rehabilitation therapeutic interventions.
  • Ability to write a blind/vision rehabilitation plan that includes evaluation information from multiple disciplines with observable, measurable goals and that identifies specific outcomes.
  • Knowledge of VA blind and low vision rehabilitation treatment programs.
  • Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with patients, employees, other team leaders, managers and other stakeholders.
  • Knowledge of psychological, rehabilitation, and counseling theories and principles.
  • Ability to coordinate with various resources to identify suitable training programs.

GS-12 BRS VIST Coordinator (Full Performance Level)

• Experience. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, completion of a minimum of one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to GS-11.
• Certification. VIST Coordinators must meet the certification requirements listed above in the GS-11.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the KSA's described at the GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSA's:
  
  • Skill to effectively communicate both orally and in writing with staff at all organizational levels with Veterans and their family members with community groups and individuals with varying degrees of understanding.
  • Ability to assess Veterans having diverse and multiple disabilities to make recommendations for therapeutic interventions.
  • Skill in writing a blind vision rehabilitation plan that includes evaluation information from multiple disciplines and contains observable measurable goals that identify specific outcomes.
  • Knowledge of VA /non VA blind and low vision rehabilitation treatment programs.
  • Skill in interpersonal relationships dealing with patients employees other team leaders managers and other stakeholders.
  • Knowledge of psychological rehabilitation and counseling theories and principles.
  • Ability to coordinate with various resources to identify and refer Veterans to suitable training programs.
  • Ability to apply decision making principles to adjust programs on a day-to-day basis to develop short term and long range goals and to plan for future utilization of resources.

Education
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Additional information
Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determin...