AddressSummary Gender Specific Requirement: Only female applicants will be accepted for this vacancy. This position is located within the Women Veterans Call Center (WVCC) at the VA Medical Center in Canandaigua, NY. The Contact Representative analyzes situations and facilitates/provides in-depth solutions based on the inquiries, questions, and/or concerns from women Veterans, their representative, families, and caregivers about the many VA healthcare services and resources available to women Veterans. Responsibilities *THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION * Candidate must be willing and able to telework while living within 1 hour of duty location or work on-site based on agency needs. Major duties and responsibilities include: Conducts outreach calls to women Veterans not already enrolled in VA healthcare services; Responds to inbound calls, chat messages, and text messages from women Veterans, family members, or caregivers; Serves as a patient advocate and facilitator to ensure women Veterans' needs are being met; Works collaboratively with VA programs providing accessibility to care; Gathers, analyzes, and evaluates information from women Veterans; Applies problem solving techniques to resolve or assist in resolving Veterans' issues/concerns; Uses specialized knowledge of all VA benefits and health care services available to women Veterans to provide timely and appropriate problem resolution; Researches regulations and policies as it relates to care and services to provide or to assist in providing resolution; Coordinates incoming telephone calls and determines the nature of the call to provide additional services; Utilizes computer technology to ensure continuity of care through accurate information collection, communication, and documentation; Documents all calls, incoming and outbound, utilizing computerized documentation tool; Provides referrals to other VA programs when further services are appropriate, to include Women Veterans Program Managers at VA Medical Centers; Sends packets of information to women Veterans and individually tailors each packet to the callers' needs; Performs follow-up calls; Performs all other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full-Time: Set shift between the hours of Monday through Saturday 8:00am - 10:00pm EST Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required 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 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 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 Gender Specific Requirement: This vacancy has a Gender Specific Restriction. Only female applicants will be accepted for this vacancy. The United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has authorized this restriction based on the program's primary function for meeting the needs of female Veterans. All documentation has been carefully reviewed and has met the condition of unusual circumstances as stated in section 5 CFR 332.407 and supports certification of single-sex recruitment. English Language Proficiency Requirement: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to perform the duties of this position. Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes working in a large facility or in a Call Center setting performing clerical, secretarial or administrative support work; assisting patients with basic questions and concerns pertaining to benefits; inputting and accessing information from a computer system; answering telephone inquiries; typing notes. Applicants should possess exceptional interpersonal/communications skill and must have the ability to be an attentive listener. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. OR Education Substitution: Successfully completed four (4) years of education above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR Combination of Education and Specialized Experience: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Communication Computer Skills Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Interpersonal Skills IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Physical Requirements: The work of this position is primarily sedentary. No special physical demands are required. The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of locations such as offices, meeting and training rooms, and private or commercial vehicles. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information Receiving Service Credit for 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 determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities (i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities), and/or disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. For more information on how to apply using this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator within the office, contact the facility Human Resources Department at (585) 394-2000. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
