Program Support Assistant

Summary
This position is aligned under Mental Health Integrated Clinical Community (MH ICC) and supports staff and Veterans in the Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement (RANGE) program so that effective and efficient access to mental healthcare services is provided. The incumbent serves as the Program Support Assistant to the RANGE Program. The incumbent is responsible for all administrative records and data collection for the RANGE Program.
This job is open to

• The public
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency
ALL US CITIZENS
DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.
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Duties
Major duties include, but are not limited to:
Program Support:

• The incumbent serves primarily as the Program Support Assistant to the RANGE Program. The incumbent provides a complete range of Program Support which includes customer service coordination, data collection, and analysis. Possesses the demeanor to deal with individuals who may be experiencing confusion, psychosis, and/or inappropriate behavior in the RANGE Program office area or the Mental Health clinic.
• The incumbent provides general office management which includes but is not limited to typing and filing of administrative documents. Uses a PC, develops clinical and administrative forms. Communicates utilizing e-mail, instant messaging, and/or telephone.
• Maintains and tracks the outreach schedules of two RANGE Social Workers and one RANGE registered nurse using both a written assignment schedule and a plotted wall map of the RANGE service area.
• Assists in the acquisition, development and scheduling of program resource materials (i.e. brochures, reports and outreach materials) and volunteer personnel. Assists coordination of volunteers and/or work study students in support of special projects as assigned by the Program Coordinator and/or the Mental Health Social Work Supervisor.
• The incumbent prepares and maintains all employee travel requests and tracks education requests to include initiating claims for tuition and travel reimbursement.
• The incumbent is responsible for preparation of reports, meeting minutes, memorandums and outgoing correspondence for the RANGE program. She/he demonstrates proficiency in writing, editing, spelling, grammar, punctuation and formats.
• The incumbent will coordinate and screen all incoming correspondence and communications for proper distribution within the Range Program office. On own initiative, incumbent must analyze and research appropriate background material for information and action.
• Maintains the RANGE Program field manual. Assures that Program staff lists are accurate and disseminates to all RANGE staff as needed or directed.
• Serves as the back-up timekeeper for MH ICC.
• Ensures that routine maintenance, repair and reports on the RANGE Program assigned GSA fleet vehicles is accomplished in a timely fashion.
• Tracks deadlines for the variety of required clinical, staffing and workload reports in the RANGE Program and ensures that reports are submitted within the required time frames. Independently completes routine statistical reports and assists the Program Coordinator with compilation of complex statistical reports required by the MH ICC, the VA Health Care System, the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and the North East Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC).
• Maintains RANGE Program office and team equipment and supplies, including identifying needs and making recommendations for acquisitions to the RANGE Program Coordinator. Places appropriate orders and tracks orders to assure proper and timely delivery.
• Provides assistance to Veterans who either call or present to the RANGE Program office in distress, and uses established standardized operating procedures to refer Veterans to staff in the facility or the community that are qualified to meet the Veteran's need.

Medical Support:

• Assists with scheduling follow-up appointments for Veterans as needed with Psychiatry providers, mental health therapists, and providers in other VA Health Care System clinics.
• Possesses understanding of the RANGE Program in order to provide information to other mental health staff regarding Veteran eligibility for RANGE services or programming. This includes educating staff on established referral processes, and ensuring that proper
  screening documentation is filed in the Veteran's electronic record and made available for review by RANGE Program staff.
• Routes non-VA source documents received by the RANGE program, to the proper medical record section responsible for placing documents in the electronic record.
• Assists case managers in identifying the need for a Release of Information (ROI) to persons or non-VA organizations in a Veteran's existing formal and/or informal support networks. Periodically reviews Veteran's medical record to assure that ROI are renewed as needed.
• Confirms accuracy of RANGE patient lists and disseminates to appropriate RANGE Program staff as needed or directed.
• Maintains the RANGE Program ambulatory data capture process, assuring the workload data area accurate, timely and include appropriate procedure and diagnostic code information. Oversees the entry of clinic encounters into DHCP, assisting staff to enter them correctly. Provides ongoing consultative assistance to the RANGE Program staff about definitions and use of procedure codes.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0800-1630
Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD400410
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 and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination programs are requirements for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/27/2024.
You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. The specialized experience for this position is defined as: excellent oral and written communication skills; the ability to work with limited direction; strong customer service skills for both telephone and personal interactions with Veterans, families, and staff; accuracy, timeliness and completeness of information; independence of action; general latitude for decision making; knowledge of information sources concerning complex questions, policies, and procedures.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Attention to Detail
• Clerical
• Manages and Organizes Information
• Teamwork

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; religions; 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.
Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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.
Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary, although there will be some walking and bending throughout the medical center. Riding in a vehicle may be required to go to the Community Based Outpatient Clinics and other community locations where outreach is conducted. Driving may be required in support of outreach activities.
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
There is no educational substitution at this grade level.
Additional information
The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about 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/.
Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

• Benefits
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  Review our benefits
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

• Benefits
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  Review our benefits
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
• Required Documents
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  Documents Accepted:
  
  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (Schedule A)
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • License
  • Other (1)
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  
  Documents Required:
  
  • Resume
  
  Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
  Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
  Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order...