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Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital (http://www.hines.va.gov/), located 12 miles west of downtown Chicago on a 147-acre campus, offers primary, extended and specialty care and serves as a tertiary care referral center for VISN 12. Specialized clinical programs include Blind Rehabilitation, Spinal Cord Injury, Neurosurgery, Radiation Therapy and Cardiovascular Surgery. The hospital also serves as the VISN 12 southern tier hub for pathology, radiology, radiation therapy.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Facility Employees
Videos
Duties
Utilizes the recreation treatment modalities in the treatment of patients having acute and chronic physical, emotional and social dysfunctions relating to leisure. Knowledge of procedures and skill in techniques for interpreting diagnostic assessments. Plans and implements treatment programs that are goal-orientated, measurable and congruent with Recreation Therapy's Comprehensive Leisure Delivery System:
(a) increasing basic functional abilities necessary to leisure,
(b) leisure education and skill development,
(c) enhancing self-directed leisure lifestyle attitudes, aptitudes, values and choices. Conducts ongoing evaluations of patient progress.
Completes medical record documentation according to VA, JCAHO, CARF and Long Term Care Survey and Recreation Therapy guidelines. Utilizes knowledge and skills to employ a large variety of therapeutic recreation modalities when planning patient treatment. Could include, but is not limited to, those techniques necessary to the following activity areas:
(a) adaptive games and sports,
(b) leisure education, (c) social interaction and group process,
(d) physical fitness and rehabilitation,
(e) reality orientation,
(f) creative arts,
(g) outdoor education and appreciation.
Completes special assignments as assigned by Supervisor Recreation Therapy. Could include, but is not limited to, committee participation and, station-wide activity programming. Determines equipment and supply needs for his/her assigned unit and procures them through the Supervisor, Recreation Therapy. Functions as an active and informed member of the interdisciplinary treatment team on his/her unit(s). Supervisors volunteers, under the direct supervision and as assigned by the Supervisor, Recreation Therapy. Provides facility coverage and self-directed activity programming as assigned. Typically this will be an extension of treatment plan assignments. Performs other related duties as required
Work Schedule: Sunday - Thursday or Tuesday - Saturday tour, PM shift, evening and holidays.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Recreation Aid/PD01037A
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/13/2024.
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS-06 grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.
If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.
Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
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: Types of programming that are conducted dictate that prolonged standing, bending, carrying, lifting and pushing are required. Items are often heavy, including the lifting and pushing of items such as wheelchairs and large boxes. Flexibility is necessary, as the recreation assistant will be required to perform tasks such as tying down wheelchairs within tight confines on vehicles and assisting in transferring of patients from wheelchair to vehicle seat.
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
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 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. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 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.
To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a VA job announcement includes language requiring applicants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply to this Job Announcement. VA may request information regarding your vaccination status, if selected, for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
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.
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 ...
Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital (http://www.hines.va.gov/), located 12 miles west of downtown Chicago on a 147-acre campus, offers primary, extended and specialty care and serves as a tertiary care referral center for VISN 12. Specialized clinical programs include Blind Rehabilitation, Spinal Cord Injury, Neurosurgery, Radiation Therapy and Cardiovascular Surgery. The hospital also serves as the VISN 12 southern tier hub for pathology, radiology, radiation therapy.
This job is open to
- Internal to an agency
Current federal employees of this agency.
Clarification from the agency
Facility Employees
Videos
Duties
Utilizes the recreation treatment modalities in the treatment of patients having acute and chronic physical, emotional and social dysfunctions relating to leisure. Knowledge of procedures and skill in techniques for interpreting diagnostic assessments. Plans and implements treatment programs that are goal-orientated, measurable and congruent with Recreation Therapy's Comprehensive Leisure Delivery System:
(a) increasing basic functional abilities necessary to leisure,
(b) leisure education and skill development,
(c) enhancing self-directed leisure lifestyle attitudes, aptitudes, values and choices. Conducts ongoing evaluations of patient progress.
Completes medical record documentation according to VA, JCAHO, CARF and Long Term Care Survey and Recreation Therapy guidelines. Utilizes knowledge and skills to employ a large variety of therapeutic recreation modalities when planning patient treatment. Could include, but is not limited to, those techniques necessary to the following activity areas:
(a) adaptive games and sports,
(b) leisure education, (c) social interaction and group process,
(d) physical fitness and rehabilitation,
(e) reality orientation,
(f) creative arts,
(g) outdoor education and appreciation.
Completes special assignments as assigned by Supervisor Recreation Therapy. Could include, but is not limited to, committee participation and, station-wide activity programming. Determines equipment and supply needs for his/her assigned unit and procures them through the Supervisor, Recreation Therapy. Functions as an active and informed member of the interdisciplinary treatment team on his/her unit(s). Supervisors volunteers, under the direct supervision and as assigned by the Supervisor, Recreation Therapy. Provides facility coverage and self-directed activity programming as assigned. Typically this will be an extension of treatment plan assignments. Performs other related duties as required
Work Schedule: Sunday - Thursday or Tuesday - Saturday tour, PM shift, evening and holidays.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Recreation Aid/PD01037A
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
- 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
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/13/2024.
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS-06 grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.
If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.
Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
- Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: .
- GS-6 Specialized Experience: You must have at least one full year of specialized experience . Specialized experience is experience which has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a Recreation Therapist Assistant utilizing the recreation treatment modalities in the treatment of patients having acute and chronic physical, emotional and social dysfunctions relating to leisure; Establishing individual treatment plans that meet identified patient needs and are in compliance with VA, service and accreditation guidelines; Planning and implementing treatment programs that are goal-orientated, measurable and congruent with Recreation Therapy's Comprehensive Leisure Delivery System; Completing medical record documentation according to VA, JCAHO, CARP and Recreation Therapy guidelines; Providing treatment through the use of recreation modalities to patients on his/her assigned unit(s).
- Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: GS-7 Specialized Experience: You must have at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-6) in federal service performing work closely related to the work of this job. Specialized experience is experience which has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a Recreation Therapist Assistant utilizing the recreation treatment modalities in the treatment of patients having acute and chronic physical, emotional and social dysfunctions relating to leisure; Establishing individual treatment plans that meet identified patient needs and are in compliance with VA, service and accreditation guidelines; Planning and implementing treatment programs that are goal-orientated, measurable and congruent with Recreation Therapy's Comprehensive Leisure Delivery System; Completing medical record documentation according to VA, JCAHO, CARP and Recreation Therapy guidelines; Providing treatment through the use of recreation modalities to patients on his/her assigned unit(s); Determines equipment and supply needs for his/her assigned unit and procures them through the Supervisor, Recreation Therapy; Supervisors and coordinates volunteers under the direct supervision and as assigned by the Supervisor, Recreation Therapy.
- Education: .GS-7 Education: You must have one full year of graduate education or an internship that meets the specialized experience required and is directly related to the work of the position. (Transcripts Required)
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
- Client Orientation
- Communications
- Interpersonal Skills
- Planning and Evaluating
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: Types of programming that are conducted dictate that prolonged standing, bending, carrying, lifting and pushing are required. Items are often heavy, including the lifting and pushing of items such as wheelchairs and large boxes. Flexibility is necessary, as the recreation assistant will be required to perform tasks such as tying down wheelchairs within tight confines on vehicles and assisting in transferring of patients from wheelchair to vehicle seat.
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
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 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. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 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.
To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a VA job announcement includes language requiring applicants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply to this Job Announcement. VA may request information regarding your vaccination status, if selected, for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
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 ...
