Program Support Assistant

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Mid Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Durham VA Health Care System (HCS), in Mental & Behavioral Health Service Line (M&BHSL). This position provides administrative support to Psychology Service and the Psychology Training Programs under the supervision of the Mental and Behavioral Health Service (MBHS) Administrative Officer.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

06/26/2024 to 07/05/2024

• Salary

$46,036 - $59,848 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 6

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Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

• Durham, NC

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

No

• Travel Required

Not required

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Permanent

• Work schedule

Full-time

• Service

Competitive

• Promotion potential

6

• Job family (Series)

0303 Miscellaneous Clerk And Assistant

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

CBTA-12455747-24-GGB

• Control number

797339400

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This job is open to

• Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

Internal to VISN6

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Duties

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Support

Duties are varied, non-routine, and consist of handling data and coordination of 50+ psychologists in the Durham VAHCS and 16 Psychology Trainees. The incumbent will serve as the primary support for the Chief of Psychology, two Psychology Training Directors, the Psychology Service staff (50+ psychologists) and the Psychology Trainees (16 - 20 trainees). He/she will be the point of contact for Psychology service staff and the Psychology Trainees, including independent coordination of work efforts by contacting others to provide, receive, or develop information to identify problems, needs or issues and/or to coordinate work efforts to resolve problems. He/she will also assist with any future proposals/projects that are implemented and will be responsible for participation in special events connected with Psychology Service and the two APA accredited Psychology training programs, for example, coordination of the Psychology trainee interview days which involves almost 200 applicants across several Psychology interview days.

The incumbent utilizes knowledge of the programs and expert computer skills to prepare data and reports related to the administrative, clinical, and technical aspects of the program initiatives. Distributes reports to the Chief of Psychology, Associate Chief of Staff for Mental & Behavioral Health Service, and Executive Leadership Team, as necessary, for distribution to the VISN 6 Network Office, Central Office, and others as appropriate. Creates PowerPoint slides and other educational materials related to the initiatives.

Maintains automated system of program-specific data and other service data as needed to track suspense's on items such as project milestones, progress reports, funding accomplishments, compliance strategies, etc. The incumbent serves as a point of contact for patients, medical center staff, VISN staff, community agencies, and various others who may contact the program office. The incumbent manages the initial telephone encounters from medical center staff, patients, media, VISN and central office officials, as well as congressional inquiries. Gathers information and refers telephone calls and visitors to the appropriate staff or office.

The incumbent manages all policies/procedures/operation manuals to meet Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and other Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Quality Assurance (QA) standards.

The incumbent assists with preparation and management of the funding for the program initiative and includes effective utilization of resources and frequent fiscal coordination. Incumbent is responsible for projecting/tracking the annual estimates of a variety of programmatic costs.

Participates as an active team member in performance improvement activities related to the program quality improvement process. Participates to improve processes specifically related to mental health service line and provides administrative processes to the program staff. Incumbent assists with any future proposals/projects that are implemented.

Administrative/Clerical Support

The incumbent provides general clerical public contact support services such as answering the telephone, referring visitors, or providing information about the office, its functions, and standard operating procedures, as well as similar information. Incumbent is-expected to prepare correspondence and reports as needed. The incumbent will act as consultant to program team members with regard to administrative matters.

The incumbent is the point of contact for operation of the program equipment to assist in troubleshooting problems for patients, answering questions for patients/staff/customers, and supporting the program staff.

The incumbent maintains daily appointment sheets, meetings, conference calls, and scheduled leave as well as coordinate meetings, prepare travel papers, schedule conferences, and assist the program team with all administrative functions.

Work Schedule: M-F 8:00a to 4:30p

Telework: Ad-Hoc, Based on the needs of the service

Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD067850

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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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, 07/05/2024.

Time-In-Grade Requirement:

Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS 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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: experience with clerical and administrative procedures, various office skills; and carrying out day-today administrative support activities; Working in an administrative position which required preparing correspondence, reports and graphs utilizing a variety of computer program. Skill in the use of a variety of computer software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and other software applications; Interacting with executive leadership in the VA and private sector, contractors, staff members as well as Veterans, their family members and/or legal representatives; Provide/submit requested information to ensure all due dates are met in a timely and satisfactory manner; Managing a fast-paced office to include, establishing priorities, set up, reschedule appointments; Use own initiative to follow-up on action items and time-sensitive issues with appropriate staff members.

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

• Clerical

• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)

• Decision Making

• Organizational Awareness

• Self-Direction

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 basically sedentary, but a great deal of walking to all parts of the Medical Center is required since the incumbent will be working with a variety of clinical and administrative services.

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.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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.

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• Benefits

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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 window

Learn more about federal benefits.

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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.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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.

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.