The position serves as a Recreation Assistant for the Whole Health System at Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS) and reports to the Whole Health System Program Director within the Ambulatory Care service line. The Recreation Assistant provides instruction in a variety of mind-body wellness classes and recreational activities to Veterans. The position conducts well-being classes, either group or individual, for the purpose of promoting, preserving, or restoring health and well-being.

Duties

Duties: Prepares and sets up well-being class setting and equipment to support scheduled events. Instructs Veterans on the safe use of well-being equipment. Provides simple accurate instruction in mind-body wellness classes and recreational activities. Combines physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation appropriate for the level of the class. Adapts well-being protocols to match patient ability and physical and mental limitations. Communicates potential contraindications for every pose and practice. Discusses with class participants any limitations in the patient's ability to practice mind-body wellness classes and recreational activities (yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, mindful meditation, etc.). Provides written instruction for 'at home' and 'self-care' practices suggested in class. Enters progress notes into electronic medical record for mind-body wellness classes. Records attendance.at classes in medical records, noting any precautions or clinically relevant outcomes. Takes action and reports emergencies, medical or behavioral incidents. Engages in ongoing program improvement activities. Coordinates with other staff members concerning the use of well-being facilities for activities and develops and maintains a calendar of programs and activities. Develops marketing requests and advertising efforts for special events to encourage participation in well-being programs. Recommends additions, deletions, or changes to facility rules and operating procedures. Conducts regular inspections and inventories of resources including equipment, supplies, and educational materials. Submits requests for repairs, new supplies or equipment, and other support essential to the provision of quality services to the Whole Health System Program Director in a timely manner. Participates in creating new well-being classes when requested. Identifies mind-body wellness classes and recreational activity (yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, mindful meditation, etc.) resources in local communities. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Recreation Assistant/PD03496A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/04/2023. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR): To qualify you must possess the following: Specialized Experience: Group leader, counselor, or similar work in public and private recreation programs for adults or children such as summer camps, local playgrounds, YWCA and YMCA clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, urban community centers, or resort recreational activities. Teacher's aid in elementary school recreation or physical education program, with emphasis on development of general recreational skills and abilities. Aid or assistant assignments in recreation while on active military service. Aid or assistant in the organization and administration of recreation activities, such as preparing activities calendars, maintaining attendance records, and providing information concerning schedules and activities. Summer aid in a State or national park, with duties related to the recreational activities of visitors to campsites, trails, picnic areas, nature, and raft centers, and boating and fishing areas (e.g., demonstrating camping techniques and park safety, conducting nature tours, and overseeing farm animal areas provided for children). Sales or stock clerk in a recreation supplies and equipment shop. Aid or assistant in the issuance of authorized property, and in the maintenance of inventory control and accountability for such property in a recreation facility. Aid or assistant in a hotel or resort recreation service, with duties such as setting up areas for games, tournaments, and other organized group recreational activities. In addition to meeting the above Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR), applicants must also meet the specialized experience and/or education below. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade 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 facilitating group yoga classes, required; Experience facilitating group tai chi/Qigong classes. Experience facilitating group mindfulness classes. Experience employing patient-centered communication skills, including active listening, motivational interviewing, and setting SMART goals. Experience with virtual and information technologies. Experience working collaboratively with an interdisciplinary care team; Experience with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Whole Health initiative. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have graduate education or an internship with courses directly related to the occupation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position (transcripts required).. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationDecision MakingEducation and TrainingPlanning 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: The work requires considerable physical exertion in order to perform the assigned duties. 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.

Contacts

• Address Biloxi VA Medical Center 400 Veterans Avenue Biloxi, MS 39531 US
• Name: Angela Fortenberry
• Phone: (601) -383-0370
• Email: [email protected]