This position is administratively aligned under Recreation Therapy Section within the Extended Care and Rehabilitation service line. The Recreation Assistant organizes, coordinates, schedules and implements a program of therapeutic and free-choice recreation activities for designated patient groups that consist of young adults to geriatric patients with simple to complex psychiatric and/or physical disabilities.

Duties

Major duties include, but are not limited to: Responsible for planning and implementing recreation activities for designated patient groups. Plan and implement activities for patient groups that consist of young adults to geriatric patients with simple or complex psychiatric and/or physical abilities. Adapt activities to provide enjoyable and therapeutically oriented activities that educate, motivate and entertain patients. Utilize a wide range of activities, modalities, and/or motivational techniques to stimulate patient interest and participation. Prepare medical record documentation to document the progress of patients, responses to interventions, or unusual incidents. Work closely with Recreation Therapists and Patient Care Product Lines in planning regular therapy sessions and special events. Communicate with a wide variety of individuals that have diverse backgrounds, ages, education levels, and professional status, internally and externally. Establish, maintain, and foster business relationships with affiliating institutions, state, and local agencies. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00m (occasional Holidays, weekends and nights) Position Description/PD#: Recreation Assistant/PD90145A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Bargaining Unit Status: yes/AFGE Financial Disclosure Report: Not required The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/15/2023. 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. 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-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Address customers in a courteous manner that reflects favorably on the Medical Center and promotes pride and goodwill in self, service, and Medical Center; adapts various activities to wide range of participant interests and needs, and to meet the limitation of funds, facilities, equipment, volunteers, and other staff support available; responsible for planning and implementing recreation activities for designated patient groups, including both individual and group activities, appropriate to age, needs and interests of patients; arrange for supplies and services needed to accomplish scheduled recreation activities for Recreation Therapy Service; works closely with Recreation Therapists and interdisciplinary teams in planning special events, in addition to members of other disciplines, community agencies, volunteers, and commercial facilities. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Clinical Data Collection/DocumentationCommunicationPatient CareTechnical Competence 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: This position requires regular and reoccurring physical exertions, such as prolonged walking, standing, bending, reaching, stooping, climbing, and stretching to set up and take apart equipment and apparatus; lifting, handling and operating various supplies and equipment, lifting and repositioning patients, moderately heavy lifting (50 lbs or less), moving equipment and working in extreme temperatures may be required. 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.

Contacts

• Address St Cloud VA Medical Center 4801 Veterans Drive St Cloud, MN 56303 US
• Name: Meghan Brooks
• Phone: 515-699-5999 X23402
• Email: [email protected]