The Long Beach VA Health Care System is currently recruiting one (1) Program Support Assistant position in Blind Rehabilitation Service in Long Beach, CA. The incumbent provides principal administrative and management support for the Visual Impairment Service Team (VIST) program.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to: Work with a sensitive population (catastrophically disabled legally blind or visually impaired veterans and families) as well as various medical center staff, professionals who make critical referrals, and community-based agencies. Possesses experience in handling escalated conflicts and problems when dealing with customer(s) constructively and appropriately. Provide the customer with accurate and consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Receive walk-in visitors and Veterans and answers telephone calls; personally, answers inquiries within the area of responsibility, and uses good judgment to prioritize issues. Prepare and tracks Blind Rehabilitation Center admission applications. Manage mail, correspondence, newsletters and reports. Receives, screens, and routes incoming mail. Prepare answers to routine, non-technical, and with research and consultation, technical correspondence, requests for general information, and recurring reports. Prepare and process appropriate VA Release forms for request of outside medical/eye records and/or release of VA information (certification forms, handicap parking forms, etc.), tracks timeframe for receipt of information. Coordinate meetings with various staff, prepare necessary handouts and agenda, writes minutes of meetings, and disseminates minutes to the appropriate staff and administration. Compile and/or prepare reports and/or information for reports for the VIST program as directed. Enter pertinent VIST information into an automated tracking system. Maintain automated tracking system of program-specific data to track patient scheduling, patient flow, staff workload capture, program development milestones, progress reports, expenditure, compliance strategies, etc. Assist in the coordination and delivery of services to the visually impaired veteran population, program planning, and quality management. Ability to schedule appointments for clinics preferred. Ability to advise and troubleshoot outpatient Veteran equipment issues 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. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday through Friday (7:30am - 4:00pm) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD009015O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/20/2023. 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-5 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-4. For a GS-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. 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: GS-5 Requirements: The incumbent will serve in a developmental assignment, to provide the individual with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the full range of duties as described in the target position description. The full performance GS-0303-06. Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting time in grade requirements, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Ensure that all pertinent information is gathered and entered into automated systems in a timely and accurate manner; Collects, compiles and/or tracks data for the preparation of statistical, financial and/or administrative reports on an ad hoc or recurring basis; Independently prepares written documents such as correspondence, memoranda, reports, pamphlets and similar documents daily; Handles conflict and problems in dealing with customers constructively and appropriately.OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4 years above high school education. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. (NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.) GS-6 Requirements: This is the full performance level for this position. Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting time in grade requirements, 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: Ensure that all pertinent information is gathered and entered into automated systems in a timely and accurate manner; Collects, compiles and/or tracks data for the preparation of statistical, financial and/or administrative reports on an ad hoc or recurring basis; Independently prepares written documents such as correspondence, memoranda, reports, pamphlets and similar documents daily; Handles conflict and problems in dealing with customers constructively and appropriately. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:Attention to DetailClericalManages and Organizes InformationTechnical 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: The work is generally sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the job. However, occasional walking, standing, bending, and carrying light items such as files, books, or boxes containing supplies or items are mailed. No particular physical demands are required to perform the work. 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

IMPORTANT: 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 Long Beach VA Medical Center 5901 East Seventh Street Long Beach, CA 90822 US
• Name: Mary Almonte
• Email: [email protected]