This Blind Rehabilitation Specialist position services as a Visual Impairment Service Team (VIST) Coordinator. The VIST Coordinator develops, implements, directs and evaluates the Visual Impairment Service (VIS) Team program at the Lee County VA Clinic. The VIST Coordinator has major responsibility for the coordination of all services for visually impaired Veterans and Service members and their families through the Visual Impairment Services Team.

Duties

The VIST Coordinator is responsible for following a model of lifetime care coordination offered to all Veterans with visual impairment who are eligible to receive services. The model requires varying degrees of interventions based on the clinical and psychosocial needs of each Veteran. The Visual Impairment Service Team Coordinator case manages patient care and support services to an adult population of patients, which are characterized by a very significant number of older male patients as well as young OEF/OIF Veterans who may have wound and trauma related vision loss. The primary age of patients treated and cared for at Bay Pines VAMC historically has been at the geriatric level although there are frequently younger veterans between the ages of 18 and 65 who require care. Within these broad categorizations, the employee must tailor patient care and support services to meet the needs of the individual patient, male or female and from different cultures. This includes the responsibility for assessment of each patient's needs and assuring the delivery of services that are responsive to the concerns of individual patients to the extent possible. VIST Coordinators are responsible for Program Administration, Outreach and Education, Case Management, and treatment. Duties include but are not limited to: Developing a strong VIS Team program by providing effective leadership and high visibility at the VA facility. Managing VIST roster accuracy. Building/developing a strong VIS Team with membership consisting of Service Chiefs or designates who are in a position to implement policy. Conducting VIS Team meetings. Identifying gaps in services and/or programs and revising care in consultation with supervisor /VIS Team/management/Blind Rehabilitation National Consultant. Participating and developing quality assurance and quality improvement activities with oversight from the program office. Developing written policies/procedures/documentation for VIST program to meet Joint Commission standards. Completing written narrative reports and presenting same as requested for VA medical facility and national program office. Developing educational materials, in a variety of media that can be utilized to help achieve VIST outreach goals and objectives. Providing in-service educational training for VA and non-VA agencies and personnel. Seeking to improve others' awareness regarding blindness issues and services. Utilizing developed methodologies to identify Veterans who may be eligible for VIST program services, to include identifying blind Veterans from VA medical center encounters and diagnostic codes entered in electronic medical records. Educating VA medical center staff on the functional implications of vision loss, blind rehabilitation matters and services. Participate in community outreach activities. Providing care coordination and overview of all the Veteran's blind rehabilitation needs. Determining the intensity of services based upon clinical judgment and the Veteran's goals. Assuring that legally blind patients have this status in their problem lists. Performing assessments to establish Veterans' needs as they relate to the continuum of vision treatment services. Referring Veterans to the appropriate service component in the continuum of care for visually impaired Veterans. Developing focused treatment plans containing goals to meet the Veterans' needs. Collaborating closely with Blind Rehabilitation/clinical staff for coordination of care. Completing required patient record documentation that is meaningful, accurate, timely and concise. Inputting referrals/required information in national Blind Rehabilitation database to avoid fragmented care. Providing follow-up for rehabilitation services that the Veteran has received. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Compressed/Flexible:Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be approved for highly qualified candidates. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education-(Transcripts Submitted). Applicants must have earned: A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major field of study in blind or vision rehabilitation, closely related program in rehabilitation, special education for the visually impaired, family and consumer science education, or technology and industrial arts education .OR, A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (without a major field of study as outlined in (1)(a) above) that included, or was supplemented by, at least one of the following: At least 30 semester hours of directly related, upper level undergraduate courses (e.g., at least 200-course level or higher, or as identified by the college or university). One full year of directly related graduate level coursework (typically at least 15 - 18 semester hours). A certificate from an accredited college or university in the core curriculum in orientation and mobility, vision rehabilitation therapy, assistive technology for blind and visually impaired individuals, or low vision therapy and a directly related practicum/internship in the occupation, either included in the degree or post-degree. Foreign Graduates must have proof of a minimum of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (or foreign equivalent, as verified through an independent credential evaluation company), with a specialization in blind rehabilitation. Certification-(Submitted). (Applicants must possess at least one active, current, full and unrestricted certification to be eligible for appointment. Certification must be granted by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP), or another equivalent, closely related professional credential in special education or rehabilitation. NOTE: The ACVREP administers four certification programs: Low Vision Therapy, Orientation and Mobility, Assistive Technology Instruction and Vision Rehabilitation Therapy. They may then use the designation for the certification they hold. BRS VIST Coordinators may be drawn from traditional bind/vision rehabilitation backgrounds, and from counseling backgrounds such as social work, vocational rehabilitation counseling, etc. VIST Coordinators must be credentialed/certified through: Any certification via the ACVREP OR Individuals appointed based on experience as a Social Worker must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Note: A Doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the Master's degree in Social Work. OR Individuals appointed based on experience in other health care occupations must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice in their field. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: GS-12 BRS VIST Coordinator (Full Performance Level) Experience. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, completion of a minimum of one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to GS-11. Certification. VIST Coordinators must meet the certification requirements listed above in the GS-11. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the KSA's described at the GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSA's: Skill to effectively communicate both orally and in writing with staff at all organizational levels with Veterans and their family members with community groups and individuals with varying degrees of understanding. Ability to assess Veterans having diverse and multiple disabilities to make recommendations for therapeutic interventions. Skill in writing a blind vision rehabilitation plan that includes evaluation information from multiple disciplines and contains observable measurable goals that identify specific outcomes. Knowledge of VA and non VA blind and low vision rehabilitation treatment programs. Skill in interpersonal relationships dealing with patients employees other team leaders managers and other stakeholders. Knowledge of psychological rehabilitation and counseling theories and principles. Ability to coordinate with various resources to identify and refer Veterans to suitable training programs. Ability to apply decision making principles to adjust programs on a day-to-day basis to develop short term and long range goals and to plan for future utilization of resources. References: VA Handbook 5005/109, Appendix G41, dated March 13, 2019

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 CW Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 10000 Bay Pines Boulevard Bay Pines, FL 33744 US
• Name: Janice Lord
• Phone: 207-800-5649
• Email: [email protected]