This position serves as the Privacy and Freedom of Information Act Specialist in a VHA facility. The Privacy/FOIA Specialist contributes to the fulfillment of the VA mission and vision by assisting in planning, designing, implementing, and maintaining appropriate and effective program, policies, and procedures in a VHA facility.

Duties

Duties include but not limited to: Plans and designs the Privacy Program. Develops, implements and maintains the privacy program for the Medical Center, its campuses, and community based outpatient clinics in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Freedom of Information, Privacy Act, VA and VHA policies, directives, regulations and programs. Prepares and disseminates operating procedures and guidance on privacy-related issues and activities such as patient privacy, confidentiality and security that promote commitment to privacy and address specific areas. Ensures the Medical Center staff and employees are aware of the Acts and regulations. Develops monitoring procedures to assess the Health Care System's compliance with privacy criteria. Develops the Annual Privacy Plan and coordinates with the Information Security Officer on developing the Annual Security Plan. Apprises the Health Care System Director and/or Associate and Assistant Director of any issues of concern relating to privacy activities, procedures and addresses the medical facilities unique compliance challenges and educational/training needs. Develops and presents education and training programs to communicate privacy information. Develops seminars and training based on the Acts, VA policies and directives, analyses of the Health Care System's operations, reviews, reports and observations. Identifies and addresses risk areas, including results from consultant reviews/internal reviews. Includes staff and employees in operational areas that would be affected by revisions to current processes and procedures. Ensures that staff maintains an adequate understanding of privacy and its importance to the mission of the Health Care System. Develops a formal mechanism for documenting and tracking privacy training. Provides authoritative guidance to management, medical staff and individual departments so that clinical, research and administrative managers are aware of their continual responsibility for ensuring privacy compliance in their respective area. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm, 8:00am to 4:30pm, 8:30am to 5:00pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Telework: This position may be authorized for telework per agency. Position Description/PD#: Government Information Specialist/PD549-9179-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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, 10/10/2023. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Maintain records in accordance with records management; Prepare responses to inquiries/complaints; develop policies and procedures; effective oral and written communication.. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related.. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 6 months of specialized experience equivalent to GS-7 and 1 year of graduate level education. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Interpersonal Skills Self Management Technical 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 sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. 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: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

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 Dallas VA Medical Center 4500 South Lancaster Road Dallas, TX 75216 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]