This position is responsible for the delivery of Whole Health Coaching and skill development of the local Medical Center's Whole Health Coach program, including provision of care through coaching and promotion and education regarding Whole Health Coaching to Veterans and staff. The position is integral to supporting Whole Health Coaches and Veterans in navigating the Whole Health Journey, specifically through the Pathway, Wellbeing, and Whole Health Clinical Care Elements.

Duties

Duties include but not limited to: Contacts eligible participants for enrollment and explain the health coaching process. Provides health coaching for Veterans in order to reduce or eliminate high-risk behaviors while increasing healthy ones. Conducts interventions for Veterans using one-on-one, couple, or group modalities in outpatient and inpatient settings. Conducts Whole Health Facilitated Groups; participate in MOVE, smoking cessation, diabetes management, hypertension clinics, mental health, and other inpatient and outpatient groups as appropriate. Provides follow-up care through telephone clinics or secure messaging between face-to-face appointments. Actively guides Veterans in the exploration of core elements of personal health planning through individual and group based programs. Reviews current health behaviors and develops customized treatment plans with Veterans. These plans include personalized goals, action steps and interventions. Individualize intervention strategies to help the client utilize existing skills and develop new ones to enhance success. Schedule ongoing sessions to assess progress and assist in navigating obstacles or challenges. Guide Veterans to learn about available support tools in the VA and the community that assist in attainment of goals. Coordinates care with Veterans' treatment providers, both primary and specialty care, to ensure identified goals are consistent with best practices for treatment and management of chronic illness. Utilizes motivational interviewing and health coaching techniques and processes, learned through prerequisite health coach training, to assist members in developing a realistic plan to accomplish their goals. Fosters an environment of individual responsibility to maximize each Veteran's ability to adhere to a lifestyle management plan. Develops trust with Veterans and incorporates trust principles in day-to-day activities. Works collaboratively within a team setting to provide positive outcomes for participants, peers and overall operations. Maintains education and knowledge regarding lifestyle (habits and behaviors) and clinical outcomes, including behaviors that improve Veterans' health and well-being and those related to poor clinical outcomes. Coordinates with others on the Veteran's health care team to ensure optimal patient care. Provides eligible Veterans and family members with information regarding lifestyle management including weight management, nutrition, exercise/fitness, smoking cessation, stress management, diabetes, pain management, and other appropriate conditions that are in line with the personalized health plan developed between the health care team and the patient, and in coordination with programs providing specific services when applicable, Uses VISTA, CPRS, Microsoft office software, Intranet and Internet and other applicable software to track and support patient progress. Communicate proactively and effectively with Veterans, peers and supervisors programs and access to Veterans. Collaborates with internal and external resources for supporting the Veteran's Whole Health Journey by employees to explain health coaching, including its uses and benefits. Participates in health fairs in the community. These activities can be planned in coordination with local Health Promotion and Disease. 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: Monday - Friday 8:0 am - 4:30 pm Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Social Science Program Specialist/PD99582S 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, 11/08/2023. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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:Basic Requirements. Successfully completed a full four (4) year course of study at an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree or higher, with a major study in behavioral science, social science, or related disciplines appropriate to this position. The number of semester hours required to constitute a major field of study is the amount specified by the college or university attended. If this number cannot be obtained, 24 semester hours will be considered as equivalent to a major field of study. OR, Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. OR, Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. In addition to these Basic Requirements, applicants must also meet the grade level requirements for this position: GS-7 Requirements One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal Service that equips me with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience may includes: working in a whole health or wellness coach program that included providing interventions that promote health and wellness, enhance well-being, and improve quality of life. Examples of specialized experience include assisting in determining patient goals, assessing patient progress, adjusting plans as necessary, etc. This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. OR Successfully completed one (1) full year of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a related field of the position to be filled. Education at the graduate level must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR I possess an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience as described above, to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume. GS-9 Requirements One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in the Federal Service that equips me with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience may includes: reviewing supporting material to determine compliance with regulations and policy requirements; assists in planning and implementing program(s) within a medical center setting; using creativity to engage employees and community partners in a newly developed program; developing training materials for staff educational needs; and experience using a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of program effectiveness. OR Successfully completed two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a related field of the position to be filled. Education at the graduate level must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR Possess an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience as described above, to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationData ManagementLeadershipTechnical 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: Regular and recurring work is mostly sedentary involving sitting at a desk, although the position requires the ability to move from one geographic location of the facility to another. Some physical effort such as standing, walking, bending or prolonged sitting may be required. The work places no special physical demands on the employee. 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 James E Van Zandt VA Medical Center 2907 Pleasant Valley Boulevard Altoona, PA 16602 US
• Name: Shanice Moore
• Email: [email protected]