The position is a non-clinical position that provides veterans with an approach to health care that empowers and equips them to take charge of their health and well-being to live their lives to their fullest, with a focus on facilitation skills and mindful awareness. The position will engage with veterans in a group-based format and individually.

Duties

This position serves as a Whole Health Partner (Social Services Assistant) on the multi-disciplinary Whole Health Team. Whole Health promotes personalized, proactive care, and affirms the importance of relationships between patients and their healthcare team. They will have extensive knowledge of the Whole Health System of Care transformation of healthcare delivery. This includes promoting values-based behavior change, self-care, and complementary integrative approaches to healthcare. Major Duties Provides information and advocates for Veterans' personal health goals and plan, and shared goals with clinical care team by partnering with Veterans in completing a Personal Health Inventory and exploring aspects of a Personal Health Plan in group and individual settings. Provides information of how to navigate the whole health system and orient Veterans new to the program about the services, hours, locations, staff, tools, resources, and other pertinent information necessary for the Veteran to understand the program and how to utilize the program. Assists the Veterans to explore core elements of personal health planning, exploration of what matters to the Veteran, self-assessment using the components of health and well-being, identification of goals and potential actions in self-care areas, and identification of support and follow-up to implement a plan. Utilizes strong relational and facilitation skills, the position acts as a Veteran' point of contact to navigate through the Whole Health program (pathway, health and well-being programs, clinical care). Assists the veteran in exploring options for participating in individual or group programs to explore the following core elements: Exploration of What Matters; Self-Assessment using Components of Health and Wellbeing/COH; Set goals/actions; identify support/follow-up. Facilitates in-person and virtual group programs aimed at exploring the components of health and well-being, informs Veterans about community and mutual supports and how to use these to support health and well-being goals. Community resources may include, but are not limited to, consumer-run self-help and mutual support services, social security office, Department of Family and Children Services, local YMCA, library, Veterans' service organizations, etc. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm, but may require rotating tours, holidays, and weekends. 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 Services Assistant (Whole Health Partner)/PD08832A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not require

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/31/2023. 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-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: 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. The 0186 series requires specific education and/or experience to be met in order to be appointed into a position of this series. Examples of the Individual Occupational Requirement Experiences as set by Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for this occupation and grade level may include, but are not limited to: serving as a group leader in community or residential recreation or training programs; serving as a counselor in a youth summer camp; serving as an instructor in a training program for the development of job skills; performing work that demonstrated the ability to be responsible for and to lead and train members of a job crew; serving as a group activities leader in the Armed Services; serving as a unit leader-monitor-proctor for a dormitory group in a boarding school or other residential facility; serving as an aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff in such fields as personnel (private or government), employment guidance in a vocational or academic institution, social service, or manpower development; serving as an aid or assistant to professional or associate staff engaged in work of a social services nature in private, public welfare, government program, or community organizations, or in voluntary activities; serving as an aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff working with individuals who are addicted to or abuse alcohol and/or drugs. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed at least one-half year of graduate level education (9 semester hours above a Bachelor's degree) or an internship in course matter that must include courses directly related to the work of the Social Services Assistant position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the Social Services Assistant position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. PREFERRED EXPERIENCE: Technical skills with virtual meeting platforms, Microsoft Suite, and other applicable programs Prior group facilitation experience and teaching skills Strong oral and written communication skills You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationCustomer ServiceOrganizational AwarenessTeam Building 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 will involve using a laptop computer at docking stations in staff cubicles/office space, outpatient treatment rooms, and group/conference rooms. The work will involve walking around to different workspaces within the clinic and thus conveying a patient- centered environment where providers go to the patient. The physical demands include presenting oneself in an energetic way to create positive attitudes about health and well-being for Veterans, families, VA employees, and stakeholders. The position is responsible for participating in and facilitating group-based and individual classes for Veteran patients and must be able to move from site to site to facilitate such classes. 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 VA St Louis Health Care System 1 Jefferson Barracks Drive St. Louis, MO 63125 US
• Name: Arleen Farias Tapia
• Phone: 407-590-7851
• Email: [email protected]