The primary purpose of the position is to act as a communicator, facilitator, and problem solver for patients entering or receiving care within the VA Healthcare System. The position is located in Behavioral Health Service at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, WA.

Duties

Independently handle a wide range of difficult contacts and complex situations, including eligibility concerns. Utilize multiple electronic health records and health information systems to monitor appointment timeliness and ensure care is not lost to follow-up. Act on behalf of the patient covering a variety of questions and issues involving problem resolution and patient advocacy. Provide information and assistance to Veterans and family members regarding benefits, entitlement, and eligibility to health care and Veteran benefits. Assist, when necessary, with completion of administrative tasks in conjunction with the application of benefits. Develop rapport and maintain effective relations with medical center personnel at all levels, i.e., management, supervision, professional staff, technicians, administrative and clerical staff. Communicate with individuals of different education, environmental, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Participate and assist in planning and executing outreach events for the purpose of providing education and expedited access to enrollment in VA health care. Will be proficient regarding VA healthcare and benefits. Maintain relationships with military installation points of contact and community agencies providing services for Post 9/11 Service Member Veterans and their families. Assist post 9/11 Service Member Veterans in understanding their rights and responsibilities. Collaborate with Veterans' service organizations, community groups, and others whose interest is in helping and protecting Veterans, their families, and their representatives. Interpret the VISN and medical center's mission, policies, procedures, and available resources and/or services to the patient and presents the patient's problems, opinions and needs to appropriate staff and management. Explain entitlements to patients and their families. Assist patients and their families with completion of paperwork to obtain certain benefits. Possess skill in interviewing, knowledge of the process of inquiring, knowledge of counseling principles, and record keeping techniques. Utilization of analytical ability is required in reviewing policies, identifying existing problems and potential problem areas and suggesting solutions or alternatives to existing procedures which may contribute to those problems. Possess knowledge of medical terminology and VA nomenclature used with a variety of administrative diagnostic and treatment procedures provided to all categories of patients. Effectively review and interpret information contained in medical and administrative records. Be responsive to new and different requests associated with each unique Veteran condition and situation to facilitate prompt treatment. Assist with ensuring a smooth transition from one treatment facility to another. Responsible for the Post 9/11 Case Management Screening report and completes screenings daily to offer case management and benefits education to all new Post 9/11 Veterans. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad-Hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Patient Representative/PD705820 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, 11/03/2023. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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: Evaluating data to identify discrepancies to develop solutions or alternatives to existing procedures; advising and assisting Veterans resolve complaints in obtaining benefits, or entitlements; utilizing multiple electronic health records or health information systems; establishing and maintaining effective communication with Veterans, their families, and medical staff. ~OR~ Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or a LL.M., if related. ~OR~ Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education of a successfully completed Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or a LL.M. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Conflict ManagementInterpersonal EffectivenessVeteran and Customer Focus 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: A moderate level of physical energy is required. May be expected to meet with many people in many different locations in the course of a work week. It is expected that a portion of the services provided will be conducted away from the office, in the office of other agencies, in non-traditional settings, and in military, Reserve and National Guard facilities. The nature of the job requires travel throughout an assigned geographical area away from the work setting. 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 Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 4815 North Assembly Street Spokane, WA 99205 US
• Name: Vanessa Taylor
• Phone: (816) 398-2192
• Email: [email protected]