This position serves as the Government Information Specialist for Central Alabama VA Health Care System. This work involves implementing policies and procedures to manage Government information and providing information-related assistance and services to the public and VA staff members. The work requires interpreting and applying laws, regulations, policies, and guidance to provide access to VA agency records and information, while ensuring protected information is appropriately disclosed.

Duties

Major duties include, but are not limited to: Implement, manage, and evaluate the Privacy and Freedom of Information Act programs. Developing facility website content regarding privacy and FOIA programs. Coordinate program implementation and management with higher organizational levels and prepares required Annual FOIA Report and other requested reports and information. Develop facility privacy and FOIA policies and procedures in compliance with Department and Administration privacy policies and ensure appropriate implementation within the facility. Process complaints and investigates allegations of illegal or improper activities related to the handling or release of privacy protected information. Investigate data breaches, involve union representation when required, and recommend appropriate remediation. Monitor compliance with program requirements for uses and disclosures of individually identifiable information, right of access requests, amendment requests, accounting of disclosures, activities surrounding facility directory opt-out and confidential communication options to Veterans. Initiate and conduct internal compliance reviews, assessments and audits within the facility, Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC), and local Business Associates. Evaluate confidential personal records that, if released, would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Develop facility-specific privacy and FOIA training materials, as needed, and provide training within the facility to staff. employees, students, contractors and volunteers. Keep abreast of recent developments in the field of disclosure, including recent court and department decisions, current legislative resolutions or problems encountered within the FOIA program. Ensure all facility developed forms including paper, electronic and web-based that collect personal information, contain the appropriate Privacy Act statements. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Government Information Specialist/PD394500 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, 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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 as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade, GS-11, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge and experience in federal and state privacy laws, including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), in relation to information privacy laws, confidentiality, regulations, policies, and guidance. Experience implementing, managing and monitoring Privacy and FOIA programs, formulating policy, ensuring compliance with federal and state laws; conducts research of implementing regulations and policies and procedures to manage agency/organization information; analyzing data collected from monitoring activities to identify trends and risks. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Manages and Organizes Information Decisiveness Management Improvement Studies 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: There are no unusual physical demands. The work is performed in an office setting. Incumbent is required to perform privacy walk­throughs throughout the facility, travel to surrounding Clinic Based Outpatient Clinics, and visit local Business Associates place of business. 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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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 Central Alabama VA Medical Center-Montgomery 215 Perry Hill Road Montgomery, AL 36109 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]