This position is located at the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center, Iron Mountain, MI (585) - a Level 3 Complexity VHA Facility and is organizationally aligned under the Chief of Staff. This position is responsible for the delivery of Healthcare Navigation to the local medical center's population of Native American Veterans living in rural areas. Healthcare Navigation is a program that facilitates the use of VA care that is tailored to the needs of individual Veterans.

Duties

Major Duties: Conducts visits with Native American Veterans via telehealth and at-home visits for Veterans who cannot travel to VA facilities. Assists Native American Veterans in communicating their preferences for care and personal health related goals in order to facilitate shared decision making in the Native American Veteran's care. Educates and supports Native American Veterans and their families and helps identify resources and support tailored to the needs and desires of the Native American Veteran, as well as options for acquiring knowledge and skills to promote self-management of health and wellness. Works with Veterans to identify and make use of internal/external supports and service needs to optimize the Native American Veteran's ability to access and maintain connection with healthcare services. Reviews health care goals with the Native American Veteran, conducts regular non-clinical barrier reviews, and provides linkage to resources needed to support healthcare goals. Assists Native American Veterans in locating community services, outreach, and internal/external linkages to resources, which include, but are not limited to, housing, financial benefits, transportation. Assists outreach program staff in implementing facility programs and projects related to Native American affairs. Analyzes programs and establishes criteria for assessing program effectiveness. Provides technical assistance, guidance, and support to facility in the program area. Provides training and education related to the Native American Veteran population within the VA system through individual and group presentations and meetings. Educates Native American Veterans on VA services, attend outreach evens, and educates local staff on culturally appropriate care. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm 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 (Rural Native American Veteran Healthcare Navigator)/PD235220 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, 12/15/2023. 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-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: BASIC REQUIREMENT: You MUST meet the Basic Requirements and the Minimum Qualifications to qualify for this Social Science Program Specialist (Rural Native American Veteran Healthcare Navigator). BASIC EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT: Four (4) years of appropriate experience in a position that demonstrates I have the acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. NOTE: Your experience must be fully documented in your resume and must include job title; duties; month & year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. ~OR~ BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: 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. NOTE: Official/unofficial transcripts must be submitted with your application or your application will not be reviewed. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ COMBINATION OF BASIC EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of education and experience that included courses equivalent to a major in behavioral or social science or a subject-matter field appropriate to this position, plus appropriate experience that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a 4-year course of study described above. The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform work in this occupation. NOTE: If you qualify by a combination, transcripts are required, and your experience must be detailed in your resume. In addition to meeting the above requirements, you must also meet one of the following minimum requirements for the grade level that you are applying. To qualify for this position at the GS-09 level, you must meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Maintenance of confidentiality of patient/incumbent information, electronic and print. How to work and function in the Hospital in a safe manner, including infection control and the correct operation of equipment. The Hospital performance improvement program. Knowledge of hospital policies, directives, and operating procedures. Knowledge of rules and regulations regarding eligibility, enrollment, income assessment, and insurance for veterans' medical care. Comprehensive knowledge in quality improvement measures. Knowledge of local Native American/American Indian Tribes and Indian culture within the catchment. Ability to plan, set priorities, coordinate activities and deal effectively with people. Skill in using oral and written communication.. OR, Education: Successfully completed two (2) 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, Combination: Combinations 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: CommunicationCritical ThinkingCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)Problem SolvingSelf-Management 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 primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. Regular travel (approximately 50%) will be required via road vehicle to Tribal communities. Air travel may be required occasionally for program training or meetings. 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 Oscar G Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility 325 East H Street Iron Mountain, MI 49801 US
• Name: John Newingham
• Phone: 906-774-3300 X32284
• Email: [email protected]