The incumbent serves as the Secretary to the Chief of Behavioral Health Service (BHS), and provides administrative support to Behavioral Health Service staff.

Duties

The BHS staff is comprised of various professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric residents, social workers, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, addiction therapists, vocational rehabilitation specialists, psychology technicians, program support assistants, an administrative officer, licensed vocational nurses, medical support assistants, work study students and volunteers. This position requires excellent relational and communication skills; advanced knowledge of and experience with computers, oral and written skills, and the ability to work with others, particularly the veteran population. Advanced knowledge of basic data software, such as; Excel, Access, and/or background to master new software packages is critical. Knowledge of and experience in working with military veterans and their family members within a medical/psychiatric environment. Time management skills and a high level of judgment are necessary. This position requires independence of action, general latitude for decision making, and knowledge of information sources concerning complex questions, policies, and procedures within the Veterans Affairs and community. The incumbent is responsible for medical and personnel administrative and management assistance in the BHS patient care program. Manages the daily operation of clinical functions and continuity of workflow for the professional staff. Maintains appointments, calendars, schedules appointments, coordinates meetings, schedules conferences, maintains the calendars and manages the scheduling for three conference rooms within the service area. The incumbent answers caller and visitor questions regarding a variety of subjects relating to the Behavioral Health Service, VA programs, complaints, and general information. Uses own judgment and knowledge of the programs and the clinics to meet the callers' needs independently. Determines the urgency of calls and refers calls to the appropriate staff as needed. Independently resolves problems and patient complaints referring only those requiring intervention from the Chief, staff members, the Patient Advocate, or other clinics. Handles situations with patients who are irate, assaultive, emotionally unstable and/or potentially violent on a routine basis. The secretary controls all correspondence and action documents, maintains suspense on action documents, and informs the Chief of all action documents. When appropriate, independently assigns staff to respond to action items and establishes and maintains suspense calendar. Reads incoming correspondence, screens items to be handled personally and distributes the remainder appropriately. Composes correspondence to respond to incoming correspondence for the Chiefs signature and may assist other BHS staff with correspondence preparation as requested. Composes a wide variety of correspondence utilizing knowledge of the BHS and VA medical care program, regulations, station policies and procedures, and clinical functions. Composes all correspondence of a routine nature. Ensures outgoing correspondence is in compliance with procedures and edits for correct spelling and grammar. The incumbent demonstrates proficiency in writing, editing, and the use of a variety of formats for correspondence and production. The incumbent works closely with the Personnel Service and serves as liaison for the Chief of BHS, clinicians and staff. Maintains position descriptions, functional statements, competency files for all BHS staff, proficiency evaluations, organizational charts, physicals, licensures, etc. as required by The Joint Commission. Prepares requests for personnel actions; Professional Standards Board actions; proficiency reports and performance standards. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Adhoc: (Employees who telework on an occasional, episodic, or short-term basis, and have completed required telework training and telework agreement.) (Portion of day acceptable) 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#: Secretary (OA)/PD029080 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Note: This is a Barganing Unit Position.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/13/2023. 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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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 described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Must possess skills and abilities to ensure continuity of workflow and program operations. Ability to multitask and the ability to prioritize items in order of urgency and manage workload. Must possess telephone, communication skills and experience with data management. Knowledge of Microsoft Office to include Word, Power Point, Outlook, Excel, and Access is required to prepare reports and analyze data. Skill in operating a personal computer and various software packages as well as the capability to learn new software packages quickly in order to organize and maintain a wide variety of functions is critical. Ability to manage multiple deadlines and tasks with several projects. Skill with formatting documents in order to prepare and proofread correspondence, reports, and other written production, this includes skills with grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Note: Applicants must possess a minimum typing speed of 40 words per minute. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Clerical Compliance Control Funds 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 sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. 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 the GS-06 grade level.

Contacts

• Address El Paso VA Clinic 5001 North Piedras Street El Paso, TX 79930 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]