This position is organizationally aligned under Nursing Service - at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL (537) - a complexity level 1b facility. The primary purpose of this position is to perform technician and supportive related work that contributes to the health and wellbeing of the Veteran population served, while contributing to improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity of the Outpatient Mental Health Residential Units.

Duties

Duties include assisting the interdisciplinary treatment team (Physicians/Psychiatrists, Midlevel Providers, Registered Nurses, Psychologists, Social Workers, Pharmacists, other mental health providers) in monitoring patient progress via the established treatment plan. Intervenes when necessary to motivate the patient toward adherence to the treatment plan. The Technician may participate and engage in various small group interventions and clinical engagements aligned with the unit's recovery-based model. Monitoring the patient will at times be under the direction of the team or at the discretion of the Technician. Various techniques are used to assess the patient to achieve optimum level of functioning and the Technician communicates this information to the treatment team. This assessment examines patient ability to perform activities of daily living, psychosocial needs, health status, rehabilitation goals, and other aspects pertinent to development of a care plan by the team. Participates in individual and group education and counseling under the guidance of appropriate clinical staff assigned to the treatment team. The general guidance for individual and group sessions will be determined by the assigned treatment team, but the Technician will use discretion and judgment in conducting the sessions. Work is generally conducted without direct supervision, and results would be based on patient, family, and staff satisfaction. Serves as an advocate for the Veteran through an awareness of patient problems and needs while in residential treatment. Communicates with staff, family members, and others interested in the patient's care to resolve problems and difficulties associated with adjustment to a structured and supportive environment. Resolution of problems may be either based on independent interventions or in consultation with the treatment team. Demonstrates positive personal belief in the mission of the programs leading to enhancement of quality of life for patients and supports movement of the patient to the next level of care when ready. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, including weekend and holidays, Shifts, 07:30 am - 4:00 pm Days, 3:30pm -12:00am Evening, 11:30pm - 08:00am Nights Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Rehabilitation Technician/PD21245A

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, facility applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. All non-facility applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/18/2023. Preferred Experience: Associate degree in psychology or its equivalent, at least one year experience working within an inpatient psychiatric hospital and Prior experience conducting group therapy sessions, documenting required and Basic Life Support (BLS) required. Basic - Individual Occupational Requirement: Experience - GS-4: Experience that involved the observation of and assistance in the application of techniques relating to behavior, capacities, traits, interests, and activities of either humans or, under laboratory conditions, animals. Experience may have been gained in connection with a program of research or direct services in psychology that gave a practical understanding of some of the principles, methods, and techniques of psychology needed to assist professional psychologists. OR Education and training GS-4: Successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in courses such as psychology, statistics, or other directly related subjects. In addition to the basic requirement as stated above the following is the experience requirement to qualify at the GS-7 grade level in this occupation. Specialized Experience - GS-07: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-6) 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 of standard administration and procedures for the variety of psychological treatment approaches used and includes a basic working knowledge of the principles and concepts of clinical psychology, particularly psychometric principles; Good understanding of psychiatric therapy and the typical clinical presentations of patients with moderate to severe disorders; and Ability to communicate, both verbally and in writing, relevant patient behavior obtained by informed observation and interaction with patients. There is no educational substitution in the occupation at the GS-7 grade level, however one (1) year of graduate level education may be substituted for experience at the GS-7 grade level only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. Transcript required. 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 will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Education and TrainingInterpersonal SkillsOral CommunicationPatient CarePsychology 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: Evidence of experience, must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held. Please provide such documentation on your application or resume. Also, please provide work experience information such as hours per week and starting/ending dates of employment (month and year format) to establish one (1) full year of experience. The requirement for this proof is specified in the "How to Apply" section of this announcement. To be credible, experience must be documented in the application and verifiable through employment references and/or other means. *Your resume must support your answers in the occupational questionnaire. Physical Requirements: The work requires frequent walking. The employee sits comfortably when completing clinical documentations. Other activities include standing, pushing of light items such as vital signs machine, and minimal lifting less than 20 pounds. The work may require special physical demands during therapeutic hold and or therapeutic containment when responding to disruptive behaviors. Work Environment: The work is environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as a medical facility office. There is adequate light, heat, and ventilation in the work area. 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 Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 820 South Damen Avenue Chicago, IL 60612 US
• Name: Larry LaRoche
• Phone: 708-202-8387 X28161
• Email: [email protected]