The New Mexico VA Healthcare Network is recruiting for a Health Technician (OMH) Out-Patient Mental Health assigned to the Behavioral Health Care Line Service. The incumbent will maintain close contact with patients throughout the clinic visit from check-in to check out. They will monitor vital signs, observe patient behaviors, and reports to the Registered Nurse (RN) and/or Health Care Provider when appropriate.

Duties

The Health Technician (OMH) is accountable for adhering to established policies and procedures and for demonstrating self-direction, experience, and demonstrate self-direction in evaluating personal strengths and weaknesses and identify methods for self-development. Duties include, but are not limited to: Observe and provide for a safe environment for patients and others through monitoring, reporting and taking protective precautions with any hazards once they are observed. Provide for safety through use of asepsis (Universal Precautions) and isolation of patients when needed. Promote optimal patient and family functioning through assisting the registered nurse with education, offering and recording health information such as advanced directives or immunizations and observing patient's/family level of understanding. Communicate effectively with others in all aspects of their duties, working cooperatively as a team member. Interact with patients, visitors, staff, students, and volunteers in a courteous, helpful, cooperative, and compassionate manner. Receive written and verbal requests from health care professionals for a variety of difficult examinations and/or procedures. Provide nursing care to patients receiving intravenous (IV) therapy by placing an angiocath in the vein when drawing blood, observing IV sites and reporting signs of infiltration or inflammation to the nurse; and observing and reporting to the nurse when an infusion pump alarms. Secure patient's confidence and cooperation during procedures. Explain difficult procedures, position patients for desired results; and cushion and shield patients as appropriate. Vary and/or adjust procedure or position to accommodate patient's medical/psychiatric condition. Assist health care professionals in positioning patient during complex procedures; provide answers and/or comfort to patient during such procedures. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am-4:00 pm Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/PD10531O Compressed/Flexible:Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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. This position has an Individual Occupation Requirement (IOR). You must meet the following: Possess technician experience that requires application of knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. (This position is part of the series that range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists.) In addition to meeting the IOR above, you must meet the experience as described below: GS-06 grade level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade lever GS-05. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to: (1) Setting up equipment for procedures; (2) Performing personal patient care; (3) Utilizing an automated system to maintain and retrieve patient data; (4) Assisting with patient test and procedures; and (5) Answering phones and directing phone calls to appropriate personal. Combining Experience and Education: To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-6. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-6. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary but also requires some standing, walking, bending, lifting and carrying of light items. The work requires above average agility and dexterity. The work may require heavy lifting of equipment or patients.

Education

IMPORTANT: 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 Raymond G Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 1501 San Pedro Drive, Southeast Albuquerque, NM 87108 US
• Name: Tyrone Andrews-Bey-Beyah
• Phone: (313) 683-3807
• Email: [email protected]