The incumbent functions as the Medical Support Assistant (MSA) for the Mental Health Clinical Center, VA Maryland Healthcare System. In addition to providing programmatic and scheduling support for the Mental Health Clinic, the position also provides administrative support for Outpatient Mental Health programs on the Perry Point campus: Suicide Prevention, Residential Screening, Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM), and the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC).

Duties

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS OPEN ONLY TO INTERNAL FACILITY EMPLOYEES OF THE VA MARYLAND HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (VAMHCS). DUTIES: The Advanced MSA provides reception via phone and face to face interactions with patients, families', visitors, and staff when necessary. The AMSA schedules, reschedules, completes return to clinic orders, and cancels clinic appointments as well as disseminates information to patients, staff, and external agencies. Consistent with VHA, VAMHCS, and MHCC guidelines, the AMSA establishes internal procedures, files, reports, tracking mechanisms, etc. for existing and programmatic needs. The AMSA also assists, as needed, in tracking wait times for clinics, scheduling issues, and encounter completion. The AMSA manages contacts with numerous staff, patients, families, and external agency personnel, requiring an ability to organize, prioritize, and manage a significant number of tasks on a daily basis. The AMSA checks, identifies, verifies, and reconciles a wide variety of detailed patient, program, and administrative data. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Adhoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 0000 EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Financial Disclosure Report: Not required VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.). Experience and Education Experience. Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position, OR Education One year above high school, OR Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. GRADE DETERMINATIONS: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-6 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines e.g. medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal and external customers. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns. Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals as it relates to access to care. Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow, and patient support care administrative functions to include, but not limited to appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, etc. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians. Physical Requirements. Light lifting (under 15 lbs.); light carrying (under 15 lbs.); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking (intermittent); standing (intermittent); hearing (aid permitted); clear speech. The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending and carrying of light items like papers or books. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. English Language Proficiency. MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j. References: VA Handbook 5005/117, Part II, Appendix G45, dated 8/1/2019. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06.The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-06.

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 VA Maryland Health Care System 10 North Greene Street Baltimore, MD 21201 US
• Name: Padmini Elayath
• Phone: 6123697619
• Email: [email protected]