The position is administratively aligned under Recreation and Creation Art Therapy services. The incumbent organized, coordinates, schedule and implements a comprehensive facility, nonskilled general activity program to meet the needs, interests, and capabilities of the community living centers, CLC's, and out-patient services provided at the Tomah VA Medical Center. The incumbent plans, organizes, implements, and carries out a full range of meaningful activities to promote resident self-esteem.

Duties

Major duties include but not limited to: Utilize a variety of communication, customer service and provision skills to perform all such duties as are necessary to support the robust non-clinical activities program. Significant portion of her/his duties will include delegated duties of the Recreation and Creative Art Therapy assistants in administering the activities in all areas supervised by the Recreation Therapist. Develops and conducts free choice programming, for all facility-wide leisure activities for medical, long term and psychiatric, nursing home care, alcohol/drug treatment Veterans. Plan outdoor leisure activities, and orients participants on requirements for protective equipment and the rules and regulations appropriate to the leisure activities involved. Documents activities as required by VA regulations, policies and procedures (i.e. Data Support System Event Captures, Encounters, etc.). Independently works with volunteer groups and medical center staff to coordinate facility-wide annual recreation and special events. Works closely with Voluntary services to assure successful events. Observes, reviews and reports on the progress and reactions of Veterans and their participation in activities to the Supervisory Recreation Therapist and Recreation Therapy staff. Solicits support and involvement of volunteers, compensated work therapy, veterans, students, summer temporary employees, and those assigned to work within incumbents delegated areas of responsibility. in specialized programs. Escorts patients to community activities; gives instructions on expectations and observes patient for unpredictable behavior. Physically assists elderly and non-ambulatory patients in getting into and out of the vehicle. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm; one weekend a month; potential 1-3 evening a week 11:30pm - 8:00am shift Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Recreation Assistant/PD04185A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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, 02/12/2024. 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-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. 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. Preferred Experience: Tour of Duty will be potential 1-3 evening a week, 11:30pm - 8:00am shift and one weekend a month. Other days will be 8:00am-4:30pm. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Group leader, counselor, or similar work in public and private recreation programs for adults or children such as summer camps, local playgrounds, YWCA and YMCA clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, urban community centers, or resort recreational activities. Teacher's aid in elementary school recreation or physical education program, with emphasis on development of general recreational skills and abilities. Aid or assistant assignments in recreation while on active military service. Aid or assistant in the organization and administration of recreation activities, such as preparing activities calendars, maintaining attendance records, and providing information concerning schedules and activities. Summer aid in a State or national park, with duties related to the recreational activities of visitors to campsites, trails, picnic areas, nature and raft centers, and boating and fishing areas (e.g., demonstrating camping techniques and park safety, conducting nature tours, and overseeing farm animal areas provided for children). Sales or stock clerk in a recreation supplies and equipment shop. Aid or assistant in the issuance of authorized property, and in the maintenance of inventory control and accountability for such property in a recreation facility. Aid or assistant in a hotel or resort recreation service, with duties such as setting up areas for games, tournaments, and other organized group recreational activities.. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in courses related to recreation or physical education. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education. Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience are also qualifying education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience.. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify . NOTE: Appropriate credit will be given for voluntary participation in community, social service, and similar activities. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Interpersonal EffectivenessInterpersonal SkillsPlanning and EvaluatingTeamwork 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 requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as extended periods of standing or walking for prolonged periods of time and over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; frequent bending, couching, reaching, stooping, and stretching or similar activities to set up and take apart equipment and apparatus; recurring lifting of moderately heavy items such as bowling and sports equipment and repositioning patients; and pushing or pulling heavy objects. The work may require the recreation assistant to push wheelchair patients on level and inclined ground. The work involves irregular tours of duty. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Tomah VA Medical Center 500 East Veterans Street Tomah, WI 54660 US
• Name: Lamelia Lucas
• Phone: (224) 454-6672
• Email: [email protected]