This position is located at a Department of Veterans Affairs VHA Medical Center, and serves as a Recreation Assistant working to implement the objectives of the Integrative Health Coordinating Center and the VHA Office of Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation. The position is responsible for providing Tai Chi and/or Qigong instruction for the purpose of promoting, restoring, and preserving health and well-being of Veterans and supporting additional recreational activities.

Duties

Major duties and responsibilities will include: Prepares and sets up Tai Chi and/or Qigong setting and equipment to support scheduled events and activities. Instructs Veterans on the safe use of Tai Chi and/or Qigong equipment; provides transportation for off station recreational outings; ensures the safety of patients during all activities on and off station; uses good judgment and tact when confronted with problems arising between people in the community and any Veteran. Cultivates a cooperative interrelationship between patients, family members, and VA medical center staff. Conducts Tai Chi and Qigong well-being classes, either group or individual, for the purpose of promoting, preserving, or restoring health and well-being. Provides informal input to the supervisor concerning pertinent topics to meet facility or patient needs. Coordinates with other staff members concerning the use of the Tai Chi and/or Qigong facilities for activities and develops and maintains a calendar of programs and activities. Develops marketing requests and advertising efforts for special events to encourage participation in Tai Chi and/or Qigong programs. Recommends additions, deletions, or changes to facility rules and operating procedures. Takes actions consistent with the objectives of the Tai Chi and/or Qigong program. Reviews and recommends changes concerning the effectiveness of ongoing recreational programs from the standpoint of participant response, resources, unforeseen developments, and program objectives. Works independently when addressing a variety of Tai Chi and/or Qigong related administrative problems or situations. Conducts regular inventories of equipment and supplies including educational materials. Contacts VA Point of Contact in case of emergency or any other pressing issue. medical or behavioral incidents to Physician Lead, Integrative Medicine or CHW Staff, and immediately informs supervisor of patients who express suicidal or homicidal thoughts or plans as well as acute deterioration in physical and/or behavioral function. Refers patients appropriately when mental or physical issues are out of the 'scope of practice' of the Tai Chi and/or Qigong instructor Combines breathing techniques, posture, and movement instruction appropriate for the level of the class. Provides simple accurate instruction in the areas of Tai Chi and/or Qigong such as verbal, kinesthetic or visual cues to correct body alignment during various movements. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: 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#: Recreation Assistant/PD99580S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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, 03/01/2024. 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-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 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-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: Ability to perform the duties of a Tai Chi and/or Qigong instructor, skill in performing administrative responsibilities, skill in providing recreation support, skill in communicating/interacting with others, maintaining records and providing information for recreational activities. Experience as a group leader/counselor for private/public recreation programs; experience as an aid for recreation or physical education in a school, the military, resort/hotel, state/national park. This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Half a year of graduate education (usually 9 semester hours) that is directly related to the work of this position. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. Must provide transcript(s) if using 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 beyond graduate education as described that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. Experience must be detailed, and transcripts required. Must provide transcript(s) if using Education. Preferred but not required: American Tai Chi and Qigong Association (ATCQA) Certified Tai Chi Instructor Level I or equivalent (150 hours documented hours of formal Tai Chi training,)OR Qi Gong instructors: Level I Qi Gong Instructor certified by the National Qigong Association, You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Clinical Data Collection/DocumentationCommunicationPatient CareTechnical Competence 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: Work involves regular and recurring physical exertion when walking, standing, sitting, bending, lifting, or moving equipment, pushing wheelchairs, positioning/transferring severely disabled patients, and assisting patients in ambulation. The work requires driving vehicles, tying down wheelchairs, propelling wheelchairs, loading/unloading equipment, and supplies, etc. 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 Hampton VA Medical Center 100 Emancipation Drive Hampton, VA 23667 US
• Name: Diossa Fleming
• Phone: 980-401-2560
• Email: [email protected]