The incumbent serves as a primary contact for Veterans, their representative, or advocate for vocational rehabilitation claims. Greets all visitors and creates a favorable impression so visitors feel that VBA is interested in their welfare and will be responsive to their questions and needs. Must be friendly, articulate, and possess interpersonal skills to be able to cope with a variety of personalities to include pleasant, but also angry, hostile, and excitable visitors.

Duties

Schedule counseling appointments. Type appointment letters, maintains the appointment log and obtains claimant's folders ensuring privacy for receipt and dispatch. Receives the Veterans and other beneficiaries and visitors that come to VR&E Division and refers them to the staff member that is assigned the case. Ensures completion of necessary forms before initial counseling appointment with a counselor. Provides general information on the VA Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Services to Veterans and their dependents. Explains the application process and assist claimants with completing all required forms. Explains current pending Chapter 31 claims, provides status, and prepares changes of address, and other necessary corrections to the systems. Advises on additional information or documentation required. Ensures all forms and evidence submitted are complete and accurate, and routes to proper operating elements. Prepares counseling folders for all Veterans or beneficiaries applying for services under the program. Maintains the master control files of all benefits claims and makes data entries on status or progress claims such as date of receipt, forwarding of folders, counselor assigned to work with the case, appointments, and dispositions made. Responsible for the proper filing of inactive. Counseling Education & Rehabilitation (CER) folders and performs all actions to request or send records to the Federal Record Center. Transfers records requested by other stations, and receives records transferred from other stations. Update ownership of the records transferred in the appropriate system. Obtains CER folders needed for quality review and prepares records to be sent for Central Office Quality Assurance Review. Routes Notices of Disagreements to the VR&E senior counselor. Establishes and prepares appeal records for the CER folder. Processes initial claims and provides the necessary information in writing to claimants when claims have been disallowed. Authorizes Chapter 31 benefits eligibility determinations, termination dates and determinations of Veterans' creditable entitlement. Assists counselors in the follow up for required supporting evidence (receipts) from Veterans, or vendors for the procurements made by them during the month using the purchase card. Inputs data from . veteran's record relevant to the procurement made by the counselor on behalf of the veteran using the purchase card. Prepares travel authorizations. Prepares authorization for contractor(s) for each individual case using the applicable computer application. Makes sure no cases are referred to contractor(s) without proper case control, and obligation of funds. Returns case/record to counselor when system indicates insufficient funds for requested services. Monitors cases assigned to contractor(s) for services and maintains control for cases files returned. Provides administrative support to the VR&E Officer. In performing job tasks as internal or external correspondence, reports and cases control, employee will be using the latest automated systems available. This will include consolidation of statistical data to prepare reports when necessary. Receives, date stamps, sorts and distributes incoming correspondence. Answers telephone calls received in the Division, gives non-technical information or routes calls to the appropriate staff member. Maintains control of supplies and forms. Serves as timekeeper. Also responsible for time and attendance cards for work study program participants assigned to the Division. Follows up on delegated tasks assigned to work study program participants assigned to do general office work and provide needed guidance. Work Schedule: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Compressed/Flexible: Not available. Telework: Available as determined by agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant GS-0303-07 #415330 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/30/2024. 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-07 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. You may qualify based on your experience: GS-07: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Specialized experience: is defined as experience in a human services environment or general office administrations performing the following duties: alpha-numeric filing; completing telephone outreach; responding to telephone and written inquiries and scheduling appointments; to include managing financial transactions, account reconciliation and documentation of Federal procurement; with accurate computer data entry of transactions. Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Applicants who have the 1 year of appropriate specialized experience are not required by this standard to have general experience, education above the high school level, or any additional specialized experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements and/or 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. 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 is mostly sedentary. However, there may be some physical effort such as standing, walking, bending, and/or carrying of light items such as files, books, and supplies. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Contacts

• Address New Orleans Regional Benefit Office 1250 Poydras St New Orleans, LA 70113 US
• Name: Asjiah Fulgham
• Phone: (601) 364-7087
• Email: [email protected]