The Social Science Program Coordinator serves Whole Health Coach and is responsible for the delivery of Whole Health Coaching and skill development of the local Medical Center's Whole Health Coach program, including provision of care through coaching, promotion and education regarding Whole Health Coaching to Veterans and staff.

Duties

The position is integral to supporting Whole Health Coaches and Veterans in navigating the Whole Health Journey, specifically through the Pathway, wellbeing, and Whole Health clinical care elements of the Whole Health System, as well as assisting in the collection of whole health qualitative data from Veterans and creation of reports analyzing effectiveness of health coaching. The position works with individuals and groups throughout the facility in a client-centered process to facilitate and empower the client to develop and achieve self-determined goals related to health and wellness. Coaches support clients in mobilizing internal strengths and external resources and develops self-management strategies for making sustainable, healthy lifestyle behavior changes and more effectively managing chronic disease. The following duties are performed: Contacts eligible participants for enrollment and explain the health coaching process. Provides health coaching for Veterans in order to reduce or eliminate high-risk behaviors while increasing healthy ones. Conducts interventions for Veterans using one-on-one, couple, or group modalities in outpatient and inpatient settings. Conducts Whole Health Facilitated Groups; participate in MOVE, smoking cessation, diabetes management, hypertension clinics, mental health, and other inpatient and outpatient groups as appropriate. Provides follow-up care through telephone clinics or secure messaging between face-to-face appointments. Actively guides Veterans in the exploration of core elements of personal health planning through individual and group based programs. Encourages and assists Veterans with the adoption of habits that are conducive to a higher quality of life and in alignment with the Veteran's goals. Identify habits and behaviors that are harmful to quality of life and related to chronic illness. Develops treatment plans for Veterans focused on behavioral interventions based on current scientific knowledge and research that improve quality of life and reduce risk for chronic disease, or that reverse or slow progression of chronic disease. Reviews current health behaviors and develops customized treatment plans with Veterans. These plans include personalized goals, action steps and interventions. Individualize intervention strategies to help the client utilize existing skills and develop new ones to enhance success. Schedule ongoing sessions to assess progress and assist in navigating obstacles or challenges. Guide Veterans to learn about available support tools in the VA and the community that assist in attainment of goals. Coordinates care with Veterans' treatment providers, both primary and specialty care, to ensure identified goals are consistent with best practices for treatment and management of chronic illness. Utilizes motivational interviewing and health coaching techniques and processes, learned through prerequisite health coach training, to assist members in developing a realistic plan to accomplish their goals. Fosters an environment of individual responsibility to maximize each Veteran's ability to adhere to a lifestyle management plan. Develops trust with Veterans and incorporates trust principles in day-to-day activities. Works collaboratively within a team setting to provide positive outcomes for participants, peers and overall operations. Maintains education and knowledge regarding lifestyle (habits and behaviors) and clinical outcomes, including behaviors that improve Veterans' health and well-being and those related to poor clinical outcomes. Coordinates with others on the Veteran's health care team to ensure optimal patient care. Provides eligible Veterans and family members with information regarding lifestyle management including weight management, nutrition, exercise/fitness, smoking cessation, stress management, diabetes, pain management, and other appropriate conditions that are in line with the personalized health plan developed between the health care team and the patient, and in coordination with programs providing specific services when applicable, e.g., MOVE! for weight management or smoking cessation classes, if Veteran is enrolled in these programs. Uses VISTA, CPRS, Microsoft office software, Intranet and Internet and other applicable software to track and support patient progress. Communicate proactively and effectively with Veterans, peers and supervisors. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Ad Hoc. Telework that occurs on an occasional, non-routine basis. Telework that occurs to complete short-term special assignments or to accommodate special circumstances even though the telework arrangement may occur continuously for a limited and specific period of time. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description: 99581-S 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, 05/20/2024. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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. BASIC REQUIREMENT: You MUST meet the Basic Requirements and the Minimum Qualifications to qualify for this Social Science Program Coordinator position. Degree: Behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.. ~OR~ Experience: Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. ~OR~ Combination of education and experience: That provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience may be used to meet total experience requirements. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience. For example, an applicant with 6 months of appropriate experience equivalent to GS-7 (50 percent of the experience requirement for GS-9) and 27 semester hours of appropriate graduate education (50 percent of the education requirement for GS-9, in excess of that required for GS-7) would be qualified for a GS-9 position. NOTE: If you qualify by a combination, transcripts are required, and your experience must be detailed in your resume. In addition to meeting the above requirements, you must also meet one of the following minimum requirements for the grade level that you are applying. To qualify for this position at the GS-9 level, you must meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Social Science Program Coordinator. ~OR~ Education: Successfully completed two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a related field of the position to be filled. Education at the graduate level must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. ~OR~ Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience as described above, to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Data ManagementTeaches OthersTeam BuildingTherapy and Counseling 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: While some of the work is sedentary including researching, writing, program planning and data analysis, the position will have periods of extensive walking and movement throughout the healthcare system, prolonged standing, and transporting light to medium weight objects. The Employee Whole Health coordinator will also be required to travel between sites (CBOCs and outlying clinics) encompassed in the healthcare system. The work is conducted in a medical center environment and involves risk of exposure to a variety of contagious diseases. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, air conditioned, and ventilated. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Lexington VA Health Care System 2250 Leestown Road Lexington, KY 40511 US
• Name: Joselyn Nunez
• Phone: 407-376-5480
• Email: [email protected]