The primary purpose of the position is to work with the Privacy/FOIA Officer with implementing and maintaining policies and procedures in the execution of an effective Privacy and FOIA program. She/he is the initial point of contact to facility staff and may disseminate basic information to the appropriate areas, facilitating employee adherence to mandates from regulatory agencies, and ensures VA and other federal privacy policies and procedures are observed.

Duties

Duties to include but not limited to the following: Program Oversight to Privacy & Freedom of Information Officer: Aids in preparing, receiving, reviewing, and verifying Privacy and FOIA request documents. Provides updated privacy information to staff to ensure that government and industry best practices for health care and executive agency privacy are understood and met. Works with the Privacy/FOIA Officer in assessing the Medical Center environment, and in reviewing the facility's collection, use, storage, and maintenance of sensitive personal information. Actively participates on the weekly Environment of Care rounds, visiting various departments and, utilizing a nationally developed monitoring tool, assessing if staff are appropriately applying privacy practices. Searches for and locates records requests; compiles data or information from files or from other departments, such as HIMS, to complete audits. Incumbent documents and provides corrective action for deficiencies found based on assessment and risk analysis results, as well as incident report reviews. Conducts monthly and quarterly monitors as required by VHA policy to ensure privacy processes are being followed. Explains the use and release of records to public, including callers/visitors to the facility. Incumbent helps with privacy awareness training with Veterans and other program outreach requests. Processes complaints and performs initial investigation into allegations of illegal or improper activities related to the handling or release of protected information. Works with the Privacy/FOIA Officer in reviewing processes for proper accounting of disclosures of privacy-protected information made by the facility, coordinating with ROI staff to aid in the capture of required release data. Records Review Coordinates with the facility Records Management Officer (RMO) in ensuring that a structure for all Privacy Act Systems of Records held by the facility is established and records are maintained in accordance with Federal law and VA directives. Interprets record retention requirements as related to Privacy/FOIA requirements. Works with the facility RMO to help RLOs and other medical center staff with proper maintenance, storage, and destruction of departmental records using established spreadsheets, checklists and monitoring tools in accordance with VA and VHA policy, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and other applicable federal laws and regulations. Incumbent will serve as the alternate RMO, when the RMO is temporarily absent. Program Operations: Provides guidance as necessary to medical center service lines who are responding to correspondence from Congressional offices to ensure Sensitive Personal Information (SPI) is released in accordance with privacy regulations. Completes special projects and action items received from the VHA Privacy Office, VHA FOIA Office, VBA Regional Office, Office of Chief Counsel, Department of Health and Human Services, state and local government agencies, as well as other VA facilities for review by the medical center Privacy/FOIA Officer and signature(s) by the Medical Center Director or other Leadership Team member(s). Prepares meeting minutes, develops meeting agendas, and tracks completion of assigned action items to committee members. Represents, as necessary, the Privacy/FOIA Officer on facility and regional committees, teams and work groups with information security and privacy related functions and responsibilities, including presentation of reports and review findings. Performs other duties as assigned such as acting in the temporary absence of the Privacy/FOIA Officer and/or the Records Manager to cover time-sensitive/emergent privacy and/or freedom of information and records management issues. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 7:30 am -4:00 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Government Information Specialist/PD03129O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/16/2024. 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. 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 07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: provides updated privacy information to staff to ensure that government and industry best practices for health care and executive agency privacy., documents and provides corrective action for deficiencies found based on assessment and risk analysis results, as well as incident report reviews, researches, formats, and compiles comprehensive, concise technical reports for review by the Privacy/FOIA Officer and Associate Director. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). 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 above information.(TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Critical ThinkingManages and Organizes InformationOrganizational Performance Analysis 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 basically sedentary. Some walking, standing, bending, and carrying lightweight items such as books, papers and records are also required. 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 Las Vegas VA Medical Center 6900 North Pecos Road North Las Vegas, NV 89086 US
• Name: Rosalee Rizo
• Phone: 303-202-8533
• Email: [email protected]