The Health Science Specialist position is in the Dissemination and Training (D&T) Division of the National Center for PTSD (NC-PTSD) at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System - Menlo Park, located in Palo Alto, CA. The Health Science Specialist participates in various aspects of scientific research and evaluation studies on dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments for PTSD and will coordinate trainings of VA clinicians in evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** NOTE: This is a TERM appointment (not-to-exceed 13 months). Term appointments are non-status, nonpermanent appointments of limited duration (more than 1 year but not more than 4). Term employees are eligible to earn leave and generally have the same benefits as permanent employees including health and life insurance, within-grade increases and Federal Employees Retirement System and Thrift Savings Plan coverage. Term appointments may be extended without further competition (up to the 4 year maximum). The appointment to a Term position does not confer eligibility for promotion or reassignment to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment. Duties may include, but are not limited to the following: Tracking and organizing all program information; Facilitating secure transmission of research and program materials; Assisting in the preparation of reports to other agencies, professional organizations, and Congress; Coordinating online trainings and breakout sessions using AdobeConnect; Serving as liaison to clinician trainees and coaches; Supporting oversight of program compliance by preparing, maintaining, and updating all aspects of program files; Maintaining review board materials per local regulations and updating materials as needed; Initiating and/or sustaining contact with research and program evaluation participants; Managing and organizing applications from potential trainees; Reviewing data for accuracy, identifying and correcting missing or inconsistent data, coding participant responses, and conducting data analyses; Collaborating on writing and editing scholarly documents in the area of mental health care; Providing support for submission of grant proposals by identifying and obtaining relevant literature for review; and Performing other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved 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.

Requirements

Qualifications

TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-09 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: I possess a bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree with major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~AND~ SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Work experience related to trauma-focused psychotherapy for PTSD, including involvement in training, program evaluation, or research on trauma-focused psychotherapy. ~AND~ SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: I possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service. This experience must have equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes participating in various phases of research and evaluation studies for posttraumatic stress disorder; tracking and organizing all research project information, and establishing and maintaining project files; identifying and correcting missing or inconsistent data, coding participant responses, cleaning and organizing data files and conducting analyses; facilitating secure transmission of research and program materials; initiating and sustaining contact with research and program evaluation participants; assisting in the preparation of appropriate reports; collaborating on writing and editing of scholarly documents in the area of mental health care; and serving as a liaison to clinician trainees and coaches, local and national review boards, and higher-level program offices. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. ~OR~ EDUCATION: I have successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree OR at least two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position (i.e., major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position). NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: I possess an equivalent combination of graduate education and specialized experience as described above that demonstrates my ability to perform the duties of the position. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Client OrientationCritical ThinkingProject ManagementPsychologyResearch IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: Work is performed sitting at a desk, using the computer, and talking on telephones. However, there is periodic walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as medical records, food trays, instructional material, books, and manuals. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. 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

IMPORTANT: 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Contacts

• Address Palo Alto VA Medical Center 3801 Miranda Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94304 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]