This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/470449100. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the Nation, but we also provide many other services to Veterans through the Benefits Administration and National Cemeteries. VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home life. VA offers generous paid time off and a variety of predictable and flexible scheduling opportunities. For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs, go to http://www.vacareers.va.gov/
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
05/24/2017 to 06/07/2017
$60,254 - $78,678 per year
GS 11
1 vacancy in the following location:
Not required
No
Permanent
Full-time - Full Time
11
No
PM-17-MAL-1963175-BU
470449100
The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System is currently recruiting for one (1) Blind Rehabilitation Specialist located in the Southwestern Blind Rehabilitation Center (SWBRC) of the Rehabilitation and Transitional Care Line, Tucson, Arizona. The incumbent is responsible for providing a full range of blind rehabilitation therapies to Veterans and service members within the Southwestern Blind Rehabilitation Center (SWBRC). The incumbent provides blind and vision rehabilitation services for visually impaired Veterans, and Service members. Blind Rehabilitation includes the disciplines of low vision therapy, orientation and mobility, vision rehabilitation therapy, manual skills instruction and computer access instruction. The Blind Rehabilitation Specialist possesses professional knowledge of, and skill in applying concepts, principles, and practices of blind and vision rehabilitation to include assessment; treatment and follow-up. Duties include but are not limited to the following:
· Provide direct patient care and support services to an adult population of Veterans which is characterized by a very significant number of older male Veterans. Review of demographic data discloses that the average age of the SWBRC Veteran is 72 years with a distribution of 94% male and 6% female.
· Provide assessment of each Veteran's needs and the delivery of services which are responsive to the concerns of individual Veterans to the extent possible.
· Serve as Facilitator for one or more assigned Veterans during the Veteran's program.
· Teach Veterans with visual impairments to utilize adaptive technology, skills and techniques necessary to cope with the demands of everyday life. These needs constitute significant physical, emotional, and social disabilities.
· Develop an individualized treatment plan in conjunction with an interdisciplinary team to improve the quality of life for blind and visually impaired Veterans through the development of skills and capabilities needed for personal independence, emotional stability and the successful integration into community, family and environment.
· Utilize and maintain discipline-specific and other technology necessary to assist in the Veteran's rehabilitation needs and processes such as mobile devices and tablet technology, electronic travel aids, computer assisted technology, speech output and input devices, large print devices and Braille devices etc.
· Determine the need for these devices based on type, nature and severity of the problem, and assessments, and instructs the Veteran in the proper use of the device along with its abilities and limitations.
· Work with family members and/or significant others to educate and counsel about the ramifications of visual impairment.
· Serve as a subject matter expert for other medical and allied health staff by providing counseling to healthcare providers and professionals on the-nature of visual impairment and blind/vision rehabilitation.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am to 4:00pm
Functional Statement Title/#: Blind Rehabilitation Specialist
Physical Requirements: Blind Rehabilitation Specialist Functional Requirements: Moderate lifting (15- 44 lbs); Moderate Carrying (15-44 lbs); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Both Legs required; Specific hearing requirements; Ability to read typewritten material, glasses permitted; Hearing (aid permitted)
Basic Requirements:
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.
Grade Determinations:
GS-11:
Possess
at least one (1) year of progressively complex blind rehabilitation experience
equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-09. OR 3 years of progressively higher
level graduate education leading to a Doctoral Degree, OR Doctoral Degree in
Blind Rehabilitation or a directly related field. Specialized experience
includes evaluating and treating patients in the specialty area of Manual
Skills.
References: VA Handbook 5005/48; Part II Appendix G41 reference Blind Rehabilitation Specialist VA Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.
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.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
KSA - 1 : Knowledge and understanding of highly specialized complex evaluations and diagnostic tests and procedures of blind/vision rehabilitation.
KSA-2: Ability to properly assess a wide variety of patients having diverse and multiple disabilities to make recommendations for blind/vision rehabilitation therapeutic interventions.
KSA-3: Ability to write a blind/vision rehabilitation plan that includes evaluation information from multiple disciplines with observable, measurable goals and that identifies specific outcomes.
KSA-4: Knowledge of teaching methods and learning principles.
KSA-5: Ability to employ interventions, unusual motivational techniques and coordinate treatment with other professionals to achieve outcomes of the rehabilitation plan.
KSA-6: Ability to recommend appropriate blind/vision rehabilitation prosthetic devices for patients within scope of practice, making adaptations and modifications as required.
Your application, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
NOTE: The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will recommend the grade and salary for new appointments. For internal selectees being promoted, the board will determine grade and HR will determine step in accordance with policy.
All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document type(s):
·OF-306
·Other (10-2850c Application for Associated Health Occupations, ACVERP certification )
·Resume
·Transcript
Applicants may also submit the following supporting document type(s),which may not be required for all applicants:
VA Form 10-2850c - Application for Associated Health Occupations (required). Available at the VA Forms website: http://www.va.gov/vaforms/search_action.asp?FormNo=10-2850&tkey=&Action=Search
Please use this checklistto make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, etc. You will not be contacted for additional information.
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), or 10pt (CP/CPS, XPP, XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP), on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section(s) provided. A legible copy of your DD214(s) indicating character of service, disability certification, SF-15 (if claiming 10 pt. preference) or if you are currently serving on active duty and expected to be released or discharged within 120 days; documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation. Documentation is required for eligibility verification.
Faxing Applications or Supporting Documents: You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online or unable to upload your supporting documents to your online application, follow the directions located at the following site: Fax Options. The Vacancy ID of the job opportunity announcement is 1963175.
NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do not fax the paper application (1203-FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the View Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Wednesday, June 07, 2017 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. During our review, if your résumé and application package do not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email (if provided); otherwise, applicants will receive a notification letter via the U.S. Postal Service. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and clicking on "Application Status." For a more detailed update of your status, click on "more information." Information regarding applicant notification points can be found in the USAJobs Resource Center.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/470449100. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
Vacancy Identification Number (VIN): 1963175
OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?