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Program Support Assistant

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Managed Care Division of the Office of Community Care (OCC) at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in Chicago, IL.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open date: 08/08/2024
Closed date: 08/19/2024
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$49,249 - $64,026 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CAZP-12503650-24-KI
Control number
803944900

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Duties

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Duties include but may not be limited to:

  • Providing administrative care coordination support to clinicians and other administrative and/other professional staff.
  • Scheduling and coordinating appointments, prioritizing requested procedures based on urgency.
  • Checking eligibility determination for Non-VA medical care in accordance to the MISSION Act.
  • Generating authorizations of pre-authorized medical care.
  • Ensuring proper authorizations are issued and appropriate correspondence is sent to vendors.
  • Acting as a liaison between the Veteran and the vendors with regard to OCC section and VA clinical services and/or primary care services.
  • Obtaining requested medical records including reports, x-rays, labs, and any pertinent information required to complete consults in Computerized Patient Reporting System (CPRS) or applicable software system.
  • Ensuring all necessary components and documentation are distributed to appropriate services at the private institution where service will be provided.
  • Updating and verifying demographic information, data entry, administratively managing consultation requests, making and notifying the patient of his/her scheduled appointment with the outside provider(s).
  • Generating correspondence to the Veterans and various providers and managing all received correspondence related to care.
  • Providing advisory and technical assistance to Veterans and staff in answering questions related to OCC processes.
  • Answering and directing phone calls in a timely and courteous manner.
  • Performs related duties as required.
Work Schedule: Fulltime, Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm
Telework: Not available.
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • 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
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:

One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in Federal service. Specialized experience includes: performing clerical duties in support of an office/clinic; providing courteous and efficient customer service by phone and in person; using a computer to perform administrative duties. This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit.(Resume(s) must clearly support the duties and experience required for this position. We will not make assumptions regarding experience.)You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

  • Customer Service
  • Information Assurance
  • Learning
  • Oral Communication
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Technical Competence
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: Most of the work is performed in an office setting and is primarily sedentary. There can be demands for standing, walking, bending, light lifting, and long periods of sitting. The Program Support Assistant is required to make and answer numerous telephone calls and must have adequate eyesight and hand dexterity to allow for reading and operating a computer terminal. The employee must be able to function calmly under stress. The work is performed in an office setting with adequate lighting and other facilities with no unusual health hazards. Due to verbal contact with patients, family, and community providers, the employee is exposed to occasional verbal abuse. The position requires the observance of normal safety precautions.

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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities (i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities), and/or disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. For more information on how to apply using this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator within the office, contact the facility Human Resources Department at (874) 688-1900.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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 WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - 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 whole health care to Veterans?

Captain James A Lovell Federal Health Care Facilityis committed to fostering and sustaining an environment which celebrates diversity, provides equitable opportunities for employment and promotion, and supports inclusiveness in our culture. Together, we strive to create and maintain working and learning environments that promote professional growth and teamwork, and are inclusive, equitable and welcoming. We embrace our differences as individuals and unite as a team toward a common goal: to serve our nation's Veterans.

Agency contact information

Kristina Ilich
Phone
1-447-792-8151
Email
Kristina.Ilich@va.gov
Address
Captain James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center
3001 Green Bay Road
North Chicago, IL 60064
US

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