Clarification from the agency

This position is currently open to current Veteran Affairs employees. CRITICAL Shortage LIST OIG: 38 U.S.C. 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference to external applicants for appointments made during the fiscal year to hybrid title 38 occupations among those reported to have the largest staffing shortages.

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The Supervisory MSA works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (i.e. Integrated Community Care Teams, Call Center).

• Incumbent is responsible for the daily oversight of Community Care, providing direct supervision, guidance and leadership to the staff.
• Incumbent is responsible for defining overall objectives, priorities, and deadlines, assisting with unusual situations that do not have clear precedents, resolving complex problems to ensure Veterans' services are met, mentoring and oversight regarding the setting of priorities for assigned staff, management of the staff schedules, knowledge of computerized data entry and information processing systems, ensures the database integrity by monitoring for accuracy and completeness, extracting and analyzing data to provide reports in support of performance measures to senior management, quality assurance, oversees staff training and orientation, knowledge of the standard procedures, medical records, medical terminology, security of sensitive electronic files, process improvement, gives guidance and initiates action as appropriate, and customer service.
• Incumbent is responsible for ensuring Lead AMSAs and AMSAs work well within integrated Community Care teams to achieve Office of Community Care, VISN, and local goals with respect to the authorization and scheduling of Active Consults and the completion of Scheduled Consults.
• Incumbent is responsible for ensuring the timely and accurate indexing and scanning of Community Care records and completion of consults.
• Incumbent will supervise and manage electronic fax system to ensure that files are indexed on a timely basis and no backlog is created.
• Incumbent is responsible for supervising and managing the Community Care customer service telephone line to ensure that calls are answered by staff in a timely basis with attention to excellent customer service skills.
• Incumbent is also responsible for addressing Veteran and community provider complex questions and concerns, whether in person, by telephone, by secure message, email, regular correspondence, or fax, including the completion of PATS-Rs, EVs, and Congressional Inquiries.
• Evaluates new products, equipment and systems to make recommendations for improved operations, identifying educational or training needs, evaluating performance, and taking disciplinary action when necessary.
• The incumbent has full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the activities of Lead AMSAs and AMSAs for Community Care, including making sure that staff meet the performance requirements to be eligible for telework and managing the telework program in a transparent, fair way.
• The incumbent will participate in and present as needed in meetings of various constituencies, including team meetings, Community Care staff meetings, multi-disciplinary meetings, VISN meetings, meetings with third-party administrator, DOD, and community providers.
• Incumbent is responsible for the oversite of all staff assigned to them, review of staff work product and performance, and ensures that all staff are adhering to VHA directives, laws, and regulations that apply.
• The incumbent is responsible for extracting and analyzing data to provide reports in support of performance measures to senior management.
• The incumbent is also responsible for making sure that AMSAs and Lead AMSAs get data-driven performance feedback on a timely basis.
• The incumbent is responsible for ensuring that all assigned staff receive standards, one mid-year review and an end of year review.

Work Schedule:7:30 am- 4:00 pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

RESUME REQUIREMENTS Your resume must include the following information:

1. Job Title (for each position)
2. Description of duties (be as detailed as possible)
3. Month and year start/end dates (e.g. June 2018 to April 2020) of employment
4. FULL OR PART TIME STATUS (including average hours worked per week)

AND

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a trial period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in spoken and written English

Experience and Education:

Six months experience of clerical, office, [customer service], or other [administrative] work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position

OR,

Education. One year above high school;

OR,

Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable

Certification: None required.

Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations:

GS-8: Supervisory Medical Support Assistant

A) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level.*Examples of assignments and knowledge, skills and abilities at the GS-07 grade level include but are not limited to:

Assignment: Lead MSA - responsible for daily workload assessments, assigning work, and assuring proper staffing coverage; evaluating training records; and determining training needs of MSAs to provide support across interdisciplinary settings. The Lead assists the unit with complex and non-standard procedures, including clinical flow processes related to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or community resources. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: ensuring accurate and timely scheduling of appointments; providing guidance to staff members, to include changes in policies and procedures; creating and maintaining employee work schedules; and acting as a liaison among Advanced MSA staff, patients, and other interdisciplinary staff to resolve day-to-day conflicts.

Required GS-8 KSA'S:

i. Ability to provide the full range of administrative and supervisory duties [to at least one subordinate MSA supervisor or team leader in a patient support setting which includes assignment of work, performance evaluations, selection of staff, and recommendation of awards and/or advancements.

ii. Ability to collaborate, communicate, and demonstrate customer service and interpersonal skills with internal and external customers to ensure quality/continuity of care and ensure compliance with established policies and regulations.

iii. Ability to provide briefings, orientations, staff development, and training [in a patient support setting.

iv. Ability to manage fiscal matters, forecast resource and equipment needs, and identify budget needs.v. Advanced knowledge of managing or leading patient support staff in a clinic. This includes independently utilizing reference sources, decision making, and empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems within a complex systems environment.

References: VA Handbook 5005/117, Part II, Appendix G45, Dated 8/1/2019.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8.The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-8.

Work Environment: Work is performed primarily in a patient care setting; adequately lighted, temperature controlled, and ventilated. Office temperatures fluctuate periodically; involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as clinics, offices, meeting and training rooms or libraries; exposure to noise and dust on occasion. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders; Emotional and Mental Stability: The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: Physical Requirements: VA Directive and Handbook 5019.Work is partially sedentary, with frequent walking, standing, bending. carrying of light items such as papers and books, or small parts. Some slight physical effort may be required. Incumbent may be susceptible to eyestrain from working long hours on the compute

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 MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for 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; 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.

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.

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.