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Social Science Program Coordinator

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

Summary

This Social Science Program Coordinator position is integral to supporting Whole Health Coaches and Veterans in navigating the Whole Health Journey, specifically through the Pathway, well-being, and Whole Health clinical care elements of the Whole Health System, as well as assisting in the collection of whole health qualitative data from Veterans and creation of reports analyzing effectiveness of health coaching.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
11/22/2022 to 11/29/2022
Salary
$44,740 to - $58,158 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7
Location
Sioux Falls, SD
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
9
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CARZ-11738688-23-WRW
Control number
690399200

Duties

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This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-9. At the GS-7 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-9. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds.

Major Duties and Responsibilities includes:

  • Contacts eligible participants for enrollment and explain the health coaching process.
  • Provides health coaching for Veterans in order to reduce or eliminate high-risk behaviors while increasing healthy ones.
  • Conducts interventions for Veterans using one-on-one, couple, or group modalities in outpatient and inpatient settings.
  • Provides follow-up care through telephone clinics or secure messaging between face-to-face appointments.
  • Actively guides Veterans in the exploration of core elements of personal health planning through individual and group-based programs.
  • Encourages and assists Veterans with the adoption of habits that are conducive to a higher quality of life and in alignment with the Veteran's goals.
  • Identify habits and behaviors that are harmful to quality of life and related to chronic illness.
  • Develops treatment plans for Veterans focused on behavioral interventions based on current scientific knowledge and research that improve quality of life and reduce risk for chronic disease, or that reverse or slow progression of chronic disease.
  • Reviews current health behaviors and develops customized treatment plans with Veterans.
  • Schedule ongoing sessions to assess progress and assist in navigating obstacles or challenges.
  • Guide Veterans to learn about available support tools in the VA and the community that assist in attainment of goals.
  • Coordinates care with Veterans' treatment providers, both primary and specialty care, to ensure identified goals are consistent with best practices for treatment and management of chronic illness.
  • Utilizes motivational interviewing and health coaching techniques and processes, learned through pre- requisite health coach training, to assist members in developing a realistic plan to accomplish their goals.
  • Develops trust with Veterans and incorporates trust principles in day-to-day activities.
  • Works collaboratively within a team setting to provide positive outcomes for participants, peers and overall operations.
  • Develops information for Veterans about the Whole Health Group and Individual Programs.
  • Conducts outreach activities to inform Veterans and family members of available programs.
  • Meets with external stakeholders to provide information about the Whole Health Group and individual programs and access to Veterans.
  • Collaborates with internal and external resources for supporting the Veteran's Whole Health Journey by developing resource lists for well-being support within the facility and in the local community.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
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

All qualifications requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.

~AND~

BASIC REQUIREMENT
Degree: A degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position. (Transcripts Required)

~OR~

Combination of education and experience: A combination of education and experience that provided you with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. (This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable and a copy of your transcripts are required at the time of application.)

~OR~

Experience: Four (4) years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that you have acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. (This experience must be supported by your resume in order to be creditable.)

~AND~

In addition to meeting the above basic requirements, you MUST also meet one of the following minimum qualification requirements:

Superior Academic Achievement at the GS-7 level: (SAA) at the baccalaureate level in the coursework detailed above is fully qualifying. Applicants who wish to apply under this provision must submit proof from their educational institution that they meet one of the criteria listed below. To qualify for SAA, applicants must have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled and meet one of the following:
1. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university or major subdivision.
2. A grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
3. A grade point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
4. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. For a list of recognized honor societies please visit http://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp.
For more information regarding SAA please visit http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-II/s2-e5.asp#e4f. (Transcripts Required)

~OR~

Specialized Experience: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-5) in Federal service that has given me the particular knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the duties of a Social Science Program Coordinator, GS-7. Specialized experience includes developing treatment plans for patients focused on behavioral interventions based on current scientific knowledge and/or research that improve quality of life and reduce risk for chronic disease, or that reverse or slow progression of chronic disease; possessing knowledge regarding lifestyle (habits and behaviors) and clinical outcomes, or behaviors that improve patients health and well-being and those related to poor clinical outcomes; or working with patients on identifying motivation for change, determining goals for their work together, implementing treatment plans, or assessing progress in order to adjust plans as necessary. Health Coach Certification is preferred. (NOTE: Your experience must be fully documented in your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.)

~OR~

Graduate Education: Successfully completed one (1) full year of graduate education (or 18 semester hours) that included courses directly related to the work of a Social Science Program Coordinator - Whole Health Coach, such as behavioral or social science related disciplines appropriate to this position university and provided the competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. This education must have been obtained at an accredited college or university. (Transcripts Required)

~OR~

Combination of Education and Experience: An equivalent combination of specialized experience and related graduate-level education, as described above, which meets the total experience requirements for this grade level. (NOTE: Your experience must be documented in your resume and transcripts are required.)

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

  • Educational Experience (ACWA)
  • Mathematical Skills (ACWA)
  • Rating (ACWA)
  • Social Organizations (ACWA)
  • Work Experience (ACWA)


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.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

Physical Requirements: Regular and recurring work is mostly sedentary involving sitting at a desk, although the position requires the ability to move from one geographic location of the facility to another. Some physical effort such as standing, walking, bending or prolonged sitting may be required. The work places no special physical demands on the employee.

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 (605) 336-3230.

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 to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

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.

Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures.
Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:

  • Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
  • Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;
  • Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.
Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher).

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.

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