Patient Services Assistant (Office Automation)

at  US Veterans Health Administration

QUALIFICATIONS

Current Title 38 Hybrid employees: To qualify for a Title 5 position based on the Interchange agreement, you must meet the following:
1. Be currently serving under a permanent appointment.
2. Served continuously for at least 1 year in the other merit system prior to appointment under the interchange agreement.
Current permanent Veterans Canteen Service employees may apply for consideration under this vacancy announcement.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06.
The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.
Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
GS-07 Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to Knowledge of public laws, rules, requirements and skill in applying regulations and procedures; Working knowledge of current editions of the International Classification of Diseases, ICD-9/10-CM; Extensive knowledge of medical terminology to complete various documents, letters, and forms; thorough knowledge of the procedures, practices, rules, regulations, policies, and concepts involved in Veteran’s Benefits in order to answer questions, resolve problems, and provide advice; Working knowledge of the computer; Knowledge of internal organization of Veterans’ records and relationship of their parts in order to extract administrative and medical conditions; Knowledge of state and County directives pertaining to deaths.
Education: There is no education substitute at this grade level.
Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary although some walking, stooping, bending, reaching, and carrying loads weighing up to 20 pounds is required.

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.

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.

• Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

• Required Documents

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you’re a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you’re eligible under their policies.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50’s (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade
• Award 50’s do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50’s include:
• Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
• Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
• SF-50’s at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Veterans’ Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 “Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference” with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans’ Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans’ Preference.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

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.

• How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/24/2023 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12097238.

• To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
• 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 USA JOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Application 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 USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

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.
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DUTIES

The incumbent of this position performs a wide variety of administrative duties and transactions in support of Social Work Service.

Duties include but not limited to:

• Program Implementation, Decedent Affairs Program Management, and performing work of a general office administrative nature, which encompasses a variety of different duties and responsibilities.
• Program Implementation:
• Development and processing of applications received under the State Home Per Diem Program (SHPD), National Non-VA Care Program Office; a grant program that provides Federal assistance to States by participating in a percentage of the cost of construction and paying per diem for providing care to eligible Veterans in the facility when the VA recognizes thehome as a State Veterans Home (SVH).
• Examines, develops, and evaluates relevant documentation related to applications submitted for determination under the SHPD. Interprets and applies administrative and clinical eligibility and enrollment laws, regulations, and procedures related to health care eligibility to make formal determinations on applicant’s eligibility for SHPD benefits. Makes appropriate entries in application processing databases to record eligibility and clinical status.
• Coordinates the exchange of data, via email correspondence, between the Chief Business Office Purchased Care (CBOPC), VA Regional Offices (VARO), Veterans Administration Medical Centers (VAMC), Veterans Information System (VIS), Health Eligibility Center and State Veterans Homes to ensure that all benefits granted are awarded in accordance with Public Law, Federal regulations and program policy. For extremely complicated conditions, the incumbent may referthe application to in-house and off-site utilization review entities (i.e., Kansas Veteran’s Home and the Kansas Soldiers’ Home ) for a clinical determination of eligibility for medical conditions covered under rules and regulations.
• Searches external databases and requests eligibility information from VBA (VIS and VistA), Health Eligibility Center (HEC) and from Veterans in order to determine program eligibility. Interprets returned Veteran disability ratings for program status and participant member eligibility; creates file data containing pertinent information on the Veteran, administrative eligibility, and if there is sufficient evidence to approve administrative eligibility for a wide variety of covered medical conditions for SHPD. Enters data into new or established records and determines whether the entry reflects additional data or requires adjusting or deleting existing data from the record or forwards information to alternate sources for review.
• Decedent Affairs Program Management:
• Interviews bereaved members of the patient’s family, either individuals or groups, informing them of the operational details in connection with the patient’s death. Determines the next-of-kin in accordance with State Law and VA Directives. Discusses with the next-of-kin authorization for postmortem, explaining the benefits to be derived. Arranges for the release of remains to the selected Undertaker.
• Releases to persons determined to be entitled, the effects of the deceased Veteran.
• Administrative:
• Assists in program inquiries, document validation, and development of revised or corrected actions regarding eligibility for program benefits.
• Composes and types letters relating to any phase of the work. These letters may be explanatory, i.e., explaining procedures to take, answering letters of complaint, etc.
• Inputting of applications, census, new admissions, deaths, discharges, VA Forms, monthly reconciliations, and and SharePoint, which is necessary for the auditing and final per diem paid to the State Home monthly
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Position Description Title/PD#: Patient Services Assistant (Office Automation)/PD095580
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Telework: Not authorized.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives: Not authorized.