Duties

The Readjustment Counseling Service (RCS) is a unique Service within VHA, legislatively mandated in 1979, to provide readjustment counseling to eligible Veterans, Active Duty Service Members (ADSM), and their families. Readjustment counseling consists of direct counseling services, outreach (face-to-face connection), and referral (VA and non-VA available services) for Veterans, Service members, and their families provided through the 300 Vet Centers, 83 Mobile Vet Centers, 24/7 Vet Center Call Center, and the RCS Contract for Fee program. Counseling service are provided at facilities which are not directly located in or attached to a VA Medical Center. RCS meets the needs of Veterans by providing care in a variety of ways to include Vet Centers and Mobile Vet Centers.

The duties of this position include, but are not limited to:

• Responsible for updating assigned Vet Center data on a regular basis in RCSNet
• Responsible for reviewing and responding to all correspondence or inquiries the Vet Center receives via telephone, e-mail, and regular mail in a timely manner
• Drafts correspondence and routes for the Vet Center Director's signature
• Handles all incoming and outgoing mail for the Vet Center which may include Release of Information (ROI) Requests for client information, or general Vet Center Program requests
• Creating, updating, and maintaining all electronic documents for Vet Center staff, and Vet Center administrative folders in shared and personal folders
• Records Management Program which includes a centralized records function, standardized handling/retention, improved records, and conversion from paper to electronic data for all Vet Center records
• Works with Vet Center staff on travel coordination, arrangements, and scheduling through the Concur or current government travel system
• Enters various timekeeping options such as leave requests for time off when staff member is unavailable, premium pay or comp time when approved by the supervisor and post appropriate time for all assigned staff
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00AM to 4:30PM with some nights and weekends may be required
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Support Asst (OA)/PD99903A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/28/2022.

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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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. 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. 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.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Proficiency in the use of various Microsoft Office Suite Programs such as Word, Power Point, Excel and Outlook; Generating correspondence, presentations, spreadsheets, and develop tracking systems; Timekeeper duties such as leave requests for time off when staff member is unavailable, premium pay or comp time when approved by the supervisor and post appropriate time for all assigned staff; and formulating annual budgets, mid-year budget reviews, and the projection of remaining fiscal year funds.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Clerical
• Budget Administration
• Computer Skills
• Communication
• Organizational Awareness

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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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.

Physical Requirements: This work involves some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of some light items. The work requires the incumbent to be able to move comfortably around the office and when necessary other locations.

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.

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

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified : applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. 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 .