Duties

Summary

Located in the Dental Clinic, Health Care Services (HCS), Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH), Washington DC, this position provides clinical and educational services to meet the oral dental health needs of the AFRH Residents.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As a GS-08 Dental Hygienist, you will:

• Administer oral prophylactic and dental hygiene treatment to Residents presenting a variety of abnormal conditions. Perform additional procedures such as; records medical and dental histories, reviews Resident dietary habits, administers cavity prevention agents, desensitizes root surfaces, root planning and instructs Residents in home care therapy and proper diet as it relates to oral health.
• Implement preventive dentistry program, as required. The program is designed to provide comprehensive oral health education and dental hygiene treatment to AFRH Residents with assistance from Dental Clinic staff and the nursing staff throughout AFRH.
• Plan, coordinate, and conduct preventive oral health programs for various Resident groups including but not limited to diabetic, cancer, psychiatric, geriatric, cognitive decline, and physically handicapped Residents. Develop and revise oral health instructional materials and educational techniques for varied levels of the cognitive and physical capabilities of each Resident group. Using resources available within AFRH and materials acquired from research, professional dental associations, and schools of dental hygiene, develop and present oral health lectures, demonstrations, and visual displays to Resident groups and AFRH personnel. Develop procedural instructions to be used by dental hygienists, and the nursing staff in the delivery of oral health care to Residents.
• Develop methods and carries out studies, as required, for evaluating the effectiveness of the preventive dentistry program. Modify subject matter content and instructional methods according to the results of evaluation data and new developments in the field of dental hygiene. Compile statistical data and written reports of the participation in the preventive dentistry program.
• Process dental instruments for sterilization in accordance with TJC standards, facility policies and procedures. Maintain current knowledge and skills regarding sterilization techniques.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
08

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
• Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
• Please refer to "Conditions of Employment
• Public Trust background investigation will be required.

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service . One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Physical Requirements: The work requires long periods of sitting, standing, recurring bending and reaching during clinical procedures. Excellent manual dexterity is also required. Adequate vision with or without loupes is required. A pre-employment physical is required.

Licensure: An active and current Dental Hygienist license in a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.

AND

Specialized Experience: For the GS-08, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:

Performing prophylactic care; AND
Developing dental hygiene plans; AND
Preparing and conducting educational lectures; AND
Providing demonstrations on oral health care.

In addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following time-in-grade requirement, if applicable: For the GS-08, you must have been at the GS-07 level for 52 weeks.

Time After Competitive Appointment: Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a non-temporary competitive appointment must have served at least three months in that appointment.

Education

Additional information

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
- This is a bargaining unit position.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
- A one year probationary period may be required.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9 . Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
- Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
- Pass a pre-employment physical examination. An OF-178 , Certificate of Medical Examination will be required if selected for this position. DO NOT SUBMIT AT TIME OF APPLICATION.
- Selectees will be subject to the AFRH Tuberculosis Surveillance Program.

- Wear required safety clothing and/or equipment required by the position. This may include gloves, masks, etc.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your résumé may result in a "not qualified" determination.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Attention to Detail, Technical, Education and Training, and Communication. Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. A subject matter expert may be used in the evaluation. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must receive a score of 92 or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

If you do not meet any of the categories listed above, you may wish to apply under announcement 19-AFRH-123-P, which is open for any U.S. citizen to apply. Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply.

A complete application includes 1. A résumé, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

All applicants are required to submit a résumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view résumé tips .

CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES-- Documentation Relating to Your Federal Employment:

- Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should showa "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2".)

- If you are currently on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), submit a copy of an SF-50 showing that. Also, you must submit a copy of your DD214 or other documentation of discharge and any other applicable documents such as SF-15, VA letters, etc.

- Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade, submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: Submit a copy of your most recent completed annual performance appraisal includes the final rating. if you have not received a performance appraisal, please explain why in your application.

Licensure: Applications must be accompanied by 1) a certified copy or photocopy of the license, 2) a notarized statement attesting to the fact, or 3) a citation of the license number and State issuing it. Those not licensed must furnish the date on which they applied for a license and the jurisdiction involved. No person appointed pending licensure may be retained beyond the probationary period if licensure has not been attained.

If you are applying under a special hiring authority (e.g. Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement, VEOA, VRA, Schedule A Disability, etc.), please see applicant guide for required documentation . In order to be eligible under one of these authorities, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for
this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

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.