Career Center

The employee will serve as the Social Science Program Coordinator at the VA Maryland Health Care System in Baltimore, MD. This position will be responsible for delivery and development of the Whole Health Program (Health and Wellness) to include coaching, educating and assisting patients with total health and wellness planning, as well as community outreach and available resources. 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. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT - Applicants must first meet one of the basic requirements listed below: Possess a Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to this position. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) ~OR~ Possess four (4) years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. ~OR~ Possess a combination of education and experience that provided you with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social science equivalent to a major in the field. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS - In addition to meeting the above requirements, you must also meet one of the requirements listed below to qualify for this position. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must also have at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-7 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: providing health and wellness coaching and education to patients and assist them to develop behavior plans and take action steps to assure goals are consistent with best practices for treatment and management of health and wellness; conducting outreach activities to inform patients and family members of available programs; utilizing effective interpersonal, in-person and written communication skills; and navigating various automated operating systems. ~OR~ Substitution of Education: Successful completion of two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree with major study in a behavioral or social science appropriate to the work of the position.. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) ~OR~ Combination of Education and Experience: Combination of equivalent education and specialized experience (as described above) to meet the requirements at the GS-9. NOTE: Only graduate education in excess (or beyond) of the first year may be used to qualify. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Education and TrainingInformation ManagementInterpersonal SkillsTeaching OthersTeamwork 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/. ["***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Provide Whole Health coaching and education to patients. Work with patients to identify their motivation for change and determine goals for them and develop treatment plans. Assist patients with developing behavior plans and taking action steps to increase adherence to treatment. Provide interventions that promote health and wellness, enhance well-being and improve quality of life. Conduct Whole Health facilitated groups, such as smoking cessation, diabetes management, hypertension clinics, mental health and other inpatient and outpatient groups as appropriate. Coordinate care with patients' treatment providers, both primary and specialty, to ensure identified goals are consistent with best practices for treatment and management of chronic illness. Utilize motivational interviewing and health coaching techniques and processes. Conduct outreach activities to inform patients and family members of available programs. Collect Whole Health qualitative data from patients and create reports analyzing effectiveness of health coaching. Assist with data management analyses, special studies and reports for use by management for budget preparation, workload projections and quality assurance and utilization reviews. Provide educational opportunities for staff, including lunch-and learns, grand rounds and presentations at staff meetings. Perform other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized. Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required."]