The position provides care to Veterans seeking self-directed, lasting changes aligned with their values. They provide interventions that promote health and wellness and enhance well-being, improve health related outcomes, reduce likelihood of inpatient admission, and improve quality of life. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/02/2023. 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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements Basic Requirements: The following education or experience are required to meet the specific qualification requirements for this position. Experience: Four 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, Degree: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR, Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. In addition to the above Individual Occupational Requirements, the following must be met: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-7 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 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 health coaching structure, process, skills and techniques. Knowledge of current research literature related to health and wellness, including behaviors that promote wellness and those that are detrimental. Ability to use automated systems and interpersonal and communications skills. Ability to retrieve, track and trend information needed for reporting related to health coaching. NOTE: This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed 1 year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement at an accredited college or university. The number of semester hours required to constitute a major field of study is the amount specified by the college or university attended. If this number cannot be obtained, 24 semester hours will be considered as equivalent to a major field of study. NOTE: Official/unofficial transcripts must be submitted with your application or your application will not be reviewed. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a graduate degree providing with the knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field of the position. (Transcript AND Details of your work history must be provided in your resume; failure to supply sufficient details may result in not meeting the basic requirements for this position) GS-9 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 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 regulations, policies, and procedures regarding information systems such as Scheduling and Enrollment, and Health Data Repository; participating in outreach programs to inform patient and family members of available programs; promotes the use of health coaching; and analyze relevant data. NOTE: This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed successfully completed two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a related field of the position to be filled. Education at the graduate level must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must possess equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience as described above, to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Communication Customer Service Technical Competence 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: Work is performed in an office setting with occasional visits to areas within the service as well as throughout the Healthcare system. Work areas are adequately lighted, heated, and air conditioned. The normal risks and discomforts typical of an office and clerical work area are included. There are no unusual risks or safety hazards associated with this position. 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/. ["Duties and responsibilities include: Contacts eligible participants for enrollment and explain the health coaching process. 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. Coordinates with others on the Veteran's health care team to ensure optimal patient care. Meets with external stakeholders to provide information about the Whole Health Group and individual programs and access to Veterans. 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. 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. Provides eligible Veterans and family members with information regarding lifestyle management. Conducts outreach activities to inform Veterans and family members of available programs. Provides training and troubleshooting for other health coaches in health coaching administrative processes and associated supporting issues. Develops and distributes locally approved health education materials to identified enrolled Veterans and family members. All other duties as assigned by management. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility 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. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Social Science Program Coordinator/PD99582S and PD99581S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.