Job Description

SummaryThe Program Support Assistant Enrollment Specialist (PSA) position is located in the Eligibility and Enrollment Section of the Business Management Service and performs a wide variety of duties but is primarily responsible for interviewing applicants to determine eligibility for and entitlement to VA healthcare benefits. The Program Support Assistant ensures that all eligible applicants are registered and enrolled. Learn more about this agencyHelpOverview Accepting applications Open & closing dates 10/31/2022 to 11/14/2022 Salary $40473 - $52616 per year Pay scale & gradeGS 6 HelpLocation1 vacancy in the following location: Birmingham AL 1 vacancy Remote job No Telework eligible No Travel Required Not required Relocation expenses reimbursed No Appointment typePermanent - Work scheduleFull-time - ServiceCompetitive Promotion potential None Job family (Series) 0303 Miscellaneous Clerk And Assistant Supervisory statusNo Security clearance Other Drug testNo Position sensitivity and risk Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk Trust determination process Suitability/Fitness Announcement numberCBTB-11707020-23-SZ Control number686319200 HelpThis job is open to Federal employees - Competitive serviceCurrent or former competitive service federal employees. Federal employees - Excepted serviceCurrent excepted service federal employees. Individuals with disabilities Internal to an agencyCurrent federal employees of this agency. Military spouses Veterans Career transition (CTAP ICTAP RPL)Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee. Clarification from the agency This announcement is open to current permanent employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Birmingham VA employees will receive 1st consideration; VA Title 38 Hybrid 38 Canteen employees serving on excepted appointments; All federal employees serving on a Career/Career-Conditional appointment; Veterans eligible under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act; Veterans eligible as 30% Disabled Veterans; Veterans eligible under a Veterans Recruitment Appointment; CTAP/ICTAPVideosHelpDuties Major Duties and Responsibilities The Program Support Assistant (PSA) has a primary responsibility to interview applicants for VA healthcare and is expected to provide exceptional customer service with respect and concern for the applicant. The PSA should actively listen to customers pay attention to the details of the customers needs and concerns and still be flexible and enthusiastic while helping the applicant understand the VA healthcare system. They should also exhibit an extensive knowledge of VA healthcare options VA Directives VA Handbooks and national and local policies to be able to accurately respond to inquiries from applicants veterans their family members medical center staff internal and external stakeholders and other agencies regarding eligibility and enrollment. The PSA should inform applicants of the eligibility requirements for healthcare and other benefits the requirement for income information applicable to the Financial Means Test and Co-Pay Test the requirement for insurance information and other necessary information and be able to answer both general and specific questions about the applicants eligibility for outpatient care inpatient care long term care dental care and other healthcare system programs and entitlements. The Program Support Assistant is responsible for the timely determination and verification of eligibility for all applicants which is achieved through interactive access and input from various sources for making an eligibility determination including but not limited to: reviews of military documents; a query through the Hospital Inquiry System (HINQ); a query through Veteran Information Solutions (VIS); the patient data exchange system in VistA; notification and verification through the VA Regional Office; notification and verification through the Health Eligibility Center (HEC); notification and verification through the Health Resource Center (HRC); and by any necessary means to accomplish eligibility verification. Pending applications with unresolved eligibility are maintained in a suspense file which requires constant monitoring until a final eligibility determination is made. The Program Support Assistant is responsible for ensuring all eligible applicants are properly enrolled through the Health Eligibility Center and all registrations are complete with no missing data (inconsistencies). Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not telework eligible Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD9386A and PD09386A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not requiredHelpRequirementsConditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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 11/14/2022. 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: providing administrative support; collecting compiling and tracking data and information; processing documents and reports; establishing updating and maintaining office files and records; performing automation duties using such software applications such as word processing spreadsheet electronic mail desktop publishing calendar database and/or graphics answering telephones referring visitors and providing information. OR Education: As a general rule education is not creditable above GS-5 for most positions covered by this standard; however graduate education may be credited in those few instances where the graduate education is directly related to the work of the position (NOTE: If using graduate education to qualify transcripts must be provided at the time of application for consideration. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analytical ThinkingAttention to DetailCustomer ServiceTechnical 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: The incumbent must be in overall good health able to sit at a desk working at a computer engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting walking bending and carrying supplies. The incumbent must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands with reasonable accommodation if necessary without endangering the health and safety of others. For more information on these qualification standards please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.Education As a general rule education is not creditable above GS-5 for most positions covered by this standard; however graduate education may be credited in those few instances where the graduate education is directly related to the work of the position.Additional informationReceiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u) Schedule A Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e. intellectual disabilities severe physical disabilities or psychiatric disabilities] and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. 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 OPMs 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. Read more Help 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 benefitsEligibility 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. How You Will Be EvaluatedYou will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. 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 candidates 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. Help 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 benefitsEligibility 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. 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 youre 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 youre eligible under their policies. To apply for this position you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: ResumeSF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action 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-50s (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 LetterDD-214/ Statement of ServiceDisability Letter (Schedule A)Disability Letter (VA)OF-306Proof of Marriage StatusResumeSeparation Notice (RIF)SF-15SF-50/ Notification of Personnel ActionTranscript 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 50s do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include: Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or SF-50s 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 ...