What are the responsibilities and job description for the Program Specialist position at Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center?
This developmental position, located in the Mental Health Care Line, VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, composes a career ladder structure to the full performance level of Health System Specialist, GS-671-11. The primary purpose of this position is to support the clinical management of the Behavioral Health Integrated Program.
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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9.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 and/or education as described below:
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: Perform administrative and operational support duties, including coordinating meetings, managing calendar updates, and organizing clinical and administrative activities; assist with program planning, management, implementation, and evaluation processes; develop program goals, objectives, and operational strategies; participate in organizational planning and daily operations to support program effectiveness; monitor and follow up on program evaluation methodologies, procedures, and outcomes; communicate and collaborate effectively with staff members, departments, and external programs; knowledge of clinic profile management and Leaf system; working experience of data warehouse, VSSC and PowerBi. This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable.
OR,
Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D.
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 one year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table.
GS-11
Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Perform administrative and operational support duties, including coordinating meetings, managing calendar updates, and organizing clinical and administrative activities; assist with program planning, management, implementation, and evaluation processes; develop program goals, objectives, and operational strategies; participate in organizational planning and daily operations to support program effectiveness; monitor and follow up on program evaluation methodologies, procedures, and outcomes; communicate and collaborate effectively with staff members, departments, and external programs; identify operational needs and provide recommendations for process improvements; coordinate daily program functions and maintain quality management procedures and compliance standards; provide excellent customer service and maintain professional communication with clients, staff, and stakeholders; collect, organize, analyze, and report data to support program performance and decision; knowledge of clinic profile management and Leaf system; working experience of data warehouse, VSSC and PowerBi. This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable.
OR,
Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LLM degree.
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 one year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for position at grade GS-11.
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/.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm or 8:00am-4:30pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the Agency)
Telework: 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#: Program Specialist/PD038110
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Qualifications:
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/10/2026.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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9.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 and/or education as described below:
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: Perform administrative and operational support duties, including coordinating meetings, managing calendar updates, and organizing clinical and administrative activities; assist with program planning, management, implementation, and evaluation processes; develop program goals, objectives, and operational strategies; participate in organizational planning and daily operations to support program effectiveness; monitor and follow up on program evaluation methodologies, procedures, and outcomes; communicate and collaborate effectively with staff members, departments, and external programs; knowledge of clinic profile management and Leaf system; working experience of data warehouse, VSSC and PowerBi. This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable.
OR,
Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D.
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 one year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table.
GS-11
Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Perform administrative and operational support duties, including coordinating meetings, managing calendar updates, and organizing clinical and administrative activities; assist with program planning, management, implementation, and evaluation processes; develop program goals, objectives, and operational strategies; participate in organizational planning and daily operations to support program effectiveness; monitor and follow up on program evaluation methodologies, procedures, and outcomes; communicate and collaborate effectively with staff members, departments, and external programs; identify operational needs and provide recommendations for process improvements; coordinate daily program functions and maintain quality management procedures and compliance standards; provide excellent customer service and maintain professional communication with clients, staff, and stakeholders; collect, organize, analyze, and report data to support program performance and decision; knowledge of clinic profile management and Leaf system; working experience of data warehouse, VSSC and PowerBi. This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable.
OR,
Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LLM degree.
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 one year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for position at grade GS-11.
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/.
Responsibilities:
Major Duties:- Participates in top management discussions, decisions, policy-making and provides program direction to other executives, managers and assigned personnel.
- Provides input, advice and counsel for planning, programming, budgeting and general administration.
- Provides program direction and guidance to subordinate staff, effectively delegating authority and responsibility needed in order to carry out assigned tasks.
- This position manages quality assurance and National Mental Health Program data, and ensures compliance with all applicable accrediting organizational standards.
- Coordinates and expands use of all pertinent resources available for patient care, develops extensive community extensive community relationships/partnerships with individuals and with health, social and welfare agencies; maintains cooperative relationships with corresponding services at local military installations and other VA facilities.
- Evaluates past expenditures, perceives immediate and long-term requirements and their budgetary impact, coordinates staff input and prepares budget requests accordingly.
- Identifies need for and recommends major equipment acquisition and replacement with consideration being given to timeliness of acquisition and cost effectiveness of new equipment as opposed to enhancement apparatus.
- Direct administrative activities within BHIP including budget and fiscal management, human resource management, strategic planning and program management and evaluation, assuring that the clinical and administrative functions are integrated in order to provide optimum utilization of resources.
- Participate in the development of overall clinic objectives and philosophies necessary for the attainment of optimum efficiency in providing health care to our veteran population.
- Responsible for the outpatient processing in BHIP to include analysis of workload, missed opportunities, and clinic cancellations and reporting.
- Provide input, advice and counsel for planning, programming, budgeting and general administration.
- Evaluate proposed program changes, operating procedures and delegations of authority to ascertain impact on current program operations and on the VISN and Medical Center operations.
- Assess space allocation and determines space requirements needed to support program operations considering relevant factors such as patient and work flow, accreditation requirements and safety concerns.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm or 8:00am-4:30pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the Agency)
Telework: 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#: Program Specialist/PD038110
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Salary : $71,181