What are the responsibilities and job description for the Contact Representative position at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?
Summary
This position is in the Contact Management Division - Help Desk Section of the Health Resource Center in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Member Services located in Waco - TX; Topeka - KS; Smyrna - GA; Fort Riley - KS - or Canandaigua - NY.
Qualifications
To apply for this position - you must have the following qualifications: 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. -AND- For GS-5: EXPERIENCE: Possess at least one (1) full year of specialized experience that has equipped you with the knowledge - skills - and abilities to perform the duties of the Contact Representative position - GS-5 as described below. To be creditable - this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-4 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience includes assisting in providing answers to health/medical benefits questions - assisting in resolving caller inquiry problems - possessing verbal communication skills to interact effectively with callers - using software such as Microsoft Office products - assisting in the registration and use of these programs. ~OR~ For GS-5: EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION: Possess four (4) years of successfully completed education above the high school level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school - junior college - college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours - 45 quarter hours - or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business or technical school. (Transcript required at the time of application.) ~OR~ For GS-5: COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Possess a combination of successfully completed post-high school education and experience - as described above - to meet total qualification requirements for the GS-5 Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e. - beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. (Transcript required at the time of application.) ~OR~ For GS-6: EXPERIENCE: Possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge - skills - and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position - and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable - specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level of GS-5 in Federal service. Specialized experience is understanding/determining eligibility for health services of patients benefits to answer questions - resolve problems - and advise callers on available courses of action; possessing verbal communication skills to interact effectively with callers and resolve callers inquiries; using of fundamental operations of software such as Microsoft Office products - browsing software - and personal computers and mobile device navigation and operation; possessing business health care practices - Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act rules - and Security and Privacy Act requirements to safeguard patient's personal identifiable information and personal health information. NOTE: This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. Physical Demands: The work is sedentary with no special physical demands. The employee is often required to talk and sit for long periods of time. The work environment includes everyday risks and discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of an office environment. Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title - duties - month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE - PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. 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
This position is in the Contact Management Division - Help Desk Section of the Health Resource Center in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Member Services located in Waco - TX; Topeka - KS; Smyrna - GA; Fort Riley - KS - or Canandaigua - NY.
Qualifications
To apply for this position - you must have the following qualifications: 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. -AND- For GS-5: EXPERIENCE: Possess at least one (1) full year of specialized experience that has equipped you with the knowledge - skills - and abilities to perform the duties of the Contact Representative position - GS-5 as described below. To be creditable - this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-4 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience includes assisting in providing answers to health/medical benefits questions - assisting in resolving caller inquiry problems - possessing verbal communication skills to interact effectively with callers - using software such as Microsoft Office products - assisting in the registration and use of these programs. ~OR~ For GS-5: EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION: Possess four (4) years of successfully completed education above the high school level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school - junior college - college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours - 45 quarter hours - or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business or technical school. (Transcript required at the time of application.) ~OR~ For GS-5: COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Possess a combination of successfully completed post-high school education and experience - as described above - to meet total qualification requirements for the GS-5 Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e. - beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. (Transcript required at the time of application.) ~OR~ For GS-6: EXPERIENCE: Possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge - skills - and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position - and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable - specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level of GS-5 in Federal service. Specialized experience is understanding/determining eligibility for health services of patients benefits to answer questions - resolve problems - and advise callers on available courses of action; possessing verbal communication skills to interact effectively with callers and resolve callers inquiries; using of fundamental operations of software such as Microsoft Office products - browsing software - and personal computers and mobile device navigation and operation; possessing business health care practices - Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act rules - and Security and Privacy Act requirements to safeguard patient's personal identifiable information and personal health information. NOTE: This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. Physical Demands: The work is sedentary with no special physical demands. The employee is often required to talk and sit for long periods of time. The work environment includes everyday risks and discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of an office environment. Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title - duties - month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE - PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. 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
- ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION - YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** This announcement has an applicant count cut-off
- Once 150 applications are received - the announcement will be removed from USAJOBS at 11:59pm EST on the day that the applicant count is reached
- This position involves a multi-grade career ladder
- The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-6. At the GS-5 grade level - you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence
- You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-6. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance - availability of higher-level work - and availability of funds
- This position is established to perform developmental assignments like the duties contained in the full performance - Contact Representative - GS-0962-06 - PD#01916A
- The required knowledge - skills and abilities are adequately obtained through the satisfactory performance of progressively more difficult assignments that are essentially and substantially identical in nature as described in the full performance level position description
- However - the incumbent is under closer supervision and receives more detailed instructions
- As the incumbent progresses - the amount of supervision will gradually be reduced
- All other factors of the position remain essentially the same
- The position is established with known promotion potential to the targeted full performance level of GS-06 without further competition upon the successful completion of all administrative and statutory requirements and demonstrated satisfactory job performance
- The primary knowledge of the position is to provide eligibility and benefits counseling
- website and mobile navigation
- and customer support to Veterans and all other users of the MyHealtheVet website - eBenefits website - Web and Mobile Solutions - and other various Veterans Affairs (VA) websites
- You will assist veterans in the registration and use of these programs
- Major Duties: Receives inbound telephone calls from Veterans - Veterans family members and/or legal representatives - the public - and VA employees regarding VA and related non-VA benefits available to Veterans - dependents of Veterans - and beneficiaries
- Determines most appropriate action or identifies alternatives in resolving issue(s) through in-depth research and interpretation
- Explains the process of filling out a claim for benefits - eligibility requirements - forms and other relevant information
- Performs research using approved knowledge management scripting and business processes to determine and resolve each problem
- Performs research and utilizes technical references and VA records systems available to resolve identified issues
- Provides instructions to Veterans - caregivers - VA staff on the use of VA eligibility - benefits and healthcare related websites
- and mobile tools
- Utilizes and records completion of work according to policies - procedures and guidance applicable to the work performed
- Reports and tracks user feedback and suggestions and appropriately documents issues and resolution in appropriate system of record
- Provides project support according to assigned tasks to provide a single point of contact for usability and navigation related problems for to My HealtheVet program
- Provides timely feedback to customers on service request status - resolution actions - and preventive measures for the requests
- Performs other duties assigned
- Work Schedule: Full-time
- Between 6:45am to 7:15pm Central Standard Time (Monday-Friday an 8 hour shift)
- Official tour of duty will be selected based on business needs and will start after training is completed
- Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Telework: This position may be authorized for telework
- AD HOC Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Salary : $34,799 - $50,428