Program Support Assistant

The VA Bronx Healthcare System is recruiting 1 Program Support Assistant to provide a high level of administrative support and eligibility/enrollment expertise to the Medical Administration Unit to include the Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), Outreach Program, and Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) Office, as well as the Emergency Room.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/11/2024.

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:

• Experience with automated systems, tracking of electronic files and systems.
• Experience with Microsoft office suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook programs.
• Verbal and written communication skills.
• Skill creating correspondence.
• Customer service experience.
• Experience managing administrative and clerical responsibilities in a clinic or office setting.
• Skill in capturing, entering and summarizing information and data.
• Experience identifying inaccuracies in the information, and make recommendations to resolve discrepancies.
• Knowledge of extracting information from various sources when this requires considering the applicability of information and considering determination, verification, or termination of eligibility status.
• Experience managing and maintaining department records and databases.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Administration and Management
• Clerical
• Communication
• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Technology Application

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: This is primarily a sedentary position, but the work requires some walking, bending, stooping and carrying of light objects such as manuals, documents, etc. Concentration and sustained performance under prolonged stress is required because of the time factors involved in
completion of work assignments within deadlines.

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:

The primary function of this position is to make eligibility determinations for VA healthcare which requires an extensive knowledge of VA laws, directives, policies and procedures. They will also be responsible for monitoring daily uploads of changes to Veterans eligibility for health care benefits, researching eligibility issues such as unverified status of applications, pending applications for enrollment, expired enrollments, incomplete encounter management errors due to any administrative data input and updating demographic information.

The incumbent will be responsible to ensure accurate, timely and consistent information is entered into the appropriate database. The position requires practical knowledge of computerized data entry and information processing systems, VA regulations and procedures and the skill to recognize the dimensions of the problems involved in these programs, collect the necessary information to answer inquiries, establish the facts, and take or recommend action based upon application or interpretation of established guidelines.

Major duties Include, but are not limited to:

Eligibility 80% The incumbent performs and coordinates administrative and clerical activities related to Veterans' benefits for the following programs: Registration/Enrollment, Veterans Health Identification Card (VHIC), Inpatient/Outpatient Care, Compensation and/or Pension, MyHealtheVet, Vet Link, Catastrophic Disability, OEF/OIF/OND, Agent Orange, Former POWs, Project SHAD, Ionizing Radiation Exposure, Persian Gulf, Purple Heart, Nose/Throat Radium Treatment, Financial Hardships, Military Sexual Trauma, Camp Lejeune, Presumptive Eligibility for Psychosis and other Mental Illness, Restricted Enrollments, Caregiver's Program, Veteran's Choice, Tricare, and CHAMPVA.

Program Administration 20% The incumbent(s) will scan all documents pertaining to the registration process (DD 214, HINQ, 10-10EZ, etc.) into Vista Imaging within 48 hours of receipt. The incumbent(s) will review eligibility related reports and records and statistical computations for accuracy and propriety. Automated Medical Information Exchange (AMIE) requirements. Incumbent must have working ability to utilize Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook software programs.

Please refer to position description # 37282-A for a complete listing of duties and responsibilities.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
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#: Program Support Assistant/PD37282A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Salary : $51,829