Summary This position will serve as a Domiciliary Assistant within Behavioral Health located at the Veterans Healthcare System in Bath, NY. They are responsible for up to 220 patients throughout their tour of duty. The majority of the patients served are being treated for substance abuse. Performs clerical/assistant work in support of the care and treatment provided to patients in the ward, such as receiving patients, maintaining patient files, and operating the domiciliary living units. Responsibilities The primary purpose of this position will support the operation of the domiciliary living units by providing direct patient care and administrative support to domiciliary patients. Duties will include, but may not be limited to the following: Assures patient compliance with health, safety and sanitation directives as they pertain to living quarters, treatment areas, dayrooms, etc. Identifies safety hazards and takes steps to correct immediately. Modifies and directs patient behavior and assists in therapeutic rehabilitation programs as a member of a treatment team. Prepares forms for patient activities such as pass requests, clearance slips, Interdisciplinary Treatment Team meetings or discharge paperwork. Monitors patients and documents patient data/information pertaining to health, behavior, functioning, etc. in medical records/files. Monitors and directs patients on matters relating to violations of rules, regulations, policies and procedures. Refers medical and psychiatric problems and emergencies or incidents of physical altercations and alcohol/drug intoxications to the Charge Nurse. Adheres to rules of confidentiality and protects patient privacy as outlined by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Regulations and Standards. Conducts bed checks and follows up on patients reported absent bed check. Conducts building and domiciliary area searches for missing patients when required. Breathalyzes patients returning from authorized or unauthorized absence, and patients suspected of being intoxicated. Conducts walk-through rounds of patient living areas to resolve patient issues regarding safety, health and hygiene. Conducts searches of patient locker, belongs and furnishings when there are reasons to believe a patient has concealed a potentially harmful material or item including weapons, alcohol and/or illicit drugs. Uses word processing software to execute office automation functions (e.g., store/retrieve electronic documents/files; activate printers; format letters, reports and other forms of correspondence; transmit/receive electronic mail (e-mail); etc.) Performs other duties as necessary. Work Schedule: 6 12-hour shifts and 1 8-hour every pay period, and work every other weekend (Day shift is 730am-8pm and nights is 745pm-745am) Tours will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Domiciliary Assistant/PD12456A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/15/2026. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: clerical/assistant work in a ward/clinic/other such unit of a medical facility, security, etc. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Successfully completed 4 years of education above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. OR, Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (in excess of 2 years) and specialized experience may be used to meet total experience requirements. Preferred Experience: 1 year residential facility experience 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 work is partly sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do, the work. However, there will be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts; or driving an automobile, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. 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/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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 OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
