Summary The Program Support Assistant is a high-level administrative and technical position based at the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center (Bay Pines VAMC) within the Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC) service. This role is essential for improving patient care coordination in the community by providing support to several Non-Institutional Care (NIC) programs, such as Purchased Skilled Care, Homemaker/Home Health Aide, Hospice/Palliative Care, and Veteran Directed-Home Care. Responsibilities This role significantly impacts the quality of care provided by the medical center by ensuring that all administrative procedures are followed correctly by vendors and home care staff. The environment is a professional clinical administrative setting that requires constant interaction with internal and external customers to resolve issues impacting patient care. Major Duties - Receives and processes approved consults and renewal requests for non-VA medical care. - Prepares, enters, edits, and tracks medical authorizations using systems like CPRS and VistA. - Coordinates with community agencies to identify staffing availability and schedule intake assessments. - Ensures all documentation complies with VA policies, SEOC guidelines, and the GEC National Field Guidebook. - Enters referral expiration dates and monitors regulatory timeframes to support continuity of care. - Acts as the primary administrative point of contact for Veterans, caregivers, and community agencies. - Independently responds to administrative inquiries and determines the nature and urgency of issues. - Escalates clinical matters to professional staff and facilitates multidisciplinary communication. - Collaborates with external healthcare organizations to resolve issues that could impact patient care. - Performs general clerical functions including processing mail, scanning, and faxing. - Maintains organized records and manages documentation to ensure data integrity. - Supports internal office workflows and ensures compliance with all administrative procedures. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD10032A, PD09034O, and PD100320 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 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 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 or 2-year trial 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 or trial 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, 05/05/2026. 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-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: Program Knowledge: Comprehensive knowledge of Non-Institutional Care (NIC) and Community Care programs, including VA eligibility requirements and authorization procedures. System Proficiency: Practical experience using computerized data entry and information processing software such as VISTA, CPRS, and HealthShare Referral Manager (HSRM). Technical Skills: Ability to process consults, prepare non-VA medical authorizations, and manage renewals while adhering to VA policies and regulatory timeframes. Communication: Skilled in professional communication, including the ability to use tact, diplomacy, and compassion when dealing with Veterans, their families, and community partners. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Clerical Communications Computer Skills Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Manages and Organizes Information 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, using the computer for most of the day. Some bending and standing is required. 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 There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit for 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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.
