Summary This position is assigned to the Assistant Chief of Staff of Mental Health Service Line. The incumbent provides short term, rehabilitation services to Veterans, family members, and groups of Veterans in the VA Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics (VA SORCC), Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs (DRRTP). The position leads a team comprised of Rehabilitation Technicians (RT) in providing inpatient frontline clinical services to Veterans. Responsibilities Major duties include but are not limited to: The incumbent assists the direct Supervisor and DRRTP Deputy Chief with oversight of RRTP 24/7 front-line staff; Assists with the administration of policies, procedures and programs to ensure compliance with regulatory organizations; Provides administrative and technical training to a team of up to 10 or more rehabilitation technicians who use patient-centered, holistic approaches in their delivery of 24n front-line care to 255 domiciliary inpatient Veterans; Coaches the front-line team and makes decisions in the absence of an RT Supervisor, solves day to-day unique operational and personnel problems; Observes individual Rehabilitation Technicians and team performance using various approaches such as quality reviews and in-person observations and reports back to direct supervisors any need for additional training; Provides new employee orientation to accelerate integration and productivity; Provides training to Rehabilitation Technicians on systems, appropriate supervision, intervention and counseling techniques, new initiatives, ethics, privacy, etc.; Assists in performance improvement plans or takes additional measures to address performance concerns when assigned by the RT Supervisor; Maintains program and administrative reference materials, project files, and relevant background documents and makes available policies, procedures, and written instructions; Participates in the service, training, consultative and other professional activities of DRRTP services treatment program and functions as a fully vested member of a multidisciplinary team; Serves as a recovery agent by providing and advocating for effective wellness and holistic recovery-based services that aid Veterans in daily living; Assists Veterans to articulate personal goals for recovery through the use of one-toone and group sessions; Collaborates with Veterans to develop and implement a personal wellness and recovery plan; Responds to emergencies and has thorough knowledge of Domiciliary and SORCC operations to assume temporary control of situations and areas; Participates in the Quality Improvement program in Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Service; and Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Rotating Schedule, Week 1: Thursday - Saturday, 6:00am to 6:30pm. Week 2: Wednesday - Friday, 6:00am to 2:30pm PST. Compressed/Flexible: Available. Telework: Not authorized. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Lead Rehabilitation Technician/PD903980 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved. 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 identification 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, 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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 07/24/2026. 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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-8 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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. 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. 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-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: Assisting professional personnel in effective operation of a rehabilitation treatment program for patients diagnosed with mental illnesses or co-occurring disorders; directing and supporting patients in the implementation of their treatment goals; assisting with the administration of policies, procedures and programs; resolving problems and providing guidance to others on rehabilitation services; and making recommendations on personnel training or program improvements. NOTE: 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. Preferred Experience: 1 year working in a mental health care environment. 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. 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 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. 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/. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.
