Summary This position is organizationally aligned under Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service, at the Cleveland VAMC (541), Cleveland OH - a Level 1 Complexity VHA Facility. The incumbent works under the Assistant Chief O&P Clinical Services. The primary purpose of the position is to perform technical work in the Orthotic Prosthetic Clinical Service - and assist in the design, fabrication, repair, modification and fitting the many varieties of orthotic devices prescribed by a physician. Responsibilities THIS IS AN OPEN CONTINOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. THIS ANNOUNCMENT MAY CLOSE SOONER THAN POSTED DATE.This is an open continuous announcement that will be used to fill vacant Health Technician Orthotic and Prosthetics Lab Technician position through January 2024 0 September 15, 2024 All applicants applying will be reviewed every two weeks or upon Management's request. Any required documents should be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted after you submit your application. Applications will expire three (3) months after they are submitted. You will need to reapply and submit a complete application packet every three months if you still want to be considered for the position. Measures and Fits Patients 100%This position provides clinical, administrative, technical, and direct patient care support. In this capacity, the incumbent must be skillful and flexible in establishing goals and setting priorities due to the fluctuating needs of the clinical staff - based on the following areas: Under the guidance of the Orthotist and/or Prosthetist the incumbent will perform all duties involved with orthotics and prosthetic skills in the repairing, fabrication, fitting and modification of orthotic and prosthetic devices for the treatment of patients; Under the direction of the Orthotist and/or Prosthetist will assist the professional staff in the treatment and care of seriously disabled veterans to include amputees, diabetics, upper motor neuro injury, spinal cord injury and those with related disabilities requiring the use of orthotic, prosthetic and footwear devices to take the place of, or assist, a part of or function of the body which is lost or impaired; Will perform under the direction of the Orthotist and/or Prosthetist repairing, modifying, measuring and fitting of off the shelf and custom fit devices, such as lumbosacral orthoses, cervical collars, compression hose, knee orthoses, wrist hand orthoses, abdominal binders, orthopedic shoes etc. Will assist the orthotic lab in fabricating orthotic components together; Will be responsible for performing a broad range of work, which involves the choice of materials, fabrication and fitting under the supervision of the Orthotist and/or Prosthetist. Each device is constructed and fitted to meet the most rigid prescription requirement; Will maintain stock of material or supplies for fabrication and off the shelf prosthetic and orthotic devices utilizing the prosthetics inventory package (PIP); Will be responsible for maintaining their Orthotic Lab work orders in the Prosthetics package in the DHCP/VISTA. These work orders explain what needs to be done for the patient. The work orders need to be closed correctly to reflect time spent and materials used. This becomes a permanent part of the patients' Prosthetic record. This also affects the quarterly obligations report for headquarters; Will be responsible for maintaining electronic progress notes on patients that he/she has treated with support from the Orthotist and/or Prosthetist; Will communicate and instruct patients in proper procedures for wearing and maintaining orthotic/prosthetic devices in order to achieve the maximum benefit. He/she will document any communication and instructions given to the patient using the electronic consult and progress note (CPRS package) utilized by this Hospital. The incumbent will follow up to ensure the appliance fits and functions properly; Will be responsible for all clean up assignments. This includes keeping the following organized, clean and neat: workbench, general work and storage area; Complies with all safety/fire prevention rules/regulations, using protective equipment when required and provided. Promptly reports all accidents and notifies supervisor of unsafe/unhealthful conditions in the workplace. Attends scheduled training sessions and participates in facility or service level safety promotions as directed by supervisor. Knows fire drill and emergency plans for work area, including location of all emergency fire equipment, and Performs other duties as assigned. May travel in VA assigned vehicle. **Must have valid U.S. driver's license Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 7:30a.m.-4:00p.m. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician Orthotic Fitter/PD01481-A and PD91128A 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 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/15/2024. This Health Technician, GS-640, occupational series has an Individual Occupational Requirement in addition to the Group Standard for Technical and Medical Positions. Individual Occupational Requirement Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. Group Standard for Technical and Medical PositionsGS-07 Grade Level: Experience One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-06 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes, but is not limited to: Fabricating, adjusting and repairing orthotic/prosthetic appliances; reading patient charts; using standard medical terminology; taking patient measurements utilizing the appropriate equipment; monitoring inventory levels and ordering lab supplies; entering data using the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System; and following established techniques and sequences in the development of orthotic/prosthetic appliances OR Applicants may substitute education for the experience required Education: You may substitute graduate education or an internship for the required specialized experience only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have at least one (1) full year of graduate education directly related to the work of the position. (Transcripts must be provided.) OR Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify. Combination of Experience and Education: Applicants may also combine graduate education and specialized experience to qualify at this level. Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. (Transcripts must be provided.) 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: 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 position demands a moderate degree of exertion and a high degree of dexterity. The work requires some physical exertion, some bending, stooping, and crouching to work on devices and fit them to the patient. Work involves some lifting and moving of moderately heavy supplies and equipment such as wheelchairs and durable medical equipment, up to 40 pounds. Work as a Clerk is sedentary. There exists prolonged periods of working at a computer terminal. 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. 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 The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.