Summary The Program Support Assistant is located within the VA Medical Center, in the VA Community Care (VACC) Section of Integrated Access Service. The primary function of this position is to provide support with the administrative and clerical operations of coordination of community care, including the authorizing and processing of consults for community care at the expense of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Responsibilities The Cincinnati VA Medical Center is a two-division campus located in Cincinnati, Ohio and Fort Thomas, Kentucky serving 15 counties in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana with 6 Community Based Outpatient Clinics located in Bellevue, KY; Florence, KY; Lawrenceburg, IN; Hamilton, OH; Clermont County, OH, and Georgetown, OH. Cincinnati VAMC also supports two off main campus locations in the Cincinnati area via an Eye Center and Mental Health Outreach Community Division. Major Duties: Creates authorization for payment of community care in the Fee Basis Claims System (FBCS) or alternative software system with pertinent information including the community provider's name, address, category of care, obligation number, number of visits, purposeof visit, and length of authorization. Provides administrative support to ensure all pertinent information is transmitted to appropriate parties for community care that is authorized under any other funding source. Electronically uploads all pertinent clinical and administrative data to a third-party administrator as appropriate. Serves as an administrative point of contact in the request, coordination, and authorization for community care consults. Works collaboratively with VACC RN Patient Care Coordinators, VACC Program Analysts, other VA staff and Community Care providers. Receives, handles, and transfer calls appropriately with regard to telephone inquiries from numerous sources including patients, other VA staff, and community providers concerning items including but not limited to: authorization terms, appointment status and billing/claims status. Prepares correspondence to be sent to community providers that includes details about the terms of the authorization, the appointment date and time, and all pertinent clinical data as instructed by the RN Patient Care Coordinator. Prepares correspondence to be sent to patients that includes details about the terms of the authorization, including the provider's name and location and appointment date and time. Performs weekly validations of authorizations and input, process, edit and or investigate suspended claims in FBCS to ensure accuracy of authorization entry. Inputs or edits community provider information into VISTA as requested by Pharmacy Service. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday (8am - 4:30pm) or (7:30am - 4pm) 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/PD91909A Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a supervisory 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, 01/31/2024. 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-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. 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: You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Specialized Experience: Have one-year specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized would typically include but are not limited to: Providing administrative support to a team, including but not limited to timekeeping, receiving and responding to phone calls, emails, and other messages, using electronic filing systems, possess the knowledge to research and review available records and locate required documentation form a variety of sources. Using various Microsoft Office programs, online database programs, and office equipment. Working independently, complying with internal and external deadlines, and assisting in department problem-solving. Preparing reports, assisting in planning, reviewing data. Following SOP's, directives, and other training, ensuring work is compliant with regulatory procedures. Skilled in interpersonal communication is required including the ability to handle agitated and/or confused clients to properly present information about available benefits either determining the nature of their inquiry or needs. Skilled in interpersonal communication is required including the ability to handle agitated and/or confused clients to properly present information about available benefits either determining the nature of their inquiry or needs. Knowledge of the privacy program and ensuring health information is kept confidential and protected at all times in accordance with applicable privacy statutes. 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 primarily sedentary. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying, and lifting light items such as papers, books, and files. No special physical demands are 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 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. 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. 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. 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. To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a VA job announcement includes language requiring applicants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply to this Job Announcement. VA may request information regarding your vaccination status, if selected, for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine. 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.