Summary This position is located within the Sensory and Physical Rehabilitation Service Line at the VA Maine Healthcare System in Togus, ME. The Recreation Assistant - Long Term Care Activities Program Planner responsible for coordinating both individual and group activities for both ambulatory and non-ambulatory inpatients, outpatients and Long Term Care/Community Living Center under the close guidance of a Recreation Therapist. Responsibilities NOTE: This announcement has been extended. Applicant(s) who previously applied, do not need to re-apply. THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Major duties: Consults with the interdisciplinary treatment team to ensure patient activities are diverse, highly specialized to meet individual needs and consistent with the objectives of the interdisciplinary treatment plan; Collaborates with other Recreation and Voluntary Service staff coordinating and carrying out center-wide activities and special events; Plans, initiates, develops and coordinates innovative Recreation Programs for the Long Term Care residents; Assists patients, families and the unit and/or Recreation Therapy staff in conducting interactive activities such as resident council, family forums and field trips; Meets regularly with the Recreation Therapists to discuss and review recreation programs and activities offered; Participates regularly on the interdisciplinary treatment team, reviewing patient progress and participation, identifying problems and making activity program changes; Serves as a backup for established activities for other patient groups; Maintains program-related records and statistical reports and completes supply inventories and requests; Maintains work areas in an efficient and orderly manner and reports hazards enhances patient and staff safety and repair needs to supervisor; and, Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Tuesday - Saturday 8:00am-4:30pm with one evening 11:00am-7:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved 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 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 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. AND In addition to the English Language Proficiency, to qualify for this position at the GS-5 level, you must meet one of the following: Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Recreation Assistant - Long Term Care Activities Program Planner, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Group leader, counselor or similar work in public and private recreation programs for adults or children such as summer camps, local playgrounds, YWCA and YMCA clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, urban community centers or resort recreational activities; Teacher's aid in elementary school recreation or physical education program, with emphasis on development of general recreational skills and abilities; Aid or assistant assignments in recreation while on active military service; Aid or assistant in the organization and administration of recreation activities, such as preparing activities calendars, maintaining attendance records, and providing information concerning schedules and activities; Summer aid in a State or national park, with duties related to the recreational activities of visitors to campsites, trails, picnic areas, nature and raft centers and boating and fishing areas (e.g., demonstrating camping techniques and park safety, conducting nature tours and overseeing farm animal areas provided for children); Sales or stock clerk in a recreation supplies and equipment shop; Aid or assistant in the issuance of authorized property and in the maintenance of inventory control and accountability for such property in a recreation facility; Aid or assistant in a hotel or resort recreation service, with duties such as setting up areas for games, tournaments and other organized group recreational activities. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. OR Education: Successfully completed a four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in courses related to recreation or physical education. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as listed above, may be used to meet total experience requirements. The education portion must include courses directly related to the work of the Recreation Assistant - Long Term Care Activities Program Planner position such as courses related to recreation or physical education. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Clinical Data Collection/Documentation Planning and Evaluating Vulnerabilities Assessment IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: The work of this position involves a good deal of standing, bending, kneeling and walking. Moderate lifting is required for positioning patients, assisting with transfers, moving activity equipment and procuring supplies. 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 IMPORTANT: 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). 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. 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. For more information on how to apply using this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator within the office, contact the facility Human Resources Department at (207) 623-8411. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. 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.