Medical Support Assistant (Lead)

Summary

Serves as the Lead Medical Support Assistant assigned to Outpatient Mental Health at the Brockton Campus under the Mental Health Service Line of the VA Boston Healthcare System. Performs a variety of administrative functions associated with the scheduling of patient care for the clinical programs, and

Patient care within Mental Health Service is delivered through a multidisciplinary team model involving psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and social workers.

Duties

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• Demonstrates Lead / AMSA Scheduling Skills
• Provides MSA Coverage as required
• Provides on the job training for all MSAs in assigned area
• Provides data reporting i.e., consults, encounters, pending appointments, RTC orders, etc.
• In the absence of the Supervisor, Manages Time & Leave issues of staff in collaboration with the covering Supervisor or Associate Chief

Work Schedule : Monday-Friday 8 : 00am-4 : 30pm

Paid Time Off : 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave : After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy : After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66 .

Retirement : Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance : Federal health / vision / dental / term life / long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Telework : May be available

Virtual : This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : F095201

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 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 :

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification / licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS.

a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g.)

b. Experience and Education

(1) Experience. Six months experience of clerical, office or other work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position; or

(2) Education. One year above high school; or

(3) Experience / Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

c. Certification. None required.

English Language Proficiency. MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.

GRADE REQUIREMENTS

Creditable Experience

Knowledge of Current MSA Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid / non-paid employment as a MSA.

Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience at the next lower grade level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a MSA is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a MSA employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1 / 2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service.

Grade Determinations . [In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed in paragraph 3 above, the] following [education and experience] criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates :

GS-7 Lead MSA

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-06.

Assignment. The Lead MSA monitors and makes work assignments, provides input on performance, resolves daily workplace issues and maintains efficient workflow. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to : assuring coverage of all areas of responsibility; conducting ongoing reviews to ensure quality of work; ensuring accurate and timely scheduling of appointments; providing guidance to staff members to include changes in policies and procedures; distributing and balancing workload; creating and maintaining employee work schedules; orienting and providing on-the-job training for new and current employees; ensuring all training requirements are met; organizing the work structure of his / her assigned areas; and acting as liaison between MSA and staff in order to resolve day to day conflicts. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below :

1. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology and a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and / or community resources.

2. Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting

1. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks / responsibilities in order to meet deadlines.

2. Skill in communicating with individuals in order to obtain the desired effect, ensuring compliance with established policies and regulations.

3. Ability to provide staff development and training.

4. Ability to manage staffing requirements, manage priorities, and coordinate work in order to complete duties in an accurate and timely manner. This includes the ability to follow-up on pending issues and demonstrating an understanding of the impact of incomplete work.

References : VA Handbook 5005 / 117 Part II, Appendix G45

Preferred Experience : Lead experience preferred.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-7

Physical Requirements : Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. Work is performed in an office / clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

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 : 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 :

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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