Health Technician

Description:

The Health Technician is a direct care staff in the St. Cloud VA Health Care System Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation and Treatment Program. This specialized treatment program provides residential. bio-psychosocial services in the treatment of substance use and/or mental health disorders. This position provides support in a wide variety of basic clinical and administrative activities.

Requirements:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/30/2025.

Time-In-Grade Requirement : Advancement to positions up to GS-05. Candidates may be advanced without time restriction to positions up to GS-05 if the position to be filled is no more than two grades above the lowest grade the employee held within the preceding 52 weeks under his or her latest non temporary competitive appointment.

Selective Placement Factor: ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCYIn 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 and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically includes: performing administrative/clerical and clinical duties; interpreting and utilizing medical and technical terminology in a medical setting; utilizing computer technology, including software, printers, and copiers; facilitating and providing practical advice/counsel to patients. Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a full four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with a major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to this position. 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. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond beyond the second year. The education portion must include courses directly related to the work of the position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. 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 for this position:

• Clinical Data Collection/Documentation
• Communication
• Computer Skills
• Interpersonal Skills

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.

Preferred Experience: Mental Health Experience

Physical Requirements: You may be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

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/ .