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Summary 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 in the residential outpatient domiciliary setting. Responsibilities Major duties include, but not limited to: Serves as a liaison between patients, team members, specialty, and ancillary services. Documents patient interactions in various computer programs including vital signs, Urine Drug Screens (UDS), observed patient behaviors, activities participation, group education notes, appointments, etc. Maintaining the safety and security of patients. Performs environmental rounds, maintaining awareness of patient activities and participation requirements. Facilitates recovery-based psycho-education groups to Veterans with mental health and substance abuse. Assists doctors and nurses in the care and treatment of ill Veterans. Conducts simple tests, such as, glucometer readings and vital signs and records the results. Obtains all key information needed in initiating medical processing of physician orders. Initiates appropriate procedures in emergency situations, including response to emergency events and drills, as well as medical emergencies. Communicates with people from diverse cultural, educational, and organizational backgrounds within and outside the facility. Work Schedule: Varies Sunday - Saturday, Day and Evening rotation, some weekends required, typical hours 7:30am-4:00pm or 3:30pm-midnight. Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD90479A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Approved Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Physical Requirements: You will 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. The work is performed in a clinic setting. This includes a variety of periods of sitting, walking, standing, and carrying of items. The incumbent must be able to utilize good body mechanics. Must be physically capable of walking distances required to perform daily rounds, multiple times per shift, respond to emergencies within the facility, complete emergency procedures including, but not limited to: evacuations, drills, and Basic Life Support ((BLS). The incumbent must be able to maintain auditory and visual alertness during all assigned tours of duty. Work Environment/Conditions: The work is performed in the residential outpatient domiciliary setting. The environment involves risk, which requires normal safety precautions. The employee works in a health care facility where exposure to contagious disease exists. The physical surroundings involve risks and discomfort that requires special precautions, e.g., exposure to undiagnosed and infectious disease, contacts with patients under the influence of intoxicants, verbal and physical assault from patients, etc. The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/10/2025. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one (1) 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 include, but are not limited to: performing administrative/clerical and clinical duties; interpreting and utilizing standard medical terminology/abbreviations for the human body; utilizing computer technology, including software, printers, and copiers; recognizing emergent/urgent medical conditions or complaints and immediately referring to clinical staff. 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 if you are basing all or part of your experience on education. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as listed above. 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 if you are basing all or part of your experience on education. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Preferred Experience: Mental Health experience preferred. 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 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 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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/.