The Dayton, Ohio Veterans Affairs Medical Center is recruiting for a well-qualified Health Technician (Restorative Health), to work within the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service's Restorative Care/ Therapeutic Activity Program.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/15/2025. 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. An Individual Occupational Requirement must be met by all applicants applying for GS-4 and above: Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of 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 experience would typically include, but are not limited to: the ability to adapt basic nursing measures to meet physical, social, emotional, and rehabilitative needs of the resident; ability to bend, lift, stoop, etc. while working with Veterans in the department; provide care and conduct small group sessions with residents in the department; ability to work independently and with other Health Techs as a team; ability to prioritize tasks and manage time efficiently; ability to document treatment accurately and in a concise manner; provide motivational skills and techniques to work with Veterans in the department for tasks of daily living. There is no education requirement for the GS-6. Note: Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Decision Making Learning Patient Care 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: Position requires extensive periods of standing and walking. Working with Veterans requires bending, lifting, stooping, and other similar activities. The use of correct body mechanics is required. Must be able to lift objects 35lbs using proper lifting techniques. Must be able to perform range of motion exercises, ambulation on multiple Veterans daily. Must possess the momentum to perform these tasks repetitively on a daily basis. This position also requires an ability to remain stable under prolonged physical and psychological pressure; a sense of humor; a willingness to examine own behavior as it impacts on the environment. Must be a "people person", with enthusiasm to relate effectively to both Veterans and staff, an ability to identify the potential for safety hazards, is courteous, cheerful, compassionate, sincerely concerned for the delivery of quality care, maintains a high degree of objectivity-by nature, self-direction in utilizing available resources. 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/.
Duties include, but are not limited to: Demonstrates knowledge of geriatric care to participate in a restorative/rehabilitative plan of care. Educates Veteran on restorative care programs and how it impacts overall function. Carries out the restorative services according to the plan of care using interventions that assist or promote the Veteran's ability to attain maximum, optimal/potential as long and safely as possible. Encourages and promotes independence and self-care with Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Communicates with nursing staff regarding Veteran's status and restorative care requirements needed to improve overall quality of life. Maintains positive, supportive relationships with Veterans to assist in achieving positive outcomes and increasing awareness and/or participation in therapeutic activities. Develops and conducts small group activities on the unit for Veterans in order to engage the Veteran. Participates in team conferences for planning Veteran care, encourages health, contributes to the plan of care, and understands the Veteran's condition and medical treatment. Makes visual observations of changes in Veteran's physical or emotional condition and keeps the team informed. Adapt basic nursing measures to meet physical, social, emotional, and rehabilitative needs of the older Veteran. Implements resuscitative measures and emergency response protocol, as prescribed for cardiac or respiratory arrest. Recognizes and responds appropriately when it is necessary to indicate emergency measures for any form of crisis intervention and call for nurse and/or physician. Maintains a therapeutic physical and emotional environment by assuring proper ventilation, and promoting a quiet, calm, supportive atmosphere and relationship. Basic teaching to assist and motivate the Veteran to achieve maximum or optimal independence in activities of daily living. Maintains safety and infection control precautions for Veterans in isolation. Understands the use of care requirement such as various types of bed frames, trapeze bars, lifts wheelchairs, hypo/hyperthermia blankets, cardiac monitor, oxygen equipment, etc. Recognizes potential safety hazards (physical, environmental and sanitary). Performs care according the CLC Restorative Care Programs Amputation and Prosthetic Care, Range of Motion, Splint and Brace Care, and Restorative Dining. Assist Veteran to maintain or optimize ability to move self independently as possible while in bed; teach techniques on positioning while in bed, aid in repositioning and turn schedule as needed. Ensuring Veteran performs bed mobility exercises to improve function. Ambulates Veteran using appropriate bed mobility assist, sit/stand and assistive device as appropriate. Assists Veteran in effective communication skills. Provides education and/or assistance with placement, cleaning, and care of amputation or newly acquired prosthetics. Performs active and passive range of motion with limitations or restrictions set. Provides assistance and teaches the Veteran using verbal and physical guidance, cues to apply or aid in application of splint/brace as needed. Monitoring skin before donning/doffing. Safety with two finger checks, proper placement, cleaning, and storage of the splint/brace. Reporting any concerns to the nurse on duty or Restorative Coordinator. Assists and monitors assessed needs and follows interventions for restorative dining. Ensuring Veterans restrictions and eating devices are available and used properly during the mealtimes. Identify issues with risks in aspiration, reporting concerns with swallow to Nurse on Duty or Restorative coordinator. Adapts basic nursing measures to meet physical, social, emotional, and rehabilitative needs of the older Veteran. The incumbent is expected to be innovative in approaches to work-planning organization and care delivery. Provides updates on progress of Restorative program to other staff and Restorative Coordinator and may be requested to give feedback during inter-Disciplinary meetings Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 0800 to 1630 Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Restorative Care)/PD918530 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized