Program Support Assistant

Summary The incumbent serves as a Program Support Assistant (PSA) in the Polytrauma System of Care (PSC) and provides day-to-day coordination of the Rehabilitation administrative offices. This individual works under the direction of the Administrative Officer (AO), PSC, and ensures priorities and needs are met for each area. Routine work is performed independently in accordance with the overall objectives of PSC and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS). Responsibilities DUTIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: Incumbent fulfills administrative functions as assigned and serves as backup coverage for other sections in the Polytrauma System of Care and PM&RS as needed. Acts as a point of contact for the service for many requests for information or action from within the medical center, patients, patient families, other medical centers, and other individuals and organizations. Receives/screens telephone calls, visitors, faxes, emails, and incoming mail. Maintains files, policy manuals, and procedure manuals for their assigned section Serves as backup automated data processing access coordinator Schedules outpatient clinic appointments using Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) scheduling options. Coordinates and tracks consults to non-VA providers when required. Responsible for preparation and submission of monthly or quarterly analytical and interpretive reports as assigned for PSC, VAPAHCS, The Joint Commission (TJC) or VA Central Office. Attends meetings as required and takes notes. Prepares letters, reports, forms, and minutes from the notes in final format and is responsible for proper format, grammar, and spelling. Completes mandatory national and local training requirements. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm or as determined by the supervisor. Compressed/Flexible: This may be authorized at the supervisor's discretion. Telework: This position is not authorized for telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD06831O Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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 the 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 ( 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 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: 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 or trial 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, 07/14/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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 that you possess one year of time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year of 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. 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-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of taking the appropriate follow-up action and anticipating and preparing materials needed in order to respond to correspondence or phone calls from all entities within the VA and all non-VA entities. Knowledge of service procedures, policies, priorities, program goals, organization, and functions of the office necessary to coordinate the procedural work within the office, as well as to coordinate work with other offices and agencies. This includes the knowledge of how to obtain and monitor the full range of support services, such as requisition of supplies, maintenance and printing services, and various types of personnel and training actions. This also includes the ability to perform non-routine assignments, draft brief responses to routine correspondence, and locate information in files and prepare summary reports. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analytical Reasoning Clerical Computer 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, 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. 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: ???????There are no unique physical demands other than the ability to work and concentrate with frequent telephone and/or personal contact interruptions by staff, Veterans, families, and visitors. Most of the work is sedentary, but some mobility is required, such as walking, standing, bending, lifting, and carrying light items such as books, papers, and files. This position also requires mobility within the medical center and, in rare instances, via shuttle, bus, or government car between other locations within the healthcare system. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. 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 This occupation is being considered for a Veterans Health Administration enterprise-wide Critical Skills Incentive (CSI). Candidates may be eligible for a lump-sum CSI. The amount of lump-sum CSI is determined based on the appointment date and may be prorated as determined by the end date of the CSI. Eligible candidates will be required to sign a service agreement agreeing to an obligated service period, and failure to complete the obligated service period may result in a debt for the unearned portion of the CSI. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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.