Recreation Assistant

Summary

The position is in the Recreation and Creative Arts Therapy (RCAT) Service at the Bruce W. Carter Miami Veterans (VA) Medical Center. RCAT provides therapeutic programming to improve the physical, cognitive, social and emotional functioning of patients located at the Miami VA. This position exclusively serves Veteran residents in the Community Living Center.

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Duties

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***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

Duties include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Provides RCAT services to the residents/patients in the Medical Center.
• Services will be provided to the patients admitted to the ward(s) or unit(s) the assistant is assigned to work.
• Works closely with Recreation/and or Creative Arts Therapist(s) to plan, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a large variety of treatment and Ieisure modalities which meet the assessed needs of the patients.
• Provides services which have been prescribed as part of the patients' physical, mental, social, and/or emotional rehabilitation program.
• Implements services to patients individually, in small groups, or in large groups, depending on the patients' functional abilities, the needs of the patients, and the appropriate number of patients and staff needed to properly administer services.
• Services will be provided to patients with a wide variety of physical and mental illnesses and conditions.
• Exercises highly specialized practical skills and knowledge while serving patients.
• Uses professional creativity and judgment to provide the services most appropriate to maximize the rehabilitation benefits for the patients.
• Monitors and documents the patients' responses to services as part of the evaluation and treatment process.
• Determines benefits from services being derived by the patients and indicate when changes in treatment or termination of treatment are recommended or necessary by therapist.
• Works closely with therapists in planning and evaluating treatments offered, there will be a large amount of autonomy in the work performed.
• Works with patients without the presence of a therapist or other staff member for most of the time.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Work Schedule: Friday through Tuesday: 8:30a.m. - 5:00p.m. and Tuesday: 11:00a.m. - 7:30p.m.; Must work weekends, federal, and non-federal holidays. This schedule is NON-NEGOTIABLE.

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Requirements

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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.
• 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In 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.

-AND-

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE : Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience includes: Group leader, counselor, or similar work in public and private recreation programs for adults or children such as summer camps, local playgrounds, YWCA and YMCA clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, urban community centers, or resort recreational activities; Teacher's aide in elementary school recreation or physical education program, with emphasis on development of general recreational skills and abilities; Aid or assistant assignments in recreation while on active military service; Aid or assistant in the organization and administration of recreation activities, such as preparing activities calendars, maintaining attendance records, and providing information concerning schedules and activities; Summer aid in a State or national park, with duties related to the recreational activities of visitors to campsites, trails, picnic areas, nature and raft centers, and boating and fishing areas (e.g., demonstrating camping techniques and park safety, conducting nature tours, and overseeing farm animal areas provided for children); Sales or stock clerk in a recreation supplies and equipment shop; Aid or assistant in the issuance of authorized property, and in the maintenance of inventory control and accountability for such property in a recreation facility; Aid or assistant in a hotel or resort recreation service, with duties such as setting up areas for games, tournaments, and other organized group recreational activities.

NOTE: Appropriate credit will be given for voluntary participation in community, social service, and similar activities related to the work of the position.

-OR-

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: Successful completion of six (6) months of graduate education directly related to the work of the position meets the requirements for GS-6. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)

-OR-

COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE : Combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)

Physical Demands : Walking, standing, bending, stooping, assisting patients with physical disabilities with transferring and ambulation, active involvement with patients in various recreation therapy programs, driving government vehicles, and quick action in any emergency may be required. The work is primarily active in nature with some sedentary work involved when performing clerical/administrative duties. Moderate to heavy lifting may be required.

Work Environment : Work is conducted in a medical center setting, on wards/clinics, in community programs both indoors and outdoors, and in various weather conditions. Community settings may include theaters, museums, shopping malls, sporting arenas, bowling alleys, hobby shops, restaurants, lakes, parks and trails.

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

IMPORTANT: 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: 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

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 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.

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.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

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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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.