Program Support Assistant

Summary This position is assigned to the Chief, Mental Health Care Line, or designee, TVHS, to provide all administrative support to Mental Health Social Work and Recovery Programs. Programs within Recovery Services are Suicide Prevention, the Homeless Program, Compensated Work Therapy, Veterans Recovery Center and Mental Health Intensive Case Management Program. Responsibilities The incumbent is the Program Support Assistant for the Mental Health Care Line, TVHS, and administratively supports Mental Health Social Work and Recovery Programs across all campuses. The Program Support Assistant is fully authorized to represent the Mental Health Social Work Manager and the Homeless Program Manager in administrative matters based on knowledge of administrative requirements, service organization and needs. The Program Support Assistant coordinates and directs service matters with other clinical and administrative services within the medical center, between other VA facilities, and with non-VA facilities. The incumbent adds substantially to the efficient operation and - effective management of the service by taking the initiative in identification of needs and potential problems and by developing constructive approaches to the solution of the problems. Consideration is given to the complexity of the service in that the employees are predominantly professional and technical. Due to the nature of the service and the scope of difficulties which arise, the Program Support Assistant must be. knowledgeable and experienced in the day-to-day workings of the Mental Health Care Line, the Medical Center and the overall VA system. The Program Support Assistant conducts special analytical studies designed to resolve critical programmatic organizational or functional problems within the Mental Health Social Work and Homeless Services and in the resolution of interdepartmental problems, complaints, and grievances, by applying communicational, motivational, and leadership skills with respect to advising, instructing and consulting with problem elements. The Program Support Assistant evaluates the overall planning activities of Mental Health Social Work and Homeless Programs in relation to policies, plans and objectives established by the Department of Veterans Affairs, obtaining information upon which evaluations and planning decisions can be based. Monitors and tracks implementation of program goals and objectives; evaluates established goals and objectives, and formulates, as well as implements policies in the areas of quality assurance and managerial program guidelines. The Program Support Assistant serves as an extension of the Chief and is responsible for coordinating all the administrative duties for both the Mental Health Social Work and Homeless Services in an effort to guarantee the primary goal of optimally delivering high quality health care to Veterans. The Program Support Assistant is responsible for proper utilization of resources by conducting surveys and collecting data which will support recommendations· concerning space, personnel, equipment, and fiscal matters. The Program Support Assistant is responsible for dealing with patient's complaints and dealing with issues that may arise between the service and other services in the hospital. The Program Support Assistant is responsible for investigating all incident reports and bringing to the attention of the appropriate chief or program manager, important issues requiring counseling or other action. The Program Support Assistant is responsible for communicating to staff changes as they occur in existing policy and regulations concerning procurement and fiscal matters. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 7:00am - 3:30pm, Monday - Friday. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD704700 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized 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. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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, 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, 10/19/2026. 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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Provide clerical and administrative support, including typing, editing, and preparing correspondence, memoranda, reports, and other documents. Compile, analyze, and prepare reports for leadership. Utilize VA systems, including the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) and the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), to access and manage information related to patient care. Demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills when interacting with patients, staff, professional personnel, and senior leadership. Use Microsoft Outlook to communicate effectively with professional staff and organizational stakeholders. Demonstrate proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. 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. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The 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 CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at