Summary This is an open continuous announcement and will remain open until September 30, 2024. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be referred every Friday. Responsibilities The Recreation Specialist duties include, but are not limited to: Communicates and treats customers (Veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Plans and carry out highly specialized and diversified treatment of a wide variety of acutely and clinically complex medical patients. Plans, implement, and conduct ongoing highly specialized and diversified recreation therapy treatment interventions for patients with varying degrees of impairments. Independently applies wide-ranging knowledge of recreation therapy concepts, principle, practices, procedures, roles, strategies, techniques, and treatment interventions/ modalities. Utilizes knowledge of a variety of standardized assessments tools in a systematic approach to collect comprehensive and accurate data. Informs the patient of his/her responsibility in the collection of assessment information and seeks collaboration in the process. Possess broad knowledge of the human body, psychology and the characteristics of physical and mental illness. Employs broad knowledge of medical terminology, recreation therapy, social recreation, activity therapy, therapeutic techniques, and fundamental sciences such as physiology, anatomy pathology, and psychology. Knowledge is applied in functions such as interpreting medical information in relation to disabilities, planning treatment, evaluating the condition and progress of patients, development of therapeutic techniques and devices, evaluating and advising on limitations and usefulness of recreation therapy interventions, and orienting/ training/supervising student therapists, volunteers, and/or compensated work therapy (CWT) worker. Applies the rehabilitation process in meeting the needs of the patient and exercises judgment in making recurrent and wide-ranging changes in procedures and approaches to enable the patient to achieve maximum rehab potential rather than yielding to their disabilities. Applies individualized behavioral interventions and therapeutic procedures designed to reduce stress and anxiety, build confidence, diminish negative behaviors, recover of basic motor functioning, problem-solving and reasoning abilities, as well as develop compensatory strategies to master skills necessary to sustain an independent leisure lifestyle within the least restrictive environment. Work Schedule: Tuesday- Saturday, 8:00am-4:30pm or 11:00am 7:30pm, rotating holidays and weekends Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Recreation Specialist/PD13703-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 15 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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-8 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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. Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement, having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/. All Title 38 Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) employees must have served in their Excepted Service position for at least 90 days in order to be eligible for a position within the Competitive Service. Applicants who were previously selected under a Competitive Delegating Examining Office (DEO) announcement must have served in their position for at least 90 days prior to being eligible for other positions within the Competitive Service. In addition to the qualification above you must also meet the following Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- general recreation, or one of the appropriate fields of recreation such as outdoor recreation; recreation and parks leadership; wild land recreation management; natural resources recreation; youth recreation; public, urban, or community recreation; special populations recreation (e.g., senior citizens, institutional, etc.); or physical education., OR Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience that demonstrated the ability to apply the principles of one or more specialty areas of recreation. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Planning, organizing, coordinating, supervising, or evaluating community, industrial, outdoor, institutional, or other recreational programs. Planning, establishing, or evaluating a recreational curriculum for junior college or higher academic levels. Instructing in the principles and techniques of recreational program planning and management. Serving in a leadership role in the programs and activities of local, regional, and/or national recreational organizations. To qualify at the GS-8 grade level: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the federal service to qualify at the GS-8 level. Experience that demonstrated the ability to apply the principles of one or more specialty areas of recreation. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Knowledge of recreation therapy concepts, principle, practices, procedures, roles, strategies, techniques, and treatment interventions/ modalities; assists with planning and carrying out highly specialized and diversified treatment of a wide variety of acutely and clinically complex medical patients; knowledge of the rehabilitation process in meeting the needs of the patient and exercises judgment in making recurrent and wide-ranging changes in procedures and approaches. This position also has a Selective Placement Factor (SPF). An SPF is part of the minimum requirements for a position, and applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The SPF for this position is: You must have an Activity Director Certification (ADC) through the National Certification Council for Activity Professionals (NCCAP) or become eligible to obtain your certification within one year of your start date. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Interpersonal Skills Technical Competence Critical Thinking Customer Service 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: Involves regular and recurring physical exertions, such as prolonged walking, standing, bending, .reaching, stooping, climbing, and stretching to set up and take apart equipment and apparatus; lifting, handling and operating various supplies and equipment needed by the service. lifting and repositioning patients; moderately heavy lifting (50 pounds or less), moving equipment and procuring supplies, working in warm (92 degrees) water, and high air (100 degrees) temperatures, positioning severely disabled veterans, and assisting veterans in transfer, and/or ambulation. The work requires specific, common. and physical characteristics and abilities, such as above average agility and dexterity. Incumbent must be able to push wheelchair patients on level and incline ground. At times, there may be undue heavy lifting due to unforeseen circumstances such as preventing a patient from falling. Most activities are rendered in the area to which the employee is assigned. 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 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: 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 Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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. "VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) 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."