Summary

The Caregiver Support Program includes the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers and the Program of General Caregiver Support Services within the Veterans Health Administration. Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care based on age-specific components. Assumes responsibility for the coordination of care focused on patient and caregiver education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care.

Duties

Help

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards

Major Duties include but not limited to:

• Coordinates program implementation with multiple clinical services across all campus locations
• Influences care outcomes by collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team
• Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership skills and participates in specific program experiences
• Demonstrates creative approaches to the management of program aspects of complex patient care
• Demonstrates leadership skills that start to impact the standard of care and safety of staff
• Establishes and maintains an ongoing education program for Veterans, caregivers, community agencies, students, and staff to facilitate understanding of clinical practice guidelines, mental health issues, readjustment issues and psychosocial issues
• Develops and facilitates CSP focused direction, orientation, coaching, in service training, staff development, and continuing education programs
• Develops and implements a plan for outreach to Veterans and Veteran caregivers who may benefit from the CSP program services
• Maintains a current network of referral resources to include peer support mentoring groups, caregiver skill building and self-care educational opportunities, mental health support, legal and financial services
• Subject matter expert to VA facility leadership and staff for all CSP related issues and serves as a consultant to other VA professionals and administrators
• Serves as a liaison to the Veterans Integrated Service Network Program CSP Program and the VA Central Office Program
• Responsible for monitoring performance measures at the local, VISN, and VACO levels
• Oversees the daily operations of the CSP
• Develops policies and procedures for program operation, and prepares reports and statistics
• Manages CSP clinical and business operations, accountability for program effectiveness, and modification of service patterns
• Develops a data-driven, continuous quality improvement program with established goals and outcomes to evaluate and document the program's effectiveness
• Manages and controls the use of data related to these programs regarding day-to-day functioning and program evaluation
• Provides oversight of facility CSP program fiscal matters of the functions supervised, forecasts resource and equipment needs, and administers the allocated budget
• Develops a system to identify family caregivers served by the VA facility including caregivers in the catchment area not enrolled in CSP
• Recognizes gaps in workforce competencies and ensures supervised staff who require knowledge and skill development receive the training necessary to execute their duties
• Manages all aspects of the PCAFC and the PGCSS to ensure eligible caregivers have awareness and access
• Develops robust programs that not only administers the required programing and services outlined within policy and regulation
• Manages all processes, procedures, and practices associated with program eligibility and participation to ensure application processing, tier adjustments, and program revocations
• Responsible and accountable for the clinical and program development and effectiveness of the facility CSP
• Responsible for CSP's clinical programming and daily operations
• Assists with the development of policies and procedures for program operation and prepares reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use
• Responsible for the program's budget and various control points assigned to the program within the assigned areas
• Manages and controls the use of data related to these programs regarding day-to-day functioning and program evaluation
• Plans, organizes, and directs administrative, operational, caregiver, Veteran, and personnel activities for the program
• Supervising staff, assigning and reviewing work, conducting performance appraisals, approving leave, participating in hiring/selection, initiating disciplinary actions, resolving employee grievances, and providing regularly scheduled supervision
• Skilled communicator capable of developing effective partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies as well as non-governmental organizations.
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards

Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE); OR Individuals attending a master's level bridge program in nursing who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelor's level degree in Nursing may have opportunity to become registered as a nurse with a state licensing board prior to completion of the bridge program. Upon achievement of a State license, the individual may be appointed on temporary basis and later converted to a permanent appointment upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program. (Reference VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G6); OR In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of a current, full, active, and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement for graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant an appointment as a Nurse who has completed an associated degree/entry level Nursing education program. Credit for foreign nursing education higher that associate degree/entry level requires a formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized equivalency evaluation accepted by VA such as International Consultants of Delaware (ICD).
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or the District of Columbia. Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) Exception: Candidates who otherwise meet the basic education requirements, but do not possess the required licensure, may be appointed at the entry step of the grade and level applicable to the completed nursing education as a GNT on a 120-day temporary appointment while actively pursuing licensure (may be extended up to two years on a case-by-case-basis.)

NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the standard (1/29/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification.

Grade Determinations: The following Scope, Education and Dimension criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade. The Dimension requirements (Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development and Evidence-Based Practice/Research) are detailed for each grade and level within the online assessment: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/[redacted].

Grade/Level

Scope

Education

Nurse I, Level I

Delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies.

An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional professional nursing required.

Nurse I, Level II

Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts, cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex.

An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 1 ;OR a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional professional nursing experience required.

Nurse I, Level III

Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning. Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations.

An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 2 years of professional nursing experience in which one year is equivalent to Nurse I, Level 2; OR a BSN and 1 year of professional nursing experience equivalent to the Nurse I, Level 2; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional professional nursing experience; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and no additional professional nursing experience.

Nurse II

Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others.

A BSN with 2 years of professional nursing equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR an MSN with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I, Level 3; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with no professional nursing experience; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN with no additional professional nursing experience.

Nurse III

Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting.

MSN and 2 years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Master's degree in *related field with BSN and two years of specialized nursing experience, one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III; OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III.

*Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

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.

Benefits

Help