Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

Duties include but not limited to:

• The Integrated Care Technician (ICT) serves as a critical member of the Clinical Operations Center (COC), supporting care coordination for Veterans receiving inpatient or outpatient services at VA and community facilities. Major duties include:
• - Coordinates discharge planning with community and VA hospital partners, ensuring timely submission of orders for home health services, DME, IV infusions, wound care, and other post-acute needs.
• Documents veteran encounters, uploads admission/discharge summaries, and notifies PACT teams of status changes to support continuity of care.
• Maintains ongoing communication with Community Case Managers, Social Workers, PACT, NIC, and other interdisciplinary teams to monitor hospitalized Veterans and address care needs.
• Reviews and manages high-volume daily communications, including e-fax streams, emails, and view alerts, capturing critical inpatient information and ensuring prompt response.
• - Provides cross-coverage for fellow ICTs during periods of absence to maintain uninterrupted operations. Supports nursing staff in meeting required 72-hour clinical follow-up windows for COPD, CHF, and bacterial pneumonia diagnoses.

Inpatient ICT Duties (VA Facility)

- Places inpatient consults and discharge coordination orders on hold for provider signature to streamline hospitalist workflow.- Completes FL2 forms, Bene Travel requests, and conducts chart reviews for all admitted Veterans to support safe and timely discharge planning.- Coordinates discharge needs for Veterans hospitalized at DoD and affiliated VA medical centers.- Participates in required rounds and huddles including NIC Safety Huddle, Touchpoints, and Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) rounds, providing updates and addressing barriers to care progression.- Provides coverage for Transfer Center operations or other ICTs during absences and offers guidance on SOPs and daily administrative processes as assigned.

Patient Screening:

• Performing observation-based screening and collecting patient information in collaboration with licensed personnel. This may involve completing clinical reminders, obtaining patient health history, chief complaints, medication history, and identification of health-related conditions that may impact the patient's health status.
• Complete approved templates and tools, such as the outpatient intake form, normal result notes, and follow up treatment protocols established by the agency.

Mental Health Services:

• Assists in behavioral/psychiatric situations in an outpatient setting. This can include assisting licensed personnel with crisis intervention, management of aggressive or suicidal psychiatric patients, by providing one-to-one observations and applying prevention and management of disruptive behavior techniques (PMDB).
• Performs duties focused on communication techniques required to complete the questioners and templates approved for use in any outpatient clinical setting, including active listening, restating, and mirroring. The incumbent will maintain a safe and therapeutic environment for the patient while promoting a sense of worth and dignity under the supervision of the licensed personnel.

Clinical Tasks:

• Assists outpatient licensed staff with the delivery of care to patients with complex, specialized, and potentially life-threatening situations.
• Operates specialized medical equipment to obtain diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes.
• Observes patient status and keeps licensed clinical staff informed of any change in condition.
• Initiates cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BLS) and use of automatic external defibrillator.
• Observes patient status and keeps licensed personnel informed of any change in condition.

Clinical responsibilities:

• Treatments and interventions. Examples: Cryotherapy, incision and drainage, ambulation, and Foley code catheter insertion.
• Vital signs.
• Wound care. Examples: bandaging, application of dressings and wound measurements.
• Specimen collection and Preparation. Examples: collecting and labeling venous blood samples and mucous specimens.
• Assisting with patient exams and screening. Examples: gynecology exams.

As an ICT within the Clinical Operations Center, the incumbent primarily serves as a liaison to community hospitals and assists with discharge processes, including placing orders for provider hold/signature for the Medical Officer of the Day (MOD) or Primary Care Provider. The incumbent will also support discharge planning within the facility as needed.The incumbent performs ongoing patient care duties in outpatient clinical environments and completes additional tasks as assigned by the ICT Team Lead or the Chief of the Clinical Operations Center.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm
Telework: Ad-Hoc
Position Description Title - Intermediate Care Technician
PD#: 00000
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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.
• 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
• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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.

Preferred Experience: Military experience as a Hospital Corpsman, Combat Medic, Medical Technician is highly desired.

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: Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Medication administration; clinical tasks; emergency care; mental health services, patient screening; performs observation-based screening and collection of patient information, assists in behavioral and psychiatric situations, and operates specialized medical equipment; collecting a wide range of specimens, prepare specimens for transfer, performs skin biopsies, assist with minor procedures (nail removal, skin graph placement, and Jones dressing), conducts or assist with training and experience using Telehealth peripherals.

• Prepare and administer medications through various methods, examples include, intramuscular injections, subcutaneous injections, intradermal injections, oral, aerosolized including oxygen, topical, intraocular (eye drops), Otic (ear drops), intranasal, rectal (suppositories), local anesthetics, intraurethral, and intravenous.
• Perform minor surgical procedures, medical interventions and administer treatments to manage care to combat disease or disabling symptoms example incise and drain various skin infections or abscesses.
• Order appropriate diagnostic studies under the direction of the supervising Licensed Independent Practitioner (LIP) obtains and Reports Diagnostic and laboratory results.

OR
Education: One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement.
OR,
Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level.To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-07. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

TRANSCRIPT(S) MUST BE SUBMITTED IF EDUCATION IS BEING USED TO QUALIFY. CONFERRAL OF DEGREE(S) EARNED SHOULD BE PRESENT ON TRANSCRIPT(S). UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT(S). FAILURE TO DO SO WILL DISQUALIFY YOU FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION.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: The work requires a level of physical fitness that allows for standing for extended periods, heavy lifting to position patients, and manual dexterity to perform clinical procedures. The work will require recurrent bending, lifting, stooping, standing, squatting, stretching, sitting and walking.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Documents Accepted:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Documents Required:

• Resume

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

Next steps