To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/10/2023.

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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05.

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.

This occupational series 0640 has an individual occupational requirement, which requires applicants to meet the described experience below:

• Specialized Experience: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled.

OR,

• Education and Training: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position.

In addition to the individual occupational requirement 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-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 1) Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes. 2) Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on the job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues. 3) Knowledge of medical information and/or terminology related to the diagnoses, treatment, and prevention of human injuries and diseases. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions and preventive health care measures. Understands and uses medical, surgical and/or dental terminology.
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a successful completion of at least One half year of graduate education (9 semester hours) of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field directly related to the work of the position to be filled.

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a successful completion of at least One half year of graduate education (9 semester hours) of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field directly related to the work of the position to be filled.

OR,

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate level education as described that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position.

Preferred Experience: Experience in the Mental Health field.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Medical Information
• Planning and Evaluating
• Technical Competence

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: The variety of duties requires regular and recurring periods of sitting, walking, standing, carrying items, typing, writing, as well as lifting heavy, sometimes immobile patients. The incumbent is expected to utilize good body mechanics and have stamina to withstand a stressful environment.

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/.