Health Technician (Home Health Aid)

Full Job Description

This position is located at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the Rehabilitation, Extended and Community Care (RECC) Division.

This position is for the Community Homes, which is a 30 bed unit that is set up as 3 homes, each with 10 beds. The Community Homes consists of some Long-term veterans and some Short-term stay veterans.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/20/2026.

***Drivers License Required*** GS-6 Specialized Experience: Must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-5) in the Federal Service that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the Health Technician.

Specialized experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques related to the position and includes, but is not limited to: working as a Certified Nursing Assistant applying resident-centered principles to implement nursing care and resolve recurring challenges; observing residents physical and emotional response to care and treatment; using computers to communicate by utilizing computerized records and Outlook; prepares meal coordinating several menu items; labels, arrange completed food items following guidelines; knowledge of chemicals and equipment for cleaning and maintaining of residents' environment.

OR GS-6 Education: Must have successfully completed one-half year of graduate education (9 semester hours or equivalent), or an internship in course matter with a major that included courses directly related to the work of the Health Technician position.

This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

Note: You must submit a copy of your transcript (unofficial or official) or a course listing that identifies for each course completed: the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade, and grade-point average received.

Education cannot be credited without documentation.

OR GS-6 Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: Must have an equivalent combination of related graduate level education and specialized experience to meet the total experience requirements.

(Transcripts Required).

GS-7 Specialized Experience: Must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-6) in the Federal Service that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the Health Technician.

Specialized experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques related to the position and includes, but is not limited to: working as a Certified Nursing Assistant applying resident-centered principles to implement nursing care and resolve recurring challenges; properly using equipment, material, and supplies in a large variety of diagnostic and treatment procedures for the purpose of implementing care; observing residents physical and emotional response to care and treatment; using computers to communicate by utilizing computerized records and Outlook; knowledge of the aging process for adults through geriatric year with the ability to recognize deviations from normal aging process; understanding the human body structure, functions, illness and disease, and the treatment procedures for the purpose of communicating with nurses, staff, and residents; prepares meal coordinating several menu items; labels, arrange completed food items following guidelines; knowledge of chemicals and equipment for cleaning and maintaining of residents' environment; uses appropriate cleaning agents and germicidal solutions to remove stains from a wide variety of surfaces.

OR GS-7 Education: Must have successfully completed one full year of graduate education (18 semester hours or equivalent), or an internship in course matter with a major that included courses directly related to the work of the Health Technician position.

This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

Note: You must submit a copy of your transcript (unofficial or official) or a course listing that identifies for each course completed: the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade, and grade-point average received.

Education cannot be credited without documentation.

OR GS-7 Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: Must have an equivalent combination of related graduate level education and specialized experience to meet the total experience requirement.

(Transcripts Required)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.

Physical Requirements: The work requires walking, standing, bending, lifting and carrying of light items, such as food trays, instruction materials, books, and manuals.

NCC Associate functions require long periods of sitting and moving about in an office environment, including repetitive motion activities of the hands and fingers for extensive keyboard and computer mouse use, and office tasks such as answering and holding a telephone and writing.

The work may require walking indoors, outdoors or to and from other areas of the medical center. It may be necessary to lift and/or push equipment.

Incumbent is subject to periods continuous standing, sitting, walking and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. Frequently lifts or moves objects weighing up to 20 pounds.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: 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/.

Major Duties:

Major Duties: The incumbent provides resident-centered care to Veterans in a manner conducive to their comfort and safety.

The Health Tech are responsible for assisting the veterans with activities of daily living, attending outings, meal preparations, escorting veterans to appointments over at the hospital, and assisting with activities.

The Community Homes are a home like environment for the veterans.

Duties include, but not limited to the following: Provides resident centered care to Veterans in a manner conductive to the comfort and safety of those in the homes.

Protect, sustain, and nurture the resident by providing assistance with activities of daily living, and with other needs as required.

Work with the resident and interdisciplinary team in autonomous roles without constant and direct supervision. Monitor temperatures of appliances in the kitchen.

Monitor appetites and food intake of residents and for obtaining and recording weights as outlined by the Clinical Support Team.

Ensures all areas of the residence, indoors and outdoors, are clean and presentable.

Creates the team schedule in collaboration with team, providing required staff coverage, time off, and adhering to overtime policies.

Ensures that care has been provided and that documentation has been completed as outlined in the residents' care plans.

Helps Recreational Therapy carry out recreational activities in the homes, outdoors and off-station.

Performs comprehensive nursing care for medical, long term care, and/or dementia residents in the rehabilitative process.

Recognizes, records, and reports behavior which indicates disorientation to time, place, person, and situation. Prepares and serve food in the homes.

Encourages residents to follow and participate in plan of care. Identifies, reports, appropriately intervenes, and/or assists with interventions in potential/actual psychiatric emergency situations.

Responsible for escorting veterans to the hospital for appointments.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met.

Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: NOCs (2300-0730), holidays and weekend rotation Compressed/Flexible: Not available Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Home Health Aid)/PD13250A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not available Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not available Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not available