Mental Health Assistant Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Meet the basic qualification requirement through one of the following: six months of general experience demonstrating ability to acquire Nursing Assistant knowledge and skills; one year of post-high-school education with related courses; or completion of an intensive, specialized, occupation-related Nursing Assistant course of less than one year.
• For GS-04 qualification, meet one of the stated alternatives: one year of specialized Nursing Assistant or related medical-field experience, or successful completion of two years of post-high-school education with relevant coursework. GS-04 candidates must also demonstrate the listed patient-care, observation and reporting, equipment-use, and communication abilities.
• For GS-05 qualification, meet one of the stated alternatives: one year of progressively responsible experience equivalent to GS-04, or a bachelor’s degree with 24 semester hours of health-care-related coursework (or a bachelor’s degree). GS-05 candidates must also demonstrate the listed nursing-care, oral communication, precepting, and emergency-response abilities.
• Pass a pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Complete required background/security investigation, drug testing if tentatively selected for a testing-designated position, and online onboarding; provide acceptable identification and complete application requirements.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Serve a 1- or 2-year trial period, subject to the stated employment evaluation and certification requirements.

Responsibilities

• Assist patients with personal hygiene, including bathing, shaving, brushing teeth, nail care, and hair combing.
• Provide appropriate assistance with activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, transferring, ambulating, feeding, and toileting.
• Obtain and document blood pressure, pulse, respiration, blood glucose, and patient weights in the medical record.
• Recognize significant variances in vital signs, blood glucose, and weight, and report them to the responsible registered nurse.
• Assist with or perform therapeutic and diversion activities under the direct supervision of recreation, occupational, or physical therapists.
• Respond promptly and in person to call lights.
• Assist during emergency treatments by obtaining equipment and running errands as needed; assist in emergencies, including CPR as needed.
• Assist the nurse, physician, or nurse practitioner during procedures and treatments, following applicable standards and guidelines.
• Complete required initial and annual Nursing Assistant competency requirements.
• Help the team reinforce educational needs with patients.
• Consistently follow each patient’s Plan of Care.
• Perform one-to-one observation as assigned.
• Maintain positive and constructive professional working relationships with patients, families, medical staff, volunteers, and coworkers.
• Transport patients off the unit for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions as assigned.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on higher or unique qualifications or VA special needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and child eligibility limits; subsidy may cover up to 25% of eligible childcare costs, up to the stated monthly maximum.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and a federal 401(k) with VA contributions of up to 5%.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs may be carried into retirement.