Description:
Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.Requirements:
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Experience and Education: Experience. Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides familiarity with the work. OR Education. Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). OR Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Certification. Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation, and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and be certified as radiographers in their field. Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence: Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.; OR Successful completion of the Principles and Practice of Dental Radiology and Radiographic Safety courses and examinations developed by the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Dentistry; OR Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD). Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification of radiologic competence may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate dental assistant under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (a) (1) (D). Failure to obtain certification during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. This [will result in removal from the GS-681 series and] may result in termination of employment. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
Creditable Experience:
(a) Knowledge of Current Professional Dental Assistant Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities [(KSAs)], and other characteristics (also referred to as "core competencies") associated with current professional dental assisting practice. Evidence of such experience includes graduation from a certified dental assisting training program, experience in private practice, VHA, Department of Defense (DoD), or other federal[, state, community or charitable] health care agency.
(b) Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable after the training program certifies that the individual has completed all required courses, an internship if it is part of the program, and graduated with passing grades.
(c) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a dental assistant is credited according to its relationship to full-time workweek. For example, a dental assistant would receive 1 week of full-time credit for each 2 weeks of half-time work.
(2) Expanded Function Level. Expanded function level is defined as possessing the training and ability to provide independent and expert dental procedures as well as providing clinical assistance to the treating dentists in more complex procedural cases. The expanded function dental assistant has an increased depth and breadth of dental practice skills, and has mastered a range of dental procedures and interventions and provides direct patient care within the scope of practice. Examples of procedures may be diagnostic, restorative and/or surgical in nature. The expanded function dental assistant will make independent professional decisions and recommendations to the treating dentist and interdisciplinary care teams. The expanded functional dental assistant has the expertise to participate in the professional development of colleagues through mentorship and teaching].
Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:
GS 06-
1. Experience: To qualify at the GS-6 grade level, you must meet the following: At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower GS-5 grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. GS-05 experience would include: Knowledge of anatomy and ability to evaluate diagnostic quality. Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement. Basic knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures. Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA. Basic communication skills to provide patient instructions according to established protocol. AND 2. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSA's: Ability to identify normal oral anatomy. Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic, and periodontal care and procedures. Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs. Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to the treating dentist. Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats. Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry. Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records. Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures. Assignment. The employee serves at the full performance level with the ability to perform a full range of duties with some independence in assigned specialties, with indirect supervision from the lead dental assistant, dental assistant supervisor, or treating dentist. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to, using the concepts of four-handed dentistry; assisting with specialty procedures including oral surgery, periodontal therapy, endodontic, prosthodontic, and implant placement, and restoration; anticipating surgeons/specialist's needs at each stage of treatment; takes preliminary impressions; selects and manipulates a variety of gypsums and waxes; pours, trims and evaluates the quality of diagnostic casts; fabricates custom trays.
Preferred Experience: Certified Dental Assistant and/or Registered Dental Assistant. At least 3 years of Dental assistant experience is preferred.
References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/46 PART II APPENDIX G36. DENTAL ASSISTANT QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-681
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06, and the actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS 06.
Physical Requirements: Long periods of standing, walking, and bending are required. Work involves the danger of exposure to radiation and communicable diseases. The assistant uses lead shields to protect against radiation and wears face masks, gloves, gowns, and eye protection during treatment procedures.
Mar 26, 2024;
from:
usajobs.gov