Advanced Practice Provider, Medical Asset Support Team (O-5 Billet) Non-Supervisory - External

This position supports ICE Health Service Corps, providing direct patient care to non-citizens in custody and overseeing Advanced Practice Provider projects to improve clinical care. The role works with a multidisciplinary team, delivering medical services at 21 detention facilities and managing care for detainees at 240 additional sites, serving about 34,000 detainees daily and over 400,000 annually.

This position is only open to USPHS officers and Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Clinical Support Duties:

1. Incumbent serves as nurse practitioner or physician assistant providing medical care to non-citizens at IHSC staffed facilities as temporary duty (TDY) status. Travel is expected at least 50% of duty time. Incumbent practices in conformance with established criteria, guidelines, and policy. Incumbent functions independently for a select patient population under the general supervision of a physician (i.e., collaborative practice agreement). Efforts are directed toward the enhancement of the physical, emotional, and social wellbeing of non-citizens. Consults as needed with medical officers. Provides health care of a scope, quality, and quantity consistent with PHS and agency policies. Primary contact is with persons outside the immediate work environment, but within the agency. This includes the public, patients, and patient's families. The primary mission is to meet their health care needs, obtain, and provide information, present reports, and further the goals and objectives of PHS and the agency.
2. Performs other clinical duties and responsibilities as assigned for the TDY facility.

Program Support Duties:

1. When not performing clinical support duties, incumbent oversees assigned programs and, or projects within the clinical services division.
2. Incumbent serves as a senior advanced practice provider consultant for local, regional and agency programs. Incumbent coordinates activities relative to policy development, program implementation and evaluation subject to regulations, policies, procedures, and pertinent laws. Advises local, and department officials regarding policy development. Incumbent review reports, identify and analyze problems, provide formal written analysis or reports; participates in the design and development of procedures; and represent the office to the parties inside and outside the unit but within the agency.
3. Performs specialized or complex professional tasks without benefit of close supervision or detailed guidelines, independently establishes criteria, formulates approaches and evaluation efforts. Justifies, defends, negotiates, or settles matters involving significant or controversial issues; work at this level usually involves active participation in conferences, meetings, or presentations involving problems or issues of maximum consequences or importance.
4. Duty requirements include review of professional practice and peer review. Facilitates and mentors APP onboarding and training.
5. As necessary, serves as Acting Senior Supervisory APP or Acting Regional APP.
6. Assessing and validating the current patient care delivery system, ensuring clinical and staffing standards for APP clinical practice are consistent with current evidence-based research and professional standards to align with the mission, vision, and values of the organization.
7. Offering recommendations regarding improvements needed in clinic operations or to improve patient outcomes.
8. Developing and communicating a strategic vision of APP clinical care that includes communicating values and goals for a diverse group of APP professionals.
9. Formulating short and long-range objectives for programs within unit to ensure integration of them with overall objectives/plans of IHSC.
10. Planning, directing, coordinating, and evaluating clinical policy.
11. Development and annual revisions of national, evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines/Protocols.
12. Development of strategies promoting the recruitment and retention of APPs and to recognize APP excellence.
13. Serves as an instructor including but not limited to APP discipline specific content development and presentations; tracking APP training progress; and generating tailored and comprehensive reports. Providing APP in-service trainings that increase understanding of the policies/procedures which promote best clinical practices, compliance with accreditation standards, and other topics applicable for the nursing profession.
14. Providing on-site training or competency training in clinical procedures, emergency response, mass casualty drills, Basic Life Support, and other trainings, based on appropriate knowledge and training.
15. Acting as a resource on a full range of primary clinical care provided to detainees, including, but not limited to health assessments, intake screening, transfer summaries, sick call, chronic care, medical housing unit care, and additional approved treatments and procedures appropriate to the clinical setting.
16. Assist with competency reviews to ensure the scope of practice is consistent with licensure requirements.
17. Attends general/medical and Unit meetings as scheduled.

CONDITIONS OF WORK

Work Schedule: Clinical positions may be required to work various shifts, or combinations of shifts, that may include 8 hour, 10 hour or 12 hour shifts; evenings, weekends and holidays also be required.

On-Call Duties: This clinical position may be required to perform on-call duties within the unit to which it is assigned during off shift hours, to in include evenings, nights, weekends and/or holidays.

Emergency Response: This clinical position may be required to respond to emergencies at the local facility to which it is assigned during off shift hours, to include evenings, nights, weekends and/or holidays.

Telework: This position may not support telework, and will be authorized on a case by case basis by the hiring manager.

Remote work: This position may support remote work, and will be authorized on a case by case basis by the hiring manager.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives: Not currently authorized.

Student Load Repayment Program (SLRP) Authorized: Contact the IHSCIPUHQ@ice.dhs.gov

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.


PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

1. Requires physical exertion such as lifting objects greater than 30 pounds.
2. Required to perform CPR/emergency care standing or kneeling.
3. Must have the ability to assist sick, injured or aging detainees or staff exiting the building (may require lifting, dragging, wheeling, or carrying someone who weighs significantly more than self).
4. The work may necessitate some physical characteristics that will be required when responding to an emergency, such as running a short distance, prolonged standing and working in an austere environment.
5. Travel at least 50% of the time.

REQUIRED PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT/NURSE PRACTITIONER COMPETENCIES:

1. Professional clinical physician assistant or nurse practitioner experience: 4 years full-time required.
   1. 3 or more years' experience in correctional health care preferred.
   2. 2 years direct clinical patient care experience preferred.
   3. 1 year administrative-supervisory experience preferred.
   4. 1 year experience equal to O4 billet (GS-12) required.
2. Must have and maintains CPR/BLS certification.
3. Cultural competency maintained through agency/other training.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

1. Minimum of four years of full-time clinical experience as a physician assistant or nurse practitioner.
2. Qualifying degree for the officer's category from an accredited institution in a State, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory. The degree issuing institution and/or program must be accredited by an entity recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
   a. Physician Assistant minimum: Bachelor of Science. Master's degree preferred.
   b. Nurse Practitioner minimum: Master of Nursing
3. Unrestricted, current, and valid license from any U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or other U.S. territory. It is the responsibility of the incumbent to fulfill and maintain the obligation(s) for their licensing or certifying body and to maintain continuing medical education.
4. National Certification:
   a. Physician Assistant - Must have and maintain certification as a Physician Assistant from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
   b. Nurse Practitioner - Must have and maintain board certification as Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult Nurse Practitioner, or Adult-gerontology by the American Nurse Credentialing Center (AANC) or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
5. Must have and maintain CPR/BLS certification.
6. Must have and maintain clinical practice proficiency and credentials for patient care.
7. Flexibility and ability to adapt to sudden changes in schedules and work requirements.
8. Knowledge of a wide range of complex patient care concepts, principles, and practices to perform assessments of considerable diversity to include mental health, medical surgical, ambulatory, and emergency care.

Preferred But Not Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

1. Correctional health care experience.
2. Certification as Correctional Healthcare Professional (CCHP).
3. Knowledge and/or experience with IHSC policies, NCCHC, and PBNDS requirements.
4. Knowledge of public health preparedness, infection control and TB management.
5. ACLS certification.

You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position. | You must successfully pass a background investigation. | You must successfully pass a drug screen. | Males born after 12/31/59 must certify registration with Selective Service. | Requirements by Closing Date: Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement. | Service Remaining Requirement Agreement: Upon appointment to this position, officers will be required to serve an 18 to 24-month commitment to IHSC. | ASSIGNMENT PAY AGREEMENT: You must not have a current Assignment Pay Agreement. However, if you have a current Assignment Pay Agreement, it must be fulfilled within 90 days of your application submission. | Applicants must be a current USPHS Commissioned Corps Officer or USPHS Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidate. Civilians are not eligible for this position. | PHS officers must participate in IHSC TDY On-Call Schedule (ITOS.) ITOS is either an entire month or two 16-day periods a year where, depending on the needs of the agency, the officer is required to be available to serve.