Summary

This role involves coordinating medical, mental health, dental, and durable medical equipment services for detained non-citizens at non-IHSC facilities, ensuring compliance with ICE standards, conducting site visits, case monitoring, and providing medical expertise. Travel and 24/7 availability are required. This is a non-supervisory position.

This position is only open to current USPHS officers.
USPHS Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates are not eligible for this position.

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Duties

• Provides medical consultation services for the incumbent's assigned area of responsibility (AOR) Field Office Director (FOD) and relevant field office staff regarding the health care of incoming or detained non-citizens in the custody of ICE at non-IHSC facilities.

• Serves as the medical subject matter expert and medical liaison for the FOD and field office, contract facility medical staff, and IHSC headquarters.

• Recommends and assists with determination and coordination of alternative placement options for detained non-citizens with complex medical and mental health care needs.

• Conducts routine and ad hoc site visits at ICE/ERO designated facilities within the Field Office Director's AOR and formally reports site visit findings to ICE/ERO and IHSC for review and approval of medical compliance findings related to ICE National Detention Standards (NDS) and Performance-Based NDS (PBNDS) standards.

• Evaluates ongoing non-IHSC facility medical compliance with ICE NDS, and PBNDS through tracking and trending facility performance and internal and external site visit findings.

• Initiates, monitors, and evaluates success action plan (SAP) for areas of noncompliance with ICE NDS and PBNDS standards.

• Conducts independent medical reviews as requested by IHSC headquarters or the FOD.

• Investigates complaints, conducts formal medical record reviews, and devises formal response reports related to detained non-citizen health care in response to inquiries as assigned by IHSC Taskings and Program Support Unit or IHSC leadership.

• Provides AOR case monitoring and reporting.

• Ensures appropriate safe release plan for continuity of care is established prior to release or removal of ICE detained non-citizens with complex health care needs.

• Provides orientation and ongoing training and guidance to respective custody and medical staff in non-IHSC facilities regarding medical standards and any relevant IHSC policies, procedures, and directives.

• Notifies and updates IHSC and ICE/ERO via the Unified Patient Tracking System (UPTS) on reportable incidents to include emergency department referral, hospital admission/discharge, psychiatric emergency, death, pregnancy, transgender, hunger strike, suicide attempt, abuse or neglect, and sexual assault per designated process.

• Reviews and assists in adjudicating specialty appointment requests for outside medical, mental health, dental, and DME services.

• Provides guidance, recommendations, and support to ICE regarding appropriate placement of detained non-citizens with special/complex medical and mental health needs.

• Assists contract medical facilities with the provider recruitment approval process for detained non-citizens in the custody of ICE.

• Liaises with the FOD/field office, medical staff at non-IHSC staffed detention facilities and IHSC headquarters on Serious Mental Illnesses (SMI), serious mental disorders/conditions, and patients deemed incompetent per designated process.

• Collaborates with the Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) for notification and ongoing monitoring for suicide watches.

• Collaborates with the BHU to coordinate safe release planning for SMI cases.

• Provides AOR case monitoring and reporting on all Serious Detainee Illnesses (SDI) cases per designated process.

• Provides tracking notifications and updates via IHSC PHSP tracking sources on infectious disease cases.

• Notifies and updates IHSC and ICE on AOR reportable incidents regarding detained non-citizens via the IHSC Incident Reporting System and other designated processes.

• Devises and submits formal reports and responds to non-routine and informal requests from leadership/ IHSC Taskings and Program Support Unit.

• Accesses interpretation and/or translation services as needed to ensure optimal communication with detained non-citizens or others who are not proficient in the English language.

• Liaises with non-IHSC facility/IHSC and outside pharmacies to acquire medications for detained non-citizens to include travel packs, transfer medications, vaccines, and specialty medications through designated processes.

• Provides cross coverage and support for other AORs/Field Medical Coordinators, RFMCs, DRFMCs, and Regional Program Managers (RPM) as needed (e.g., annual leave, TDY assignments, illness).

• Available 24/7 to address urgent or emergent issues related to detained non-citizen health care, provide updates to the Field Office and IHSC Headquarters on non-citizens in the hospital, and respond to other significant event notifications as needed.

• TDY as needed to provide clinical care support at IHSC-staffed detention facilities with critical staffing needs or other designated missions.

• Assumes additional duties as assigned by supervisory chain of command.

• Travel required - approximately 25%.

• Follows supervisory chain of command.

Requirements

• Leadership skills.

• Strong interpersonal skills.

• Strong problem solving, judgment and decision-making skills.

• Integrity/Honesty.

• Cultural competency.

• Professional background in health care with extensive direct patient care experience as a registered nurse or advanced practice provider (Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant), preferably in correctional or detention setting.

• Case management and utilization review experience preferred.

• Correctional experience preferred.

• Ability to walk unaided at a normal pace for up to 5 minutes and maintain balance.

• Ability to jog/fast walk up to ¼ mile.

• Ability to perform CPR/emergency care standing or kneeling.

• Ability to respond to medical emergencies.

• Sitting and/or standing for extended periods of time (6-8 Hours).

• Performing repeated bending motion.

• Average manual dexterity for computer operation.

• Phone use for extended periods of time.

Education

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Additional information

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Required Documents

• Cover Letter/Letter of Interest.

• Degrees. (Place under "Diploma/GED")

• Professional license. (If applicable)

• Additional professional certificates. (If applicable)

• Three professional references. (i.e., name, title and contact information)

• Official USPHS Promotion CV - e.g., relevant experience, education, training. (Place under "USPHS Promotion CV")
  • You may provide a civilian resume in addition to the USPHS Promotion CV to capture all relevant work experience.

• A copy of your Certificate of Investigation (located in your eOPF).

• For current IHSC PHS officers, IHSC Recruiting requires applicants to provide a copy of your current Service Remaining Requirements Agreement.

• Indicate if you have an Assignment Pay (AP) Agreement and the date of the end of your AP Agreement. If you do not, please submit a memo attesting to no AP in the Assignment Pay (AP) Agreement section in the documents section of application.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

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Overview