Who to Call For more information, contact the Compliance and Business Integrity TCF Program Manager.

Program Summary
The TCF Program/Compliance and Business Integrity (CBI) Officer internship is intended to develop professionally competent employees as leaders and operational managers to administer the CBI Program at VA's facility, network, and national levels. The internship program provides appropriate time for prospective CBI personnel to get the experience they need under the supervision of a well-qualified preceptor.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
At the conclusion of the internship, candidates will be proficient in the following knowledge, skills, and abilities.

1. An overall knowledge and understanding of the mission and function of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
2. A comprehensive working knowledge of the CBI Program in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
3. The ability to act independently as a CBI Officer and administer a compliance committee.
4. The ability to analyze the need for general and topic-specific compliance training, design training programs, and provide necessary training to VHA employees.
5. The ability to maintain open lines of communication within the organization to include anonymous methods of communicating compliance exceptions, as well as the ability to track compliance exceptions and notify stakeholders of developments.
6. The ability to manage an enforcement and discipline program within the realm of the duties of a CBI Officer, including identifying and verifying potential matches to the List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE).
7. The skills and ability to identify areas of the revenue cycle that pose risk to the organization, quantify the problem using monitors and audits, and communicate the findings of such reviews to leadership and other affected employee groups.
8. The ability to investigate potential compliance exceptions using a range of investigative techniques, from informal inquiries and fact-finding efforts to formal investigations; and the ability to present findings in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in writing.
9. The ability to assess risk to the organization.
10. The ability to assess the effectiveness of compliance efforts within the organization.
11. The ability to participate as an active member of top management in strategic planning for the future of the VHA CBI Program as a whole.

Training Specifics
The intern and preceptor will compare the intern's skills, knowledge, and abilities with those required by the program and create a Personal Development Plan.

Upon graduation from the intern program and reporting to their new permanent duty station, new CBI Officers will be fully functional, needing only minor efforts to adapt to the new work environment.

The internship consists of the following training experiences:

On-the-Job Training (OJT) – Interns will actively participate in CBI Officer activities and conduct the variety of activities normally associated with serving as a CBI Officer. These will include providing training to employees, reviewing VA systems in an effort to identify and remedy compliance exceptions, conducting investigations of possible compliance exceptions, etc.

Formal Education – If necessary, interns will attend formal classroom instruction in order to understand key concepts of compliance activities. The cost of these courses will be deducted from the travel and training budget interns are provided each year.

Professional Conferences – Interns will attend conferences held by leading compliance industry associations.

VHA Conference Activities – If available during the course of the internship, interns will attend a national CBI Conference or Academy.

Self-Study Activities – In order to fill identified weaknesses in an intern's knowledge, skills, or abilities, the preceptor will assign self-study activities, which may include review of regulatory or industry guidance, technical information related to statistical sampling, or other desired skills and knowledge.

Research Activities – In order to complete OJT activities, it may become necessary for an intern to research solutions to complex compliance exceptions, and the regulatory or policy implications of activities within the site. Interns must be fully capable of researching and defining all details necessary to carry out assigned tasks.

Informal Educational Sessions – Interns will meet regularly with their preceptor, and they will meet less frequently via conference call with the TCF Program Manager. These will be informal discussions to provide the intern with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to carry out the duties of the CBI Officer. Other informal educational activities may take place at the discretion of the preceptor.

Distance Learning – Various distance learning activities are provided free of charge by the VA Employee Education Service (EES). The preceptor may recommend or require completion of these courses if a weakness is discovered in his or her abilities during the course of their work and evaluation.

Site Visits – Site visits to VA networks, facilities, and Central Office are included for shadowing experiences. Interns will travel to other sites where they do not currently work. The purpose of these visits is to familiarize the intern with the processes and activities that take place at the various organizational levels and entities.

Meetings with Leadership – Since a major goal of the TCF Program is to develop leaders for the future of VA, interns will become knowledgeable about the entire VA system and will use these meetings to assist them in determining their future career goals.

Qualifications:
The ability and willingness to relocate is a requirement for selection as a TCF Program intern. If relocation is necessary for permanent placement, VA pays for moving expenses. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.