The position serves as an Occupational Therapist within the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Section under Geriatrics & Extended Care/Patient Care Services and is assigned to the Occupational Therapy Section under the supervision of the Supervisory Rehabilitation Therapist. The staff Occupational Therapist may be assigned to inpatient and outpatient clinics including Home Based Primary Care and the Health Prevention Based Program. 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 Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Education and/or Experience: Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) years of experience as an occupational therapist. NOTE: The baccalaureate degree must be from an approved program prior to the AOTA January 1, 2005 decision that the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) would only accredit master or doctoral degree programs in occupational therapy. OR; Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) full years of graduate education in a related field. NOTE: The baccalaureate degree must be from an approved program prior to the AOTA January 1, 2005 decision that ACOTE would only accredit master or doctoral degree programs in occupational therapy. OR; Master's Degree or higher in occupational therapy. Certification: Candidates must possess a current NBCOT certification as an Occupational Therapist. Licensure: Candidates must possess a full, current, and unrestricted state license, to practice occupational therapy in a state, territory or Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or in the District of Columbia. NOTE: Individuals must be a graduate of a degree program in occupational therapy approved by the ACOTE or predecessor organizations. This is inclusive of an internship (supervised fieldwork experience required by the educational institution). ACOTE is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Degree programs may be verified by contacting the American Occupational Therapy Association website or at their office address: American Occupational Therapy Association, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. Foreign Graduates: Graduates of foreign occupational therapy programs meet the degree accreditation requirements if they have a current, full, active and unrestricted license to practice occupational therapy in a state, territory or Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or in the District of Columbia. Creditable Experience: Experience is only creditable if it is post-graduate experience as a professional occupational therapist directly related to the duties to be performed. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to professional occupational therapy experience at the next lower level. Exceptions for the Graduate Occupational Therapist: OT graduates from an approved occupational therapy program who otherwise meet the minimum qualification requirements, but who do not possess NBCOT certification and/or state licensure, may be appointed, pending certification and/or licensure, as a graduate OT on a full-time temporary appointment not-to exceed two years under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2). Graduate OTs may only be appointed at the GS-9 grade level and may not be promoted/converted to the GS-11 level until licensure and/or certification is obtained. For grades levels at or above the developmental GS-11 grade level, the OT must be certified and licensed. Grandfathering Provision: 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). 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). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements listed above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Occupational Therapist, GS-9 (entry level): Education, Experience, or Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. Occupational Therapist, GS-11: Education, Experience, or Licensure: Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level and directly related to the position being filled. OR; Three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a degree in occupational therapy or a directly related field. OR; Doctorate in occupational therapy Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the Education, Experience, or Licensure requirements above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of occupational therapy practice. Ability to administer/interpret evaluation findings to develop and coordinate intervention plans, including goals and methods of treatment. Ability to implement intervention plans directly or in collaboration with others. Skill in monitoring an individual's response to interventions and modify treatment plans and reevaluating as indicated. Ability to communicate and or collaborate with patients, family members, caregivers, interdisciplinary professionals and/or other individuals verbally and in writing. Knowledge of health and safety regulations to minimize risk in the provision of patient care and the environment of care. Knowledge of applicable regulations governing documentation, reimbursement and workload entry in accordance with established professional practice. NOTE: All KSAs must be clearly demonstrated in the resume. Assumptions will not be made. Occupational Therapist, GS-12: Education, Experience, and Licensure: Completion of one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level and directly related to the position being filled. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the Education, Experience, or Licensure requirements above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of occupational therapy principles and techniques consistent with current clinical standards based on OT theory and evidence based practice. Knowledge is inclusive of physical, occupational, cognitive, and psychosocial functional deficits. Ability to collaborate and communicate orally and in writing with all internal and external stakeholders. Ability to use critical analysis, clinical reasoning, and creativity to independently solve complex problems related to adapting and modifying assessments, treatment plans, activities and procedures to meet the needs of patients. Skill in procuring, fabricating, adjusting, adapting, and modifying orthoses, splints, and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living (inclusive of durable medical equipment. Ability to conduct OT related in-service and clinical training NOTE: All KSAs must be clearly demonstrated in the resume. Assumptions will not be made. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit Occupational Therapist Qualification Standard The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-12. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. ["This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-12. At the GS-9 and GS-11 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-12. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance. The Occupational Therapist functions in accordance with the policies, principles, professional ethics, and techniques of accepted occupational therapy practice including the American Occupational Therapy Association, professional licensing code, and state law. The incumbent will perform the following duties as a regular recurring part of the job: Performs comprehensive patient evaluations, including, but not limited to: activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, strength, range of motion, sensation, perception, cognition, visual impairment, home safety and environmental modifications, driver screens, wheelchair seating and mobility, orthotics/prosthetic/splinting fitting and training, and dysphagia. Modifies treatment plan according to patient response to best meet established goals. Documents treatment progression and/or modifications according to departmental and Medical Center standards. Demonstrates a full professional understanding of the theories or treatments of occupational therapy and their proper application through the use of therapeutic physical rehabilitation and reconditioning procedures. Identifies, collects, and analyzes appropriate patient care information to provide a data base for performance improvement activities within the VA system. Investigates current concepts and scientific principles in Occupational Therapy practice through literature reviews, study of current research, clinical practice, and through attendance at continuing education courses and conferences. Ensures appropriate patient referrals and discharge planning in conjunction with the Occupational Therapist and Medical Center staff. Completes Inpatient Event Capture procedures and Outpatient Encounters accurately and on a timely basis in order to facilitate billing for MCCR and VERA reimbursement. Utilizes correct Diagnostic and Procedure coding in accordance with National and Medical Center Policies/Requirements. Complies with standards of provision of health care for all internal and external accrediting bodies such as JCAHO, OIG and OSHA. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 7:30am - 4:00pm or 8:00am - 4:30pm. Telework: Not Eligible Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000"]
About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
