Occupational Therapist

Summary

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

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Duties

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The Occupational Therapist (OT) works under the general supervision of the Program Manager of inpatient OT and PT services, who sets the overall objectives to be met and resources available. The functions of the position include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Receives and interprets patient referrals/consults from a credentialed provider as outlined in the Occupational Therapy Scope of Practice.
• Reviews medical record to assess appropriateness of the referral and identify possible contraindications for treatment.
• Demonstrates the ability to correctly read and interpret written prescriptions and consultations.
• Performs established assessments and evaluations of those patients referred for consultation.
• Develops and implements individualized occupational therapy treatment program for the assigned patient population.
• Provides training and supervision for volunteers and students assigned to Occupational Therapy.
• Evaluates data gathered and makes clinical judgments based on examination to determine Occupational Therapy diagnosis and prognosis.
• Has the ability to use critical analysis, clinical reasoning and creativity to independently solve complex problems related to assessment, treatment and procedures to meet the individual needs of patients.
• Plans and implements initial and subsequent treatment programs based on their evaluation.
• Demonstrates a broad professional understanding of contemporary and evidence-based practice and its application using therapeutic interventions.
• Plans and implements appropriate patient education programs involving the patient, family and caregivers in the instructional process.
• Assesses need for and skillfully procures, fabricates, adjusts, adapts and modifies orthoses, splints, and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living.
• Uses outcome measures to document patient's progress towards established goals, modify interventions and plan of care, and for discharge planning.
• Completes all patient care documentation in accordance with Rehabilitation policy.
• Communicates readily with the multidisciplinary treatment team, advising the team of patient's needs and progress, exchanging discharge planning information.
• Assists Clinical Education Coordinator in arranging and providing educational experiences for occupational therapy students that affiliate at the facility.
• Assists in providing patient coverage for absent staff members to ensure continuity and quality of care.
• Follows established Program and Division policies and procedures related to fire, disaster, and security measures.
• Follows established procedures and policies in hazardous material handling/communication, equipment safety, infection control/universal fluid. precautions, and other safety procedures that have been developed for Rehabilitation Services Division.

Work Schedule : Monday through Friday; 8:30am to 5:00pm or 8:00am to 4:30pm.

Telework : Not available.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 08522F.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not authorized.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may/will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS.

Citizenship . Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a)).

Education (and/or Experience.)

(1) The individual must meet at least one of the following requirements below:

(a) 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

(b) 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

(c) Master's Degree or higher in occupational therapy.

(2) 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 requirements of subparagraph 3b(2) if they have a current, full, active and unrestricted license referred to in subparagraph 3e of this appendix.

Certification. Candidates must possess a current NBCOT certification as an OT.

State 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.

Loss of Credential . An employee in this occupation who fails to maintain [the required state or territorial licensure and the NBCOT certification, both current and in good standing,] must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment.

Exceptions for the Graduate Occupational Therapist.

(1) 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).

(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.

(3) A graduate OT may provide care only under the direct supervision of a licensed] OT who meets all state regulatory requirements.

(4) Temporary graduate OT appointments may not be extended beyond two years, or converted to a new temporary appointment.

GS-12 GRADE REQUIREMENTS:

(1) Education, Experience, and Licensure. Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at the GS-11 grade level and directly related to the position being filled.

(2) Demonstrated KSAs . In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

(a) 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.

(b) Ability to collaborate and communicate orally and in writing with all internal and external stakeholders.

(c) 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.

(d) Skill in procuring, fabricating, adjusting, adapting, and modifying orthoses, splints, and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living (inclusive of durable medical equipment).

(e) Ability to conduct OT related in-service and clinical training.

Preferred Experience: Spinal cord injury rehabilitation.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.