Physical Therapist

Summary

Located in the Physical Therapy Department, VA Augusta Health Care System, this position serves as a Staff Physical Therapist primarily in Acute Care, with assignment to other areas as needed. The incumbent provides advanced, independent evaluation and treatment of acutely ill, medically complex Veterans, applying specialized clinical skills to promote safe mobility and recovery. This announcement is open to current, permanent employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs only.

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Duties

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VA Careers - Physical Therapy :

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Independently provides assessment and treatment interventions to inpatients and outpatients received through healthcare provider referrals and patient self-referrals.
• Demonstrates a current understanding of the theories of physical therapy treatment and their proper application.
• Proficient in assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating treatment plans for adult patients.
• Evaluation and treatment are completed in a timely fashion; chart review will allow the opportunity to assess appropriateness of the referral.
• Consults are scheduled considering priority and frequency of care.
• Utilizes evaluation data to plan and implement comprehensive patient treatment, involving patient in the goals setting and treatment processes as feasible.
• Modifies treatment plan according to evaluative findings to meet short- and long-term goals.
• Responsible for the application of behavioral strategies to recognize and address fear avoidance presentations, as well as for adapting physical therapy approaches to patients presenting with a combination of severe mental and physical disabilities.
• Involves the patient, family, significant others, and pertinent health care staff in the treatment process by ongoing communication through demonstration, instruction, team conferences, and chart documentation as appropriate to each patient's treatment goals.
• Assesses patient's learning needs, and plans and implements appropriate patient education programs, involving the patient, family, and significant others in the instructional process.
• Exercises independence and professional judgment in planning and carrying out treatment plans. Demonstrates originality in solving problems not covered by these guides, making innovative adaptations and modifications of treatment plans and procedures to meet the complex and highly varying needs of patients, and routinely collaborates with other health care team members.
• Ensures appropriate patient referrals and discharge planning is coordinated with Physical Therapy and other pertinent Medical Center staff.
• Identifies general contraindications to treatment and assists with establishing section policies for holding/discontinuing services when there is a change in medical status.
• Responds appropriately to life-threatening emergencies and or complications of the therapeutic program.
• Independently evaluates patient's needs and prescribes, applies, and issues prosthetic and orthotic items, durable medical equipment, adaptive equipment, mobility devices, and supportive bracing/splinting to include new and replacement items.
• Refers to other health care providers within the Rehab Service and outside the service as appropriate. The therapist will place the order within CPRS directly.

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday, 8:00AM - 4:30PM.

Telework : Not Authorized.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 60019F

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.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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 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

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.
• Education: Transcripts (official or unofficial) must be included with all application packets.
  • Individuals must have successfully completed a bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy AND five (5) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist. OR;
  • A master's degree in Physical Therapy AND two (2) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist. OR;
  • A doctorate degree in physical therapy.
  • Note : A degree program in physical therapy is required to be from an approved college or university approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
• License: All applicants must be licensed to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
  • (1) Exception based on Grandfathering Provision: All licensed Physical Therapists employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
    
    
    • (a) Employees grandfathered into the GS-0633 occupational series as Physical Therapists may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation.
    • (b) Physical Therapists who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of this qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of this standard.
    • (c) Physical Therapists initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard and must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
    • (d) If Physical Therapists who are grandfathered under this provision leave the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
  • (2) Loss of Certification. A Physical Therapist who fails to maintain the required license must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation, if qualified, and if a placement opportunity exists

Grade Determination: Physical Therapist, GS-0633-11

• Experience: None beyond the Basic Requirements.
• Assignments: Physical Therapists at the GS-11 grade level perform duties at the entry level. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to:- Performing physical therapy examinations and evaluations under general supervision;- Developing treatment plans and implementing a variety of therapeutic interventions;- Modifying treatment plans based on patient response or changes in medical condition;- Providing general physical therapy services in any program area where advanced specialized knowledge is not required;- Participating in interdisciplinary team care discussions;- Completing timely and accurate clinical documentation;- Educating patients, families, and caregivers on home exercise programs and rehabilitation expectations.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the Basic Requirements, candidates must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  a. Ability to perform physical therapy examinations and evaluations of patients across a broad spectrum of conditions.
  b. Knowledge of evidence-based physical therapy interventions and ability to implement treatment plans under general supervision.
  c. Ability to modify treatment plans based on the patient's clinical presentation and response.
  d. Skill in communicating effectively with patients, caregivers, and members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
  e. Ability to document physical therapy services in accordance with professional standards and facility requirements.
  f. Ability to provide patient and caregiver education to support treatment goals and functional improvement.

Grade Determination: Physical Therapist, GS-0633-12

• Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Physical Therapy field. Qualifying GS-11 grade level experience includes, but is not limited to: providing assessment and treatment intervention, planning and modifying treatment based on a patient's response to intervention and/or change in medical condition, general assignments in any physical therapy program area where advanced specialized knowledge is not required, serving as the sole Physical Therapist such as in an outpatient clinic, providing oversight and delegating patient care responsibilities to a Physical Therapist Assistant, and/or delegating non-patient care duties to non-licensed staff AND;
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  
  
  • (a) Ability to make autonomous clinical decisions in a Direct Access environment. This includes ability to independently evaluate and treat patients who seek physical therapy services.
  • (b) Skill in performing examinations and evaluations of individuals who have or may develop impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions related to conditions of the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and/or integumentary systems while considering the effects attributable to unique psychosocial and environmental factors.
  • (c) Ability to interpret findings from examination and evaluation, select appropriate test and measures, and integrate findings into the physical therapy plan of care for the full range of patient populations.
  • (d) Ability to establish a diagnosis within the scope of physical therapy and identify the appropriate rehabilitation intervention, including referral to another provider for further consultation as clinically indicated.
  • (e) Ability to determine physical therapy prognosis by incorporating examination findings with the patient's preferences in order to set clinically appropriate treatment goals, optimize outcomes and maximize functional independence.
  • (f) Ability to independently provide clinical oversight of Physical Therapy Assistants as 7 well as students on clinical affiliations who are in Doctoral PT Programs or PTA Programs

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).

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

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-11- to12

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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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