Physical Therapy Assistant

Summary

This position is within the Physical Therapy Department of PM&RS at the Greater Los Angeles VA. The PTA provides treatment aimed at preventing, reducing, and rehabilitating physical and psychosocial dysfunction. Under a PT-established plan of care, the PTA administers and monitors interventions across clinical, administrative, and patient care areas of the medical center.

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Duties

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Major duties to include but not limited to:

• Follow provider instructions to implement physical therapy procedures and specialized treatment programs; may guide lower-graded assistants.
• Review patient charts, gather key clinical information, and provide a safety-focused patient profile before treatment.
• Support development of treatment plans, including goals, and motivate Veterans and families to engage in therapy.
• Perform or assist with specialized PT interventions, including therapeutic exercise, functional training, mobility training, and use of modalities within PTA scope.
• Fit, adjust, and instruct patients in orthoses, prostheses, wheelchairs, assistive devices, and activities of daily living.
• Modify treatments and environments to meet patient needs and adjust interventions as conditions change.
• Document patient progress, prepare clinical reports, and participate in multidisciplinary meetings while monitoring for contraindications or safety issues.
• Maintain a safe clinic environment, perform equipment upkeep, and report equipment needs.
• Participate in continuing education, assist with training students or volunteers, and contribute to quality improvement activities.
• Manage scheduling tasks, safeguard patient information, organize data for presentations, and perform other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday, 0700-1530, 0730-1600, 0800-1630

Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized

Functional Statement #: 00000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified applicants.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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 be required to serve a 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.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Education:
  • Associate degree from an accredited community college, junior college, college or university in a physical therapy assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education; OR
  • Graduate of foreign physical therapy assistant degree programs that meet the educational requirement and have successfully passed the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) for PTAs; OR
  • Graduate of military physical therapy assistant programs that meet the educational requirement and have successfully passed the NPTE for PTAs.
• Licensure: Current, full, active and unrestricted license as a PTA in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e. Puerto Rico) of the United States, or District of Columbia.

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).

Grandfathering Provision: All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series [or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard] on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure/trademark/registration/certification. 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:

1. Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. Employees in an occupation requiring a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher-grade levels.
3. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the 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.
4. Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
5. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

Grade Determinations:

GS-8 Experience: Applicants must have at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7).

-AND-

In addition to experience, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Ability to independently implement treatment plan using knowledge of techniques related to the patient's disability and needs.
2. Ability to independently provide varied and multifaceted physical therapy interventions based on the established care plan (e.g., therapeutic exercise, balance, body mechanics, flexibility, strength, gait training, neuromotor development, physical agents, functional training, etc.).
3. Knowledge of physical therapy data collection and assessment techniques in order to perform specific interventions and to monitor and capture progress of the patient/client.
4. Ability to instruct patient on varied interventions to provide materials to enhance compliance with home programs.
5. Ability to modify treatment techniques based on the learning needs and perceptions of the patient.
6. Ability to identify critical changes (e.g. vital signs, pain, mobility and alertness) in patient conditions to determine their medical and functional status.
7. Ability to work with PTs and other interdisciplinary healthcare team members to evaluate patient information for planning, modifying and coordinating treatment programs and discharge planning.

Preferred Experience: 2 years in outpatient clinical setting and experience with homeless or at risk populations.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8.

Physical Requirements: May require moderate to heavy lifting involving but not be limited to assisting with transfers or gait training of the client while providing physical therapy. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

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.