Occupational Therapist

Summary

The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS) Occupational Therapist provides examination, diagnosis, treatment, and management of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions. Occupational Therapist are state licensed providers who work as part of VA interdisciplinary teams including physical medicine and rehabilitation, primary care, pain management, whole health, other relevant medical and surgical specialties, and other relevant associated health disciplines.

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Duties

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Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the promotion of health, prevention of illness, treatment of disease, and care at the end of life.
• Demonstrates interpersonal and communication skills that enable them to establish and maintain professional relationships with patients, families, and other members of the health care team.
• Understands the contexts and systems in which health care is provided, and the ability to apply this knowledge to improve optimizing health care.
• Provide telehealth services to appropriate patients, through means of Clinical Video Telehealth (CVT), VA Video Connect (VVC), and other telehealth means approved by VA.
• Provide individualized evaluation and treatment: The Occupational Therapist will utilize standard medical evaluation procedures and occupational therapy evaluation to evaluate and develop an occupational Therapy treatment plan.
• Provides group occupational therapy, as determined, to be medically indicated and appropriate.
• Review referrals, screen for appropriateness of care, and direct Veterans to other services when necessary.
• Travel is utilized to help provide cross coverage between the different locations, Altoona and the CBOCs. Additionally, HBPC Therapist will travel to patient's homes, in addition to providing virtual care, and will require travel of the therapist, as well for that coverage.
• Occupational Therapist are expected to complete all other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule : 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday

Telework : Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 000000 / Occupational Therapist

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.
• A valid driver's license is required.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Grade Determinations :

Occupational Therapist, GS-9

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: In addition to the experience or education 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.

Occupational Therapist, GS-12

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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience or education 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.

Preferred Experience: Home health and outpatient experience is preferred, but not required.

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-9 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements: Work includes regular and recurring physical excretion, with long periods of standing, bending, kneeling, walking, reaching, gripping, sitting, twisting, pulling or pushing carts with inventories or activities involving retrieving items from shelves and cabinets. and patient transfers. Moderate to heavy lifting is often required. The position demands significant physical stress and strain such as lifting patients, crouching and crawling on mats, and occasionally defending him/herself against combative patient assigned to the incumbent. The work involves moderate risks or discomforts requiring normal safety precautions typical of a hospital setting. Employees will be required to follow universal infection control precautions that may include having to "gown and glove" when providing treatment to patients. Sitting at meetings, desks or computer terminals for documentation purposes is also required. Operation and driving of a motor vehicle is also required. The incumbent of the position will meet and maintain physical and drug test program requirements for the position as required.

Due to the complexity of the work, the multiplicity of the projects at any one time, deadlines, and duties, the job requires a high level of energy and may be psychologically stressful at times.

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

Grandfathering Provision: All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of this occupation. 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. They may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. If an OT who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee 5 will lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
3. OTs 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.
4. OTs 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 the standard.

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.