Occupational Therapist (Clinical Specialist) - Seating and Mobility

Summary

The Occupational Therapist functions as a Power/Mobility Specialist in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS) at the Michael E. DeBakey VAMC. The individual is responsible for serving as the subject matter expert and consultant for the purpose of evaluation and treating patients in the specialty area of seating and mobility.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

Duties of the Seating and Mobility Occupational Therapist may include, but are not limited to:

• Coordinates, develops or over-sees the development of the Power and Mobility Clinic for all patients referred to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS) Wheelchair Clinic. Serves as a resource to co-workers in area of specialization.
• Performs clinical, consultative, teaching and research functions related to assigned team according to principles of cooperative team organization and administration.
• Independently makes decisions regarding patient care and the prescribing of devices needed for seating and mobility of patients with spinal cord injury.
• Serves as a point of contact for the Seating and Mobility Clinic for this facility, throughout the VISN, and to Veterans Medical Facilities throughout the nation.
• Serves as the Seating and Mobility subject matter expert and consultant for PM&RS and other medical center staff. In this role, incumbent offers expertise in evaluating and treating patients in the specialty areas of seating and mobility practice that are beyond the general practices of Occupational Therapy.
• Completes seating and mobility evaluations to determine the needs for the patient.
• Plans effective seating and mobility equipment configuration that is appropriate and indicated for the level of injury or disability being treated.
• Prescribes, educates, and trains patient in use of the seating and mobility devices.
• Provides patients and their families with education, information, and training regarding seating and mobility devices.
• Recognizes contraindications and appropriateness of treatment prescribed by the primary physician, and consults physician if these are in question.
• Provides on-going supportive functions in accordance with the problems, needs and the strategies identified within the configuration in order to help patients achieve the stated goals and objectives.
• Functions as a member of committees dedicated to promoting quality care for patients, especially as related to seating and mobility needs, including CARF committee, The Joint Commission, and Pl committee.

Work Schedule : Monday-Friday, 7:00 am - 3:30 pm (subject to change based on the needs of the facility)

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 580-01924-F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Help

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 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 :

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education and/or Experience . 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.
• 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.
• English Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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 for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-13 Occupational Therapist (Clinical Specialist):

• Education, Experience, and Licensure . Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level and directly related to the position being filled and one of the following:
  • (a) A minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice directly in the advanced practice area. This time must be within the past five years;
  • (b) Certification in an area recognized by the AOTA;
  • (c) Completion of a fellowship/residency or advanced degree program in the advanced practice area; or
  • (d) An additional advanced degree in a related field.
• Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • (a) Knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy across multiple areas of practice.
  • (b) Ability to provide clinical guidance in the advanced practice area to other OT practitioners.
  • (c) Knowledge of advanced specialized evaluation, interventions and services to independently develop treatment strategies for area of specialization.
  • (d) Skill in developing protocols and procedures for intervention programs based on current occupational therapy theory, recent research, and practice.
  • (e) Ability to provide consultation to other health care practitioners and outside groups about occupational therapy scope of practice for area of specialization.
  • (f) Ability to implement, revise/update evidence based occupational therapy services and programming in area of specialization.

Preferred Experience:

• 2 yrs (+) experience in performing wheeled mobility and seating evaluations
• Knowledgeable with the configuring, ordering, and programming of manual and power wheelchairs, scooters
• Ability to train patients and family/caregivers in correct use and management of prescribed wheeled mobility device
• Perform functional seating assessment
• Current Assistive Technology Practitioner (ATP) Certification through (RESNA)
• Current Seating & Mobility Specialist (SMS) Certification through (RESNA)

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

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

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.

Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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.

Help

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.

Review our benefits

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.