Occupational Therapist - Home Based Primary Care

Summary

The Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) Program provides comprehensive interdisciplinary care to veterans with complex medical and psychosocial conditions within the home care setting. HBPC therapist complete evaluations to determine the patient's function and safety in their home and community.

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Duties

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Functions of the Occupational Therapist include but are not limited too:

• Assists the HBPC therapy supervisor in planning and developing various treatment programs to meet patient needs, as requested by HBPC therapy supervisor.
• Assists in the development, planning and implementation of monitors of quality of care with respect to HBPC as part of the comprehensive health care services delivered to the patients within the Cleveland VA Medical Center.
• Assesses all patients who are consulted to HBPC for dysfunction using appropriate tests/measures, evaluates findings, and develops a plan of care with functional and measurable goals within appropriate timeframe that are based on assessment findings.
• Establishes and maintains contact with other health care providers involved in patient care via written, telephone and personal communication on a regular basis at the Cleveland VA Medical Center including CBOCs.
• Completes all required patient care computerized documentation in a timely fashion, including initial evaluation, daily treatment, interdisciplinary care plans, progress notes, telephone contacts, consults, re-assessment and discharge notes in accordance with VA policy.
• Enters consults to Prosthetics department in accordance with HBPC service, national VA, and medical center policies.
• Provides expertise in planning for delivery of occupational therapy to patients. Acts as a resource person to the staff, students, and other health care professionals
• Maintains professional licensure and completes all required annual continuing education for license renewal.
• Educates other facility personnel in the scope of HBPC services and programs involving a variety of health care specialties.

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday 0800-1630

Telework : Not Available.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 93732A

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 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.
• 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).
• The qualified individual will maintain a non- restricted driver's license.

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 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 GS12 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.

Grade Determinations :

Occupational Therapist, GS-12

(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. 7 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.

(3) Assignment. OTs at this level practice independently and are responsible for comprehensive assessment of functional and occupational roles using standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools. OTs select and provide direct occupational therapy interventions and procedures with varying degrees of complexity to enhance safety, wellness, and performance in ADL, instrumental IADL, education, work, play, leisure, and social participation. OTs demonstrate a full professional understanding of the theories of treatment in occupational therapy and their proper application through the use of activity analysis, behavioral intervention, frame of references, and therapeutic procedures. They are assigned to all program areas within VHA and provide professional, independent occupational therapy services. OTs at this level may be given assignments in any area where advanced specialized knowledge is not required on a recurring basis due to the patient population served and complexity of the facility and/or treatment area. Individuals may perform ancillary assignments, including program management duties on an occasional basis, where the complexity and amount of work is not substantial (less than 25% of the duty time).

Preferred Experience:

• Two years of successful therapy practice in the field of home health care or four years of inpatient medical experience
• Excellent interpersonal relationship skills
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary setting.
• Ability to work independently and to make competent clinical decisions using critical thinking skills.
• Sound documentation, patient assessment skills, and interdisciplinary care planning
• Ability to be independent in the community.
• Ability to prioritize responsibilities.

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-12.

Physical Requirements:

• Incumbent must be able to physically perform heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over.
• Incumbent must have the use of: fingers, both hands required, both legs required (to include one prosthetic), vision as required for driver's license, hearing (aid permitted), and mental and emotional stability.
• Incumbent must be able to perform reaching above shoulder, walking (up to 8 hrs.), standing (up to 8 hrs.).
• Incumbent must be able to negotiate multiple flights of steps while carrying a treatment bag.
• This position requires operation of a Government-owned or leased motor vehicle to properly carry out assigned duties. A valid state-issued driver license is required, along with medica clearance by Personnel Health.

Education

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.

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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