Summary

This position is located at the Armed Forces Retirement Home-Washington (AFRH-W) in Resident Services Directorate, Recreational Services Division. The primary purpose is to manage the therapeutic activities of the Section, and to provide professional therapeutic services directed toward achieving therapeutic objectives for the Residents who reside in Assistant Living, Long Term Care and Memory Support.

This job is open to

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
Family of overseas employees
Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas.
Federal employees - Competitive service
Current or former competitive service federal employees.
Individuals with disabilities
Land & base management
Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.
Military spouses
Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista
Special authorities
Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed above, but defined in the federal hiring regulations.
Veterans

Clarification from the agency

All candidates who are:
Current or former federal employees qualifying as Status Candidates, VEOA eligibles, CTAP/ICTAP eligibles, eligible for special hiring authorities (e.g., the Schedule A appointment for persons with disabilities, or covered by an Interchange Agreement), or VRA eligibles or Land Management employees eligible under Public Law 114-47.

Duties

As a SUPERVISORY RECREATION THERAPIST, you will:

Delegate responsibility for overall program, planning, implementation, review and analysis of recreational modalities that assert the dignity and worth of individual patients and their capacity for self-realization through therapeutic recreation services.
Evaluate subordinates performance, gives advice, counsels and instructs employees on work and administrative matters.
Develop and administer a formal systematic plan for reviewing and appraising and the effectiveness of each phase of the Therapeutic Recreation Program.
Provide technical, administrative, and procedural guidance and assures that an effective program of formal and on-the-job training is conducted for both employees and volunteers.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

This opportunity is also open to the public under Announcement 24-AFRH-96-P. Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply.

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your rsum.

Key Requirements:

Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Specialized experience for the GS-11 is one year (52 weeks) of experience at or equivalent to the GS-9 level in the federal service, that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.

Specialized experience for this position is defined as evaluating the history, interest, aptitude, and skills of patients, and using such findings to develop and implement therapy activities for individual patients.

Specialized experience for this position includes:
- Developing therapeutic recreation treatment plans for patients suffering from physical, emotional, and/or social dysfunctions relating to leisure; AND
- Revising treatment plans based upon changes in the intervention, diagnosis, and patient responses; planning and conducting adaptive recreational activities.

OR
You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:
- Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or- Three full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.

You may qualify on a combination of education and experience. To combine education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.

NOTE: Experience in activities or programs that did not require application of a knowledge of the concepts, principles, and practices of recreation therapy or one of the creative arts therapy specializations covered by this standard, and that did not involve the use of therapeutic approaches to maintain the physical and/or mental health or to achieve the physical and/or mental rehabilitation of persons, (e.g., Outdoor Recreation Specialist, Commercial Recreation Leader, Vocational Counselor, or other diversionary-type recreation specialist positions) is not qualifying for this series.
AND

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: You must be a certified through the NCTRC - National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (CTRS), ATRA- American Therapeutic Recreation Association or NCCAP - National Certification Council for Activity Professionals as a recreation therapist.

n addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following time-in-grade requirement, if applicable:

For the GS-11, you must have been at the GS-9 level for 52 weeks

Time After Competitive Appointment: Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a non-temporary competitive appointment must have served at least three months in that appointment.

Education

Basic Requirements - Applicants must meet one of the following educational requirements:

- Bachelors or graduate/higher level degree in therapeutic recreation, art therapy, drama therapy, dance therapy, or music therapy;

Bachelors or graduate/higher level degree in a related field involving therapeutic emphasis or concentration that included at least 36 semester hours in therapeutic courses as described below:

- 18 semester hours of therapeutic recreation courses; AND

- 18 semester hours that include a combination of abnormal psychology, physiology, human anatomy and development, disabilities and general recreation.

Education must have been obtained from an accredited program recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

Additional information

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
This is anon-bargaining unit position.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT :

A one year probationary period may be required.
A one year supervisory or managerial probationary period may be required
Must successfully complete a background investigation.
Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
Undergo an income tax verification.
Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment.
Selectees will be subject to the AFRH Tuberculosis Surveillance Program.
Because the AFRH's mission requires uninterrupted, direct human support and medical care for its Residents, this position is considered essential for continuing AFRH operations. Therefore, the incumbent is expected to arrive for duty on time, as scheduled, and to complete the assigned tour during emergency situations such as hazardous weather.

The AFRH ethics program promotes the highest standards of ethical conduct for all employees. As a federal employee, you will be subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct, and the U.S. criminal conflict of interest statutes. As an AFRH employee, you will also be subject to the AFRH Supplemental Ethics Regulations which restrict the extent to which a AFRH employee can engage in certain activities and hold certain investments. Depending on your position, you may also be required to file a public or confidential financial disclosure report which must be filed within 30 days of your appointment as an employee of AFRH. Upon your new appointment, you will receive guidance regarding your ethics obligations. You will also be required to attend a mandatory ethics training within 3 months of your appointment. Please contact the Agency Ethics Officer (Joseph Pollard) at (202) 541-7557, or joseph.pollard@afrh.gov if you should have any questions.

Our comprehensive benefits are very generous. Our benefits package includes :

Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards.
Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year.
Access to insurance programs that may be continued after you retire.
A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods. We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums.
A retirement program which includes employer-matching contributions.

Learn more about Federal benefits programs at:

Benefits
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.
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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application includes your rsum, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your rsum includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your rsum may result in a "not qualified" determination.

Rating : You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Technical
Communication
Leadership

Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application. Applicants that are in the top tier will then be referred for an additional review by a Subject Matter Expert ("SME").

Referral : If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must be assigned the middle category or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority

Benefits
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.
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.
Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
A complete application includes 1. A rsum , 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
All applicants are required to submit a rsum either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your rsum. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your rsum to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view rsum tips.
CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES Documentation Relating to Your Federal Employment:
- Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should showa "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2".)
- If you are currently on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), submit a copy of an SF-50 showing that. Also, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other documentation of discharge and any other applicable documents such as SF-15, VA letters, etc.- Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade, submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade.
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: Submit a copy of your most recent completed annual performance appraisal includes the final rating. if you have not received a performance appraisal, please explain why in your application.
If you are applying under a special hiring authority (e.g. Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement, VEOA, VRA, Schedule A Disability, etc.), please see applicant guide for required documentation. In order to be eligible under one of these authorities, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.
CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION : If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents you must submit in order to be eligible.
REINSTATEMENT : If you are a former federal employee and wish to be non-competitively reinstated for a higher grade or full performance level than which you left federal employment, you MUST provide a copy of your separation SF50 (the "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2") AND the last performance appraisal you received from your federal employment which shows at least a fully successful rating.
EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION : For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.
How to Apply
AFRH has partnered with the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service to provide certain personnel services to its organization. Fiscal Service's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application.
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.
The Bureau provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your rsum and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application:
- Log into your USAJOBS account (USAJOBS Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen
- Under "application status," click "Track this application" and you will be taken to the agency website where you can check your application status. For more information regarding the job and applicant status, please refer to
If you wish to make changes/updates to your application and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and "Update Application" to be taken back to your application. No updates can be made once the announcement has closed.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website.
To preview the assessment questionnaire:
Agency contact information
Applicant Call Center
Phone
304-480-7300
Email
AFRHINQUIRIES@fiscal.treasury.gov
Address
RESIDENT SERVICES
Administrative Resource Center
Parkersburg, WV 26101
US
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will review your rsum and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct any required suitability and/or security background investigation.
Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request

Required Documents

A complete application includes 1. A rsum , 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

All applicants are required to submit a rsum either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your rsum. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your rsum to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view rsum tips.

CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES Documentation Relating to Your Federal Employment:

Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should showa "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2".)
If you are currently on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), submit a copy of an SF-50 showing that. Also, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other documentation of discharge and any other applicable documents such as SF-15, VA letters, etc.- Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade, submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: Submit a copy of your most recent completed annual performance appraisal includes the final rating. if you have not received a performance appraisal, please explain why in your application.

If you are applying under a special hiring authority (e.g. Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement, VEOA, VRA, Schedule A Disability, etc.), please see applicant guide for required documentation. In order to be eligible under one of these authorities, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION : If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents you must submit in order to be eligible.

REINSTATEMENT : If you are a former federal employee and wish to be non-competitively reinstated for a higher grade or full performance level than which you left federal employment, you MUST provide a copy of your separation SF50 (the "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2") AND the last performance appraisal you received from your federal employment which shows at least a fully successful rating.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION : For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

How to Apply

AFRH has partnered with the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service to provide certain personnel services to its organization. Fiscal Service's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application.

The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.

The Bureau provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.

To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your rsum and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application:

Log into your USAJOBS account (USAJOBS Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen
Under "application status," click "Track this application" and you will be taken to the agency website where you can check your application status. For more information regarding the job and applicant status, please refer to

If you wish to make changes/updates to your application and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and "Update Application" to be taken back to your application. No updates can be made once the announcement has closed.

Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website.

To preview the assessment questionnaire:

Agency contact information

Applicant Call Center

Phone

304-480-7300

Email

AFRHINQUIRIES@fiscal.treasury.gov

Address

RESIDENT SERVICES

Administrative Resource Center

Parkersburg, WV 26101

Next steps

Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will review your rsum and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct any required suitability and/or security background investigation.

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
Reasonable accommodation policy
Financial suitability
Selective Service
New employee probationary period
Signature and false statements
Privacy Act
Social security number request