Occupational Therapist - Education Debt Reduction Program Authorized

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

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.
• Education and/or Experience: The individual must meet at least one of the following requirements below:
  • Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two years of experience as an occupational therapist; NOTE: baccalaureate degree must be from an approved program prior to the AOTA 01/01/2005 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 full years of graduate education in a related field; NOTE: baccalaureate degree must be from an approved program prior to the AOTA 01/01/2005 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 U.S. Department of Education & Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Degree programs may be verified by contacting 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 & 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 & 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.
• Loss of Credential: An employee in this occupation who fails to maintain the required state or territorial licensure & the NBCOT certification, both current & in good standing, must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment.
• 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 &/or state licensure, may be appointed, pending certification &/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 & may not be promoted/converted to the GS-11 level until licensure &/or certification is obtained. For grades levels at or above the developmental GS-11 grade level, the OT must be certified & licensed.
  • A graduate OT may provide care only under the direct supervision of a licensed OT who meets all state regulatory requirements.
  • Temporary graduate OT appointments may not be extended beyond two years, or converted to a new temporary appointment.
• Failure to Obtain Licensure/Certification: In all cases, graduate OTs must actively pursue obtaining required credentials (i.e., NBCOT certification &/or state licensure) from the date of their appointment. The human resource office will notify the uncertified/unlicensed OT in writing of the requirement to obtain certification/licensure, the date by which the certification/license must be acquired & consequences for not becoming certified/licensed by the deadline date. The written notice must be provided prior to the entrance on duty date. Failure to obtain required credentials by the prescribed date will result in termination of employment.
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive & Handbook 5019.
• English Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken & 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 & meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations:
GS-09
Education, Experience or Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.
GS-11
Education, Experience or Licensure
Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level & 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 & Abilities (KSAs). 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 & coordinate intervention plans, including goals & methods of treatment.
• Ability to implement intervention plans directly or in collaboration with others.
• Skill in monitoring an individual's response to interventions & modify treatment plans & reevaluating as indicated.
• Ability to communicate &/or collaborate with patients, family members, caregivers, interdisciplinary professionals &/or other individuals verbally & in writing.
• Knowledge of health & safety regulations to minimize risk in the provision of patient care & the environment of care.
• Knowledge of applicable regulations governing documentation, reimbursement & workload entry in accordance with established professional practice.

GS-12
Education, Experience & Licensure. Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at the GS-11 grade level & directly related to the position being filled.
Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of occupational therapy principles & techniques consistent with current clinical standards based on OT theory & evidence based practice. Knowledge is inclusive of physical, occupational, cognitive & psychosocial functional deficits.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate orally & in writing with all internal & external stakeholders.
• Ability to use critical analysis, clinical reasoning & creativity to independently solve complex problems related to adapting & modifying assessments, treatment plans, activities & procedures to meet the needs of patients.
• Skill in procuring, fabricating, adjusting, adapting & modifying orthoses, splints & adaptive equipment for activities of daily living (inclusive of durable medical equipment).
• Ability to conduct OT related in-service & clinical training.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience recommending adaptive equipment
• Experience working with the adult population
• Two years of clinical occupational therapy experience

References: VA Handbook 5005/127 Part II Appendix G14 Occupational Therapist Qualification Standard GS-0631 VHA 12/13/2019

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-09 to GS-12.

Physical Requirements: light lifting & carrying (under 15 pounds), straight pulling (.5 hour), pushing (.5 hour), reaching over shoulder, walking, standing & repeated bending (5.3 hours), ability for rapid mental & muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable to 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 & to 20/40 in the other, depth perception, ability to distinguish basic colors & hearing (aid may be permitted).

Responsibilities:

This vacancy will remain open until filled. The first cut-off date is 10/05/2023. Additional applications will be referred as needed.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Responsible for comprehensive assessment of functional and occupational roles using standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools
• Selecting and providing 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
• Demonstrating a full professional understanding of theories of treatment in occupational therapy and their proper application through the use of activity analysis, behavioral intervention, frame of references and therapeutic procedures
• Assigned to all program areas within VHA and provide professional, independent occupational therapy services
• 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)

Work Schedule: Fulltime, Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
EDRP Authorized: Contact VISN17EDRP2@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
This is a Bargaining Unit position