This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/466220300. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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.
Learn more about this agency03/22/2017 to 04/05/2017
$74,131 - $96,373 per year
GS 12
1 vacancy in the following location:
Not required
No
Permanent - Excepted Service Permanent
Full-time - Full Time
12
No
VHA-652-17-KW-1931030-BU
466220300
The position is located in the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA. The Clinical Specialist/Occupational Therapist practices independently and is responsible for performing occupational therapy assessment and treatment interventions for a diverse Mental Health patient population having complex medical conditions. The Clinical Specialist/Occupational Therapist demonstrates 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. Assignment is in one of the Mental Health program areas which are covered by Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services and provide professional, independent occupational therapy services in the assigned area. The Clinical Specialist/Occupational Therapist 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).
Duties include, but are not limited to:
· Treats patients with a Mental Health diagnosis using comprehensive knowledge acquired through continuing education and experience. Must use considerable judgement when guidelines are not available to adapt procedures and techniques to accommodate individual deficits, ranges of progress, and problems that may occur.
· Consults with physicians and makes recommendations for plan of treatment.
· Evaluates referred patients to determine current level of functioning (e.g. cognition, vision, range of motion, pain, strength, movement mechanics, posture, coordination, sensation, perception, coordination, self-care, homemaking, work performance, orthotic needs) using standardized or specialized tests, interviews, observations, medical record review, and consultation with other professional staff.
· Develops rehabilitation objectives, in collaboration with the patient and/or family, in the form of a treatment intervention plan that includes short and long-term goals. Interventions to attain goals include but are not limited to: therapeutic exercise, muscle re-education, vision therapy, perceptual motor integration, cognitive training, fabrication and applications of orthotics and devices for daily living, instruction in compensatory techniques, and provision of patient/family education.
· Re-evaluates the patient's status on a regular basis and adjusts the treatment plan appropriately.
· Documents in the medical record: results of the initial evaluation; the treatment plan and goals; progress reports that include the treatment provided, changes in the patient's functional status, and changes made to the treatment plan; a discharge summary that includes goal achievement, recommendations for home program, and patient/family education.
· Attends interdisciplinary team meetings; participates with physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and other disciplines in developing the patient care plan; advises the interdisciplinary team of treatment outcomes, current status of the patient, and progress toward goals.
· Evaluates the patient's living environment through home evaluations or consultation with patient, family, significant others or home health professionals to assist in solving problems associated with community re-entry.
Work Schedule: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (subject to change based on program needs)
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Status: Non-exempt
Supervisory Position: No
Functional Statement Title: Occupational Therapist / Clinical Specialist (Mental Health), GS0631-12
Bargaining Unit Position: Yes
Recruitment / Relocation Incentives are not authorized.
Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary. All applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the duties of the position.
Basic Requirements:
a. Citizenship:
Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)
b. Education:
Graduation from a degree program in occupational therapy approved by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) or predecessor organizations to include an internship (supervised fieldwork experience required by the educational institution).
c. Certification/Examination:
Possession of written documentation that the individual has passed the entry-level certification examination for OTs which is administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).
d. State Licensure/Certification/Registration/Trademark:
The OT must hold a full, current, and unrestricted state license, certification, or registration or trademark to practice occupational therapy in a State, Territory, a Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or in the District of Columbia.
e. English Language Proficiency:
OTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook Part II, chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3j.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Grade: To be determined by the Professional Standards Board (PSB) commensurate with experience and education.
Salary: Salary will be determined by the Professional Standards Board (PSB) commensurate with experience and education.
Grade Determinations:
GS-12
Education and Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, completion of a minimum of
1 year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Generally, assignments at this grade level require the knowledge, skills, and competencies normally acquired through post-graduate residency or fellowship training programs. In addition to fully meeting KSAOs identified at the GS-11 full performance level, the candidate must also demonstrate the KSAOs required for the specific assignment.
Assignment: Typical assignments for OTs at the GS-12 grade level are described below. Other assignments of equal complexity and responsibility may be approved on an individual basis where warranted.
GS-12 Clinical Specialist/Lead Occupational Therapist. The individual assigned responsibility for serving as the subject matter expert in a content specialty area and as a consultant to occupational therapy and other medical center staff in evaluating and treating patients in the specialty areas of occupational therapy practice that are beyond the general practice of occupational therapy. This individual must demonstrate skills and techniques for a specific patient population who have varying degrees of highly complex occupational and/or mental problems. This individual provides professional oversight and consultation for staff therapists and monitors and evaluates clinically appropriate treatment programs with great autonomy. Clinical specialties may include: certified hand therapist, ergonomic specialist, blind/visual rehabilitation, assistive technology specialist, functional capacity examination specialist (FCE) and/or demonstrate advanced skills to plan, develop, lead, and administer programs/clinics in care settings such as acute, sub acute, Long Term Care (LTC), outpatient, Mental Health, Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Polytrauma and other specialty care service delivery areas. Clinical Specialists generally would be found in Complexity Level 1 (High Complexity) or Level 2 (Medium Complexity) facilities, or practice at a facility designated as a Polytrauma Support Clinic Team, Polytrauma Network Site, or Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center. Clinical specialists may also practice in facilities of lesser complexity levels where an applicable specialty area exists (e.g., - a facility where coordinated rehabilitation services are provided on a long term care unit may have the need for a Geriatric Clinical Specialist). In addition to completion of 1 year of progressively difficult experience comparable to the next lower grade level, OTs assigned to this position must fully demonstrate the following KSAOs:
a. Advanced knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy across multiple areas of practice, and the demonstrated ability to apply this advanced knowledge to provide clinical guidance to staff OTs within the department.
b. Demonstrated clinical knowledge of advanced specialized evaluation, interventions, and services to independently develop treatment strategies for specialty populations;
c. Skill in developing protocols and procedures for intervention programs based on current occupational therapy theory, recent research and practice;
d. Ability to provide consultation to other health care practitioners and outside groups about occupational therapy scope of practice and areas of expertise;
e. Ability to implement, revise/update evidence based occupational therapy services in specialized areas such as polytrauma, TBI, SCI, geriatrics, mental health, driver rehabilitation, home based primary care (HBPC) and other specialty areas;
f. Advanced knowledge in prosthetics/orthotics devices and demonstrated ability to make adjustments on devices or adaptive equipment to obtain maximum benefit from the device. May assess for and fabricate orthotic devices and proceed with modifications as needed.
References: VA Handbook 5005/25, Part II, Appendix G14, Occupational Therapist Qualification Standards
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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Your application, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
NOTE: The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will review the selected candidate's education and experience and recommend the grade and salary at which the candidate will be placed. For internal selectees eligible for promotion, the board will determine grade and HR will determine step in accordance with policy.
All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document type(s):
·Other (VA Form 10-2850c Application for Health Occupation)
·Resume
·Transcript
Applicants may also submit the following supporting document type(s),which may not be required for all applicants:
1 (REQUIRED) CV or Resume (providing month and year for start and end dates on work experience and indicate full-time or part-time on work experience).
2. (REQUIRED) VA Form 10-2850c - Application for Associated Health Occupations (available at http://www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/vha-10-2850c-fill.pdf).
3. (REQUIRED) Occupational Questionnaire (completed during online application process)
4. (REQUIRED) Copy of Transcripts
5. (REQUIRED) Copy of Licensure
6. (REQUIRED) Copy of Certification/Examination
7. (REQUIRED IF FEDERAL EMPLOYEE) Include latest SF-50 - Notification of Personnel Action (required) that shows your current title, series, grade and tenure (not an awards SF-50).
8. (REQUIRED IF PRIOR MILITARY SERVICE) Include all copies of your DD214 forms. Applications claiming preference based on service-connected disability, or based on being the spouse or mother of a disabled or deceased Veteran, must also complete and submit an SF15, Application for 10-point Veteran Preference (available at http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf).
Please use this checklistto make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, etc. You will not be contacted for additional information.
Veterans'
Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans
should claim preference for 5pt (TP), or 10pt (CP/CPS, XPP, XP), or for Sole
Survivor Preference (SSP), on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section(s)
provided. A legible copy of your DD214(s) indicating character of service,
disability certification, SF-15 (if claiming 10 pt. preference) or if you are
currently serving on active duty and expected to be released or discharged
within 120 days; documentation related to your active duty service which
reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.),
or dates of impending separation. Documentation is required for
eligibility verification.
Faxing
Applications or Supporting Documents: You are
encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and
track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online or
unable to upload your supporting documents to your online application, follow
the directions located at the following site: Fax Options.
The Vacancy ID of the job opportunity announcement is 1931030.
NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do
not fax the paper application (1203-FX) as this will overwrite your prior
online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the View Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Wednesday, April 05, 2017 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. During our review, if your résumé and application package do not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email (if provided); otherwise, applicants will receive a notification letter via the U.S. Postal Service. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and clicking on "Application Status." For a more detailed update of your status, click on "more information." Information regarding applicant notification points can be found in the USAJobs Resource Center.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/466220300. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
Vacancy Identification Number (VIN): 1931030
OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?