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Occupational Therapist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The staff occupational therapist is a registered professional therapist who is primarily responsible for evaluating, planning and implementing the treatment program for referred veterans in all states of health and illness with various disabilities and medical conditions.

The occupational therapist independently organizes, coordinates and implements the delivery of occupational therapy services within a specific clinical specialty area, and without guidance of a supervisory OTR.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
03/27/2025 to 04/07/2025
Salary
$61,111 to - $115,213 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Fort Wayne, IN
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
CBSR-12715922-25-KAP
Control number
834330100

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Duties

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Duties include but are not limited to:Independently responsible for comprehensive assessment of functional and occupational roles using standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools. 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. 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. Provides initial comprehensive evaluation of patients, periodic reevaluation, and discharge assessments. Documentation of patient assessments and treatment will be accurate and timely, and will comply with service level as well as facility-wide requirements. Communicates regularly and effectively to treatment team members regarding patient performance and status toward goal achievement. Participates as needed in patient staffing, ward rounds, patient care conferences, etc. Responsible for continued program development and improvements to utilize new techniques/technology as it applies to occupational therapy treatment. Carries out other specialty related activities as well as non-routine special assignments as requested by therapy supervisor (i.e. FIM coordinator). Communicates/coordinates with peers/associates in the health care arena in the community to provide continuity of patient care. Maintains a high level of professional competency by completion of required facility wide annual training requirements, as well as 4 completion of OT professional continuing education requirements needed for licensing and/or registration/certification. Provides clinical supervision/training to OT students when assigned. Serves as consultant/educator to facility clinical staff, either on a 1:1 basis or by formal clinical group in-services. Participates in all required staff meetings and service level administrative programs. As assigned, has the responsibility to coordinate and implement the actions needed to ensure FIM re-credentialing of individual treatment team members as well as the facility as a whole. Has responsibility to maintain the cleanliness, infection control, safety and functional use of assigned clinic. Reports problems, submits work orders, uses personal protective equipment, and complies with DVA/OSHA standards. Serves as PM&RS (Pain Management & Rehabilitation Services) representative on facility-wide committees and task forces as appointed. Committees may include but are not limited to HISA (Home Improvement and structural Alteration). EEO committees or safety committees. Supports Performance Improvement activities by identifying processes to be improved, participating in the development of monitoring indicators and evaluation criteria, collecting data, implementing process changes, monitoring outcomes and initiating corrective actions. Identifies own continuing education needs and attends continuing education programs and reads professional literature for the purpose of maintaining or improving knowledge and skills in work performance. Attends or completes required educational programs within specified timeframes. Maintains professional relations and communications with veterans, caregivers, VA and community health care professionals and the public. Meets the needs of customers while supporting VA missions. Consistently communicates and treats customers (veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately. Protects printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws, Federal regulations, VA statutes and policy, and VHA policy. Physical requirements for this position are available for review in VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Work schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Available
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This NOT a virtual position.
Functional Statement Title: Occupational Therapist
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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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.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period.
  • Subject to background/security investigation.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
  • 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).
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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.

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.

English Language Proficiency: Individuals appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA must be proficient in written and spoken English.

Education and/or Experience: The individual must meet at least one of the following requirements below:

  1. 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,
  2. 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,
  3. 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.

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).

Occupational Therapist - Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-09 Occupational Therapist - Requirements:
  • Education, Experience, or Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-11 Occupational Therapist - Requirements:
  • Education, Experience, or Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet at least one of the following :
    • Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level and 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.
  • Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the education, experience, or licensure requirements, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
    • Knowledge of occupational therapy practice.
    • Ability to administer/interpret evaluation findings to develop and coordinate intervention plans, including goals and methods of treatment.
    • Ability to implement intervention plans directly or in collaboration with others.
    • Skill in monitoring an individual's response to interventions and modify treatment plans and reevaluating as indicated.
    • Ability to communicate and or collaborate with patients, family members, caregivers, interdisciplinary professionals and/or other individuals verbally and in writing.
    • Knowledge of health and safety regulations to minimize risk in the provision of patient care and the environment of care.
    • Knowledge of applicable regulations governing documentation, reimbursement and workload entry in accordance with established professional practice.

GS-12 Occupational Therapist - Requirements:
  • Education, Experience, and Licensure: In addition to the requirements at the GS-11 level, candidates must have completed one year of experience equivalent to at the GS-11 grade level and directly related to the position being filled.
  • Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
    • Knowledge of occupational therapy principles and techniques consistent with current clinical standards based on OT theory and evidence based practice. Knowledge is inclusive of physical, occupational, cognitive, and psychosocial functional deficits.
    • Ability to collaborate and communicate orally and in writing with all internal and external stakeholders.
    • 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.
    • Skill in procuring, fabricating, adjusting, adapting, and modifying orthoses, splints, and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living (inclusive of durable medical equipment).
    • Ability to conduct OT related in-service and clinical training.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Preferred Experience: Seeking the best qualified occupational therapist with preferred experience in the outpatient orthopedics and neurological rehabilitation.

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: Refer to VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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: 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.????

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or 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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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.

VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

How you will be evaluated

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, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

Do not copy and paste duties, specialized experience, or information from the assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications.

Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career. To ensure all the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, ensure it contains all required information and organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:

  1. Job title
  2. Name and address of employer
  3. Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)
  4. Hours worked per week. Part-Time or PRN experience will be pro-rated.
  5. Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised, etc.
  6. Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position)

Do not include photographs or video of yourself, sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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