Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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This position is in the Physical Therapy Department, within the Sensory and Physical Rehabilitation Service Line at the Providence, RI Health Care System (HCS). The majority of clinical duties and responsibilities are carried out in the Rehabilitation Clinic or the hospital Inpatient Wards with additional services that may be required throughout the medical center, including all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the service.

VA Careers - Physical Therapy: https://youtube.com/embed/Gi2hoFqIoqY

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Provides services that promote the prevention, remediation and rehabilitation of acute and chronic physical dysfunction;
• Participates with the PT in planning and implementing complex treatment programs and applies physical therapy procedures to patients;
• Completes a preliminary review of patient data, including medical history and review of physical therapy evaluation;
• Implements and coordinates treatment plans and selects techniques and sequence of activities to help patients meet their needs in collaboration with the treating or supervising physical therapist;
• Provides standard and non-standard physical therapy procedures within a broad diagnostic spectrum of diseases and disorders;
• Demonstrates understanding that patients often have multiple physical/medical and psychosocial deficits, which necessitate adaptive treatment practices to meet specific and unique patient needs;
• Provides evidenced based skilled interventions including, but not limited to, therapeutic exercise, therapeutic activities, therapeutic modalities, gait training, stair training, transfer training, manual treatment, neuromuscular re-education, self-care and management training, patient/caregiver's education and group therapy;
• Communicates regularly with treating or supervisory physical therapist on the patient's response to treatment and assists in modifying treatment plans, as appropriate, to optimize patient outcomes;
• Provides thorough written documentation of patient status, patient response to treatment, progress with therapy, and therapy plan;
• Provides patients and their families/caregivers with education, information and training regarding the nature of their disease or disability, treatment plan and goals, home exercise program, and post-program adjustment;
• Provides patient care offerings both face-to-face within the clinic and virtually via VA Video Connect (VVC) to accommodate the needs of the facility and the patient, while using appropriate scheduling and coding assigned to the various types of appointments;
• Evaluates home environment and environment of care, when indicated, to recommend changes or modifications that will facilitate function of patient at home;
• Checks the condition of therapy equipment prior to use and observes precautions necessary to maintain a healthy and safe environment;
• May be assigned to provide occasional support to the inpatient physical therapy section for sick and annual leave coverage;
• Completes patient encounters for all visits by coding service connection, diagnoses and procedures performed in accordance with the current PM&R Coding Handbook and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) standards within 3-days of the clinical encounter;
• Participates in competency review compliance within the Providence HCS specialty and within VISN1 if required;
• Displays awareness of basic financial management principles and fiscal responsibility;
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: F02785
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

• Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.
• Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.
• This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay.

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.
• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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

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. Individuals must meet at least one of the requirements below:
  • Associate degree from an accredited community college, junior college, college or university in a physical therapy assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education;
    • OR
  • Graduate of foreign physical therapy assistant degree programs that meet the educational requirement and have successfully passed the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) for PTAs.
    • OR
  • Graduate of military physical therapy assistant programs that meet the educational requirement and have successfully passed the NPTE for PTAs.]
• Licensure. Current, full, active and unrestricted license as a PTA in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e. Puerto Rico) of the United States, or District of Columbia.

Grade Determinations:

Physical Therapy Assistant, GS-8.
In addition to the basic requirements outlined in paragraph 3, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

• Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. Ability to independently implement treatment plan using knowledge of techniques related to the patient's disability and needs.
  2. Ability to independently provide varied and multifaceted physical therapy interventions based on the established care plan (e.g., therapeutic exercise, balance, body mechanics, flexibility, strength, gait training, neuromotor development, physical agents, functional training, etc.).
  3. Knowledge of physical therapy data collection and assessment techniques in order to perform specific interventions and to monitor and capture progress of the patient/client.
  4. Ability to instruct patient on varied interventions to provide materials to enhance compliance with home programs.
  5. Ability to modify treatment techniques based on the learning needs and perceptions of the patient.
  6. Ability to identify critical changes (e.g. vital signs, pain, mobility and alertness) in patient conditions to determine their medical and functional status.
  7. Ability to work with PTs and other interdisciplinary healthcare team members to evaluate patient information for planning, modifying and coordinating treatment programs and discharge planning.

Preferred Experience:

• 3+years of outpatient clinical experience
• Current and/or prior VA clinical experience
• Inpatient and outpatient clinical experience

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: Please see VA Handbook and Directive 5019, Employee Occupational Health.

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.

Resume Reminder:
Your resume must include the following information each job listed:

• Job title
• Duties (be as detailed as possible)
• Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
• Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
• Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held

Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail

Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.

An incomplete application will receive a rating of IFFM (ineligible due to missing forms). Requests for reconsideration will not be considered for applicants who fail to submit a complete application package. We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software or fax transmissions.

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.

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.