Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This position is open only to current, permanent employees of VISN 4 Veterans Health Administration Eastern Market comprised of the following locations: Coatesville, Lebanon, Philadelphia, Wilkes-Barre, & Wilmington.

Videos

VAFit offers virtual and in-person group exercise classes for Veterans of all ages and abilities, including sessions on General Fitness, Back Pain, Low Vision and Women's Health. The program benefits Veterans with orthopedic issues, weakness, and limited cardiovascular endurance, supporting the Whole Health Initiative through injury prevention, physical activity, and camaraderie.

The incumbent will lead the VAFit Team, oversee administrative tasks, conduct fitness classes, and provide initial and ongoing assessments for participants. Strong leadership and organizational skills are required to motivate and engage Veterans in their wellness goals.

Duties include but not limited to:

CLINICAL:

1. According to department policies, incumbent is authorized to perform complex examinations and treatment of patients representing a wide scope of ages, as well as offering diagnoses, and rendering varied modalities inherent in their profession.
2. Patient Evaluation: Demonstrates the advanced knowledge and skills necessary to provide and guide treatment appropriate to patients across a range of complexities. Demonstrates knowledge of the changes associated with the aging/disease processes as well as the ability to assess the patient's status to interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-related, physical, psychosocial and cultural needs inclusive of recognized the need to include caregivers into the individualized treatment programs.
3. Patient Treatment: After initial evaluation of patient, formulates progressive treatment plans and goals, and is responsible for implementation, modification, and documentation of the treatments. Apply advanced treatment methodologies and treatment theories in the provision of care to a vast array of functional impairments and patients, as well as provide clinical practice guidance for other staff physical/occupational therapists. Monitor and evaluate clinically appropriate treatment programs.]

1. Professional Growth and Continuing Competency: Maintains a high level of professional competence by continuing participation in learning experiences and continuing education courses. Participates in and attends occupational therapy in-services as well as hospital-wide in-services. Attends mandatory in-service training as required by VHA, PM&R Service and OT policies.
2. Student Supervision: Has a responsibility to the profession and this facility to provide instruction to OT and PT Assistant students assigned to this facility for clinical instruction and possesses skills commensurate with that responsibility.
3. Community Responsibility: May serve as a resource person to the community, VISN, and VHA nationally in matters relating to occupational therapy and the needs of the Veteran population.

1. Follows established policies procedures, and rules/regulations related to customer service, interpersonal relations, performance improvement, emergency preparedness, safety, confidentiality, infection control, and patient safety.
2. Information Security and Confidentiality: Effectively safeguards all assigned computer system passwords and codes (access/verify codes, electronic signature codes, etc.). Consistently abides by established policies prohibiting the download of patient-specific data from the VA computer system or portable storage media such as diskettes, compact discs, zip discs, etc.; policies prohibiting employees from carrying any portable computer equipment or storage media containing any patient specific data off VA premises and policies prohibiting the loading of personal, non-VHA software to any computing equipment.
3. Performs duties and responsibilities that may be assigned from time to time to support the overall mission of the medical center or the PM&R Service. Assignments would be consistent with skills and knowledge.

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.

• 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.

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:

(a) 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

(b) 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

(c) 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.

English Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and 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 and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations: Supervisory Occupational Therapist, GS-13

Education, Experience, and Licensure. Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level and directly related to the position being filled. Example of experience include: Completion of consultation, initial notes, testing results, progress notes, discharge notes, treatment plans, and patient education in accordance with policies for content and timeliness. Consults with patients and their families through patient/family education, training and advising them in the nature of the patient's disease and associated disability to optimize functioning in the community base residential site, inclusive of making recommendations for home structural adaptations. Advanced knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy across a varied areas of practice with the ability to apply this advanced knowledge to provide guidance to staff physical/occupational therapists within the department.

Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

(a) Ability to balance multiple responsibilities, set priorities, delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze organizational problems, and develop and implement effective solutions.
(b) Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems to develop and implement solutions that result in efficient operations and use data effectively to manage workload, quality performance, and productivity within the service.
(c) Skill in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers to include conflict resolution.
(d) Ability to utilize evidence-based practices and clinical practice guidelines in a professional area and to guide the staff in applying these tools.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is Gs-13.

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.

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.