Clarification from the agency

Internal ONLY- Open to current permanent employees of the Battle Creek VA Medical Center. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

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

Duties include but not limited to:

Leadership/Administrative

• Provides direct supervision, coaching, and performance management for assigned occupational therapists, therapy assistants, and support staff.
• Conducts performance appraisals, competency assessments, workload reviews, and professional development plans.
• Manages clinic staffing patterns, schedules, leave approvals, workflow balancing, and coverage planning to ensure uninterrupted services.
• Participates in recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, and retention strategies for OT and rehabilitation staff.
• Ensures compliance with Joint Commission, CARF, VISN, and national VA policies.
• Monitors clinic productivity, equipment procurement, supply budgets, and administrative records in accordance with VA requirements.

Advanced Clinical Practice and Clinical Oversight

• Demonstrates knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy across multiple areas of practice.
• Leads and oversees the Seating & Mobility Clinic, Wheelchair Prescription Program, and Assistive Technology Services.
• Performs highly complex seating and mobility evaluations, including advanced postural assessment, pressure mapping, access method evaluation, and complex rehabilitation technology prescription.
• Utilizes ATP-level knowledge to determine and justify optimal mobility systems, alternative drive controls, adaptive seating, specialty supports, and assistive technologies.
• Provides advanced problem-solving for challenging cases and offers second-level clinical review for seating/mobility prescriptions generated by other clinicians.
• Ensures documentation meets all medical necessity standards for prosthetics approval and regulatory guidelines.
• Provides clinical guidance in seating/mobility for other OT practitioners, implementing evidence based occupational therapy specific to seating and mobility.
• Develops, implements, and evaluates clinical protocols, outcome measures, quality improvement initiatives, and data-driven program enhancements.
• Implements and revises seating and mobility services based on evidence based knowledge.
• Establishes policies and procedures for specialized evaluation, wheelchair justification, equipment tracking, clinic workflow, and vendor processes.
• Coordinates interdisciplinary teamwork with PT, SLP, PM&R physicians, prosthetics, and vendors to promote integrated, high-quality service delivery.
• Provides expert consultation to facility leadership regarding seating/mobility equipment procurement needs and clinical resource planning.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm.Incumbent will be expected to work weekends on a rotational basis if needed to meet the needs of our Veteran's and/or Medical Center.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 94127-O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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

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: Completion of a Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy and two years of experience as an Occupational Therapist, OR a Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy and two full years of gradate education in a related field, OR a Master's degree or higher in Occupational Therapy, OR foreign education with licensure. 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.
• Certification: Candidates must possess a current NBCOT certification as an OT.
• 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.

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).
(1) They may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
(2) If an OT who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee will lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
(3) OTs initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
(4) OTs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.

Grade Determinations:
Supervisory Occupational Therapist, GS-13
(1) 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.
(2) 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.

Preferred Experience: ATP Certification

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.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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.