Clarification from the agency

This is ONLY open to current permanent federal employee at the Salt Lake City VAHS. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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• Serves as a subject matter expert to physicians, residents, staff, and other health care specialists on OT-specific mental health matters. Makes self available to providers throughout SLC VAMC, including primary care providers, orthopedic surgery, neurology, rehabilitation, spinal cord injury providers, social work, mental health, and emergency department providers.
• Receives patient caseload through referrals from varied providers. Evaluations use standard and non-standard methods to assess range of motion, strength, sensation, proprioception, psychosocial factors, coordination, perception, cognition, ADLs and work activities, orthotic and prosthetic needs, and the need for adaptive equipment.
• Evaluations consider lifestyle, culture, social support system, military, work, and leisure history, and age-related limitations and abilities.
• Based on evaluations, planning with the patient and significant others (when appropriate), and coordination with the multidisciplinary team, establishes treatment goals and the eventual discharge plan.
• Develops and carries out occupational therapy plans with individuals to meet individual rehabilitation objectives. Implements an occupational therapy treatment plan to meet individual rehabilitation objectives utilizing functional activities which have as their goal the improvement of patient's activities of daily living, strength, range of motion, sensation, perceptive and/or cognitive process, and may also include therapeutic exercise, muscle reeducation, neuromuscular facilitation, perceptual motor integration, recreational activities, fabrication and application of devices for daily living, teaching adaptive or compensatory techniques for community re-entry and work activities, and providing patient and/or caregiver education regarding disability.
• The position includes inpatient, outpatient, community, & home rehabilitation therapy as indicated by service needs, including general assessment and treatment for veterans with physical dysfunction and neurological and orthopedic diagnoses; planning &carrying out rehabilitation related to therapy; providing direct assistance with treatment; & providing discharge planning. This assignment represents the therapy aspect of an interdisciplinary team.
• Re-evaluates patient's performance & modifies treatment as indicated. Regularly presents patient information to health care providers regarding treatment outcomes, status, & expectations. Communication is timely and follows department policies.
• Evaluates patient's living situation through home visits in-person, VVC, patient and family interviews, or consultation with other health care professionals as indicated. Helps the patient solve problems associated with that environment.
• Participates regularly in multidisciplinary care planning meetings as needed.
• Manages more complex cases; effectively & independently develops, implements, & modifies the OT treatment plan.
• Initiates ordering, delivery, & training in the use of patient-specific adaptive equipment in a timely, efficient, & accurate manner, using processes related to the procurement of prosthetic equipment.
• Carries a full patient caseload & accepts new consults. Treatment intervention directly affects a patient's social, emotional, and functional well-being. Assignments may include acute care medical & surgical cases, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatients, & home and/or community settings.
• Documents initial evaluations, progress, & discharge planning in a timely, concise manner, per section documentation &consult management requirements.
• Is aware of signs & symptoms of abuse or neglect & reports to the appropriate authority.
• Complies with requirements to maintain prosthetic equipment supplies, providing necessary documentation of equipment provided to patients & obtaining stock replacement of equipment issued.
• Considers age & developmental level, gender, education, cultural background, & socioeconomic, medical, & functional status when providing OT services. Is aware of signs & symptoms of abuse or neglect & reports to the appropriate authorities. Therapy services will be provided to an adult-to-geriatric population of patients.
• Is aware of the indications, contraindications, & precautions in working with various neurological disorders, physical disabilities, & mental health patients, based on area of assignment. Completes treatment sessions according to safety procedures & the Practice Act.
• Practices infection control per policy.
• Complies with hospital policies & procedures, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) requirements, &Joint Commission requirements. Assists the Supervisor in implementing within clinical documentation.

Work Schedule: T-F; M-F 7:30am-5:00pm
Compressed/Flexible: Available
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 615820
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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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).
• 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.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Education: 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). The individual must meet at least one of the following requirements below:

• Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) years of experience as an occupational therapist;
• Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) full years of graduate education in a related field;
• Master's Degree or higher in occupational therapy.

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.

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 education requirements if they have a current, full, active and unrestricted 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.).

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.

Drivers License: A current, Valid State issued Driver's License is required for this position.

Grade Determinations:

GS-13 OT Clinical Specialist Mental Health Experience: Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the [GS-12 grade] level and directly related to the position being filled.

Assignment. OTs at this level practice independently and are responsible for comprehensive assessment of functional and occupational roles using standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools. OTs 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. OTs 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. They are assigned to all program areas within VHA and provide professional, independent occupational therapy services. OTs at this level may be given assignments in any area where advanced specialized knowledge is not required on a recurring basis due to the patient population served and complexity of the facility and/or treatment area. Individuals 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).

GS-13 OT Clinical Specialist Mental Health Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy across multiple areas of practice.
(b) Ability to provide clinical guidance in the advanced practice area to other OT practitioners.
(c) Knowledge of advanced specialized evaluation, interventions and services to independently develop treatment strategies for area of specialization.
(d) Skill in developing protocols and procedures for intervention programs based on current occupational therapy theory, recent research, and practice.
(e) Ability to provide consultation to other health care practitioners and outside groups about occupational therapy scope of practice for area of specialization.
(f) Ability to implement, revise/update evidence based occupational therapy services and programming in area of specialization

Preferred Experience: 1-2 years of experience working as an occupational therapist in an inpatient mental health/substance abuse capacity

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

Physical Requirements: Occupational Therapy is considered a vocation that requires "medium" strength according to the Department of Labor. Medium Work entails: exerting 20 - 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Physical Demand requirements are in excess of those for Light Work. (i.e.: more than exerting of to 20 points of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.) Examples of the medium strength required by occupational therapists are as follows: a. Standing, walking, squatting, bending, and sitting, and changing from one position to the other frequently throughout the day. b. Sitting at a desk and using upper extremities to reach, grasp and place papers, charts and binders. c. Reaching, lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling: 1 - 10 pounds constantly, 10 - 25 frequently, and 20 - 50 pounds occasionally. Specific examples include: i. Picking up, carrying and placing folders, charts, books and binders. ii. Setting up equipment for patients such as weights or durable medical equipment. iii. Lifting and carrying adaptive equipment ranging in weight from negligible to 50 pounds. iv. Pushing and rolling equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, and supply carts. v. Assisting patients in mobility such as ambulation and transfers, from minimal assistance to dependent transfers, which may be up to 50 pounds. vi. Performing passive range of motion exercises that require the movement of patients' extremities in all planes of motion. Occupational Therapy requires good manual dexterity to manipulate tools and equipment with examples as follows: a. Operating all aspects of a computer - keyboarding, mouse, and control buttons. b. Demonstrating the use of all aspects of adaptive equipment for patient teaching. c. Assembling equipment with the use of hand tools such as screwdrivers and pliers.

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.