Occupational Therapist

Summary

This position is in the Therapy Section of the Spinal Cord Injury / Disorders (SCI/D) Service of the VA New Jersey Health Care System. The SCI/D Occupational Therapist provides rehabilitative services to persons with mental - physical - emotional - or developmental impairments that improves and/or prevents the loss of acute and chronic physical and psychosocial dysfunction and promotes wellness. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT POSITION.

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
• (1) 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
• (2) 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
• Physical Requirements
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019
• 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
• In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Occupational Therapist - GS-12 Education - Experience - and Licensure
• Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at the GS-11 grade level and directly related to the position being filled
• Demonstrated 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
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Duties

• Duties include but are not limited to: Clinical Provides comprehensive assessment of functional and occupational roles using standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools
• Selects and provides 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
• Demonstrates a full professional understanding of the theories of treatment in occupational therapy and their proper application using activity analysis - behavioral intervention - frame of references - and therapeutic procedures
• Procures - fabricates - adjusts - adapts - and modifies orthoses - splints - and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living (inclusive of durable medical equipment and wheelchairs)
• Uses physical agent modalities for which competency has been established by the SCI/D Program Manager or Service Chief or designee and/or certification has been obtained per the State of New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council Statutes
• Documents in the medical record: results of the initial evaluation
• the treatment plan and goals
• progress reports that include the treatment provided - changes in the patient's functional status - and changes made to the treatment plan
• a discharge summary that includes goal achievement - recommendations for home program - and patient/family education
• When indicated - evaluates the patient's living environment through home visits or consultation with patient - family - significant others or home health professionals to assist in solving problems associated with community re-entry
• Administration Adheres to established standards - policies - and procedures set forth by the Section - Service - Facility - VISN and VHA
• Participates in quality assurance review including chart reviews - peer reviews - patient care monitoring - and patient satisfaction surveys as directed by the SCI/D Program Manager or Service Chief or designee
• Maintains personal productivity and assists the section in maintaining/increasing effectiveness and efficiency in meeting its objectives
• Attends departmental meetings - multidisciplinary staff meetings - other meetings effecting patient care - and committee meetings as assigned
• Conducts OT related in-service and clinical training
• Work Schedule: Intermittent - days and hours to be determined by the needs of the service
• Telework: Not available
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

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The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.

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