Occupational Therapist

Description:

The position is located in the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service at the Richmond VA Medical Center campus. The Occupational Therapist practices independently and is responsible for comprehensive assessment of functional and occupational roles using standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools.

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

Requirements:

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.

Basic Education/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. (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.

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.

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

(1) 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.

(2) Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of occupational therapy principles and techniques consistent with current clinical standards based on OT theory and evidence based practice.
(b) Ability to collaborate and communicate orally and in writing with all internal and external stakeholders.
(c) 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.
(d) Skill in procuring, fabricating, adjusting, adapting, and modifying orthoses, splints, and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living (inclusive of durable medical equipment).
(e) Ability to conduct OT related in-service and clinical training.

Preferred Experience: Experience providing therapy services within a home health care environment.

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-12.

Physical Requirements: The incumbent's duties require occasional standing, walking, and sitting. The position involves occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling of objects weighing up to 50 pounds. The incumbent may occasionally stoop or crouch. Frequent handling and fingering are required, along with frequent talking and hearing. The position requires frequent near visual acuity, depth perception, and accommodation, with occasional color vision and field of vision. Occasional operation of a motor vehicle is required.