Physical Therapy Assistant

Description:

This position is located in the Physical Therapy (PT) section of the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service (PM & RS) of the Finger Lakes VA Health Care System (FLHCS). The primary duty station will be the Canandaigua campus Outpatient/Inpatient department. The duties and responsibilities are carried out in all clinical and patient care areas involved with the service which would include all Finger Lakes campuses, CBOC's and in veteran's homes.

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.

Time-In-Grade Requirement : Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-8 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

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. Individuals must meet at least one of the requirements below:

Associate degree from an accredited community college, junior college, college or university in a physical therapy assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education;
OR
Graduate of foreign physical therapy assistant degree programs that meet the educational requirement and have successfully passed the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) for PTAs.
OR
Graduate of military physical therapy assistant programs that meet the educational requirement and have successfully passed the NPTE for PTAs.

Licensure. Current, full, active and unrestricted license as a PTA in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e. Puerto Rico) of the United States, or District of Columbia.

Loss of Credential. A PTA who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment.

Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

English Language Proficiency. [PTA candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 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 :

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

(a) Ability to independently implement treatment plan using knowledge of techniques related to the patient's disability and needs.
(b) Ability to independently provide varied and multifaceted physical therapy interventions based on the established care plan (e.g., therapeutic exercise, balance, body mechanics, flexibility, strength, gait training, neuromotor development, physical agents, functional training, etc.).
(c) Knowledge of physical therapy data collection and assessment techniques in order to perform specific interventions and to monitor and capture progress of the patient/client.
(d) Ability to instruct patient on varied interventions to provide materials to enhance compliance with home programs.
(e) Ability to modify treatment techniques based on the learning needs and perceptions of the patient.
(f) Ability to identify critical changes (e.g. vital signs, pain, mobility and alertness) in patient conditions to determine their medical and functional status.
(g) Ability to work with PTs and other interdisciplinary healthcare team members to evaluate patient information for planning, modifying and coordinating treatment programs and discharge planning.

Assignment . This is considered the journey level for PTAs. PTAs at this level collaborate with the primary PT then draw upon a broad base of practical knowledge and a well-developed treatment skill set in order to reach pre-determined patient goals by independently modifying techniques within the established plan of care. They implement the plan of care for patient cases, advance the program and continually review the patient's condition to determine their medical and functional status. They provide evidenced based skilled interventions including, but not limited to, therapeutic exercise, therapeutic activities, therapeutic modalities, gait training, transfer training, manual treatment, neuromuscular re-education, self-care and management training, patient/caregiver's education and group therapy. They meet with the physical therapy staff and other healthcare team members to evaluate and discuss patient information for planning, modifying and coordinating treatment programs and discharge planning.

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 8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS 8.

Physical Requirements: The work is clinical which requires 8 hours intermittent standing, walking, sitting, stooping, kneeling, bending, lifting/pushing/pulling 15-44 lb objects.