Summary Acupuncturists practice Acupuncture Medicine, which includes the use of the technique of acupuncture along with other treatment approaches. Acupuncture medicine includes traditional and modern acupuncture and biomedical (Western) concepts, diagnosis, and treatment approaches for the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health. Responsibilities The acupuncturist utilizes standard medical evaluation procedures and Acupuncture Medicine evaluation to formulate a differential diagnosis to develop an acupuncture treatment plan. Acupuncturists use techniques of acupuncture, acupressure, and electroacupuncture as well as adjunctive techniques. Adjunctive techniques may include manual, mechanical, thermal, electrical, and electromagnetic approaches as well as recommendations in lifestyle, dietary modification, and therapeutic movements per scope of practice. Functions or scope of practice include: Educate patients on healthy lifestyle changes including nutrition, exercise, sleeping habits, stress management, mind body techniques and other matters related to acupuncture care. Provide group acupuncture, as determined. Document and code information related to patient care in the VA's electronic health care record on a timely basis following VHA policies. Oral informed consent shall be completed prior to acupuncture and adjunctive treatment(s) and documented in the electronic health record. Communicate with other healthcare providers as appropriate. Maintain up-to-date VHA and professional training and attend all required meetings. Review referrals, screen for appropriateness of care, and direct Veterans to others services when necessary, as directed. Serve as a subject matter expert on acupuncture services and provide guidance when requested regarding community care. Have knowledge of issues surrounding the delivery of care as it relates to acupuncture services and the efficient delivery of acupuncture services to include groups and protocolized approaches for their own clinics. Work Schedule: Mon - Fri, 8:00am to 4:30pm. Telework: Ad-hoc. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. 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 To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. BASIC REQUIREMENTS. a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. After a determination is made that it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens, necessary personnel may be appointed on a temporary basis under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 without regard to the citizenship requirements of 38 U.S.C. 7402 or any other law prohibiting the employment of or payment of compensation to a person who is not a citizen of the United States. Candidates must meet all other requirements for the grade and position concerned. b. Education. Individual must meet one of the requirements below: (1) Master's degree in acupuncture or oriental medicine from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). OR, (2) Advanced level degree in acupuncture or oriental medicine from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). c. Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign acupuncture programs meet the requirements in subparagraph 3b if they have a full unrestricted and current license to practice acupuncture in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. d. Certification. Acupuncturists hired in the VHA must be board certified through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). The board certification must be current and the acupuncturist must abide by the certifying body's requirements for continuing education. e. Loss of Certification. An acupuncturist who fails to maintain the required certificate must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists. f. Licensure. Current, full, active, and unrestricted license to practice acupuncture in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e. Puerto Rico) of the United States, or District of Columbia. g. Loss of licensure. An acupuncturist who fails to maintain the required license must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists. H. English Language Proficiency. Candidates will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who are not proficient in written and spoken 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). GRADE REQUIREMENTS. a. Creditable Experience. (1) Knowledge of Acupuncture Practices. To be creditable, the experience must demonstrate possession of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) associated with current professional acupuncture practice. The experience must be post-master's degree or above. (2) Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is obtained following graduation with a certificate, masters or doctoral degree in Acupuncture or Oriental Medicine from an accredited training program. Creditable experience must include work as a professional licensed acupuncturist. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to acupuncture experience at the next lower grade level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significantly larger scope, administrative independence, difficulty and range of variety and described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. b. Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Acupuncturist, GS-9 (Entry Level). (a) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. (b) Assignments. Individuals at this grade level are considered to be entry level and are closely supervised. The employee works under the direction of a journey level or higher acupuncturist or other health care providers licensed to perform acupuncture. The acupuncturist provides professional services in accordance with the established treatment plan. Deviations from regular procedures, unanticipated problems, and unfamiliar situations are referred to more experienced staff for a decision or assistance. Acupuncturist, GS-11 (Full Performance Level). (a) Experience or Education: Individual must meet at least one of the requirements below: 1. Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level, which is directly related to the position to be filled. OR, 2. Education. Doctoral degree or equivalent degree from an accredited college or university in an acupuncture or oriental medicine. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1. Ability to screen referrals and direct veterans to other services as appropriate. 2. Ability to formulate an appropriate differential diagnosis. 3. Ability to formulate an acupuncture treatment plan independently or with other health care professionals. 4. Ability to educate patients on health lifestyle changes including nutrition, exercise, sleeping habits, stress management, mind body techniques and other matters related to acupuncture care. This includes the ability to communicate with individuals of varying backgrounds. 5. Skill in the selection and use of the appropriate acupuncture tools and supplies based on needs of the patient. 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-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11. Physical Requirements. This position requires light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds); use of fingers; both hands required; walking (less than 1 hour); standing (up to 1 hour); repeated bending (less than 1 hour); the ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one to to 20/20 and 29/4 in the other; both eyes required; depth perception; the ability to distinguish basic colors; and hearing (aid may be permitted). There may be exposure to dust and you must be able to work alone and closely with others. Education IMPORTANT: This position has a positive education or training requirement. An unofficial copy of college transcripts showing completion of the required degree or program is required and must include the name of the school, your name, date conferred or completed, and degree or certificate @type. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
