Summary This Occupational Therapist (OT) position is under the Physical Medicine and Rehab service of the White River Junction VA Medical Center. The Incumbent Occupational Therapist is assigned responsibility for serving as a subject matter expert in hand therapy related to outpatient services in the White River Junction VA Outpatient Clinic. The therapist maintains a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) credential recognized by the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC). Responsibilities The duties of this position include but are not limited to the following : Assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating treatment programs for patients with complex medical/surgical conditions. Providing feedback and instruction to all associated health care team members and students. Interpreting specialized evaluative procedures and tests in evaluating treatment outcomes in the assigned area. This clinical specialist has advanced training in specialized technology related to the assigned area of practice. Completing evaluations and treatments in a timely fashion. Utilizing evaluation data to plan and implement comprehensive specialized patient treatment programs, involving the patient in the goal-setting and treatment processes as feasible. Modifies the treatment plan according to evaluative findings on an ongoing basis to meet short- and long-term goals. Exercising the highest degree of independence and professional judgment in planning and carrying out treatment programs to meet complex treatment objectives for the hand therapy population. The Incumbent involves the patient, family, significant others, and pertinent health care staff in the treatment process through ongoing communication via demonstration, instruction, team conferences, and chart documentation as appropriate to each patient's treatment goals. The Incumbent assesses patient's learning needs and plans and implements appropriate patient education programs, involving the patient, family, and significant others in the instructional process. The Incumbent demonstrates advanced knowledge of home modifications and adaptive equipment required by the hand therapy population to manage their care at home. Utilizes contacts within the VA and the community to assist the client in obtaining the proper equipment and services to maximize the client's independence in their home. The Incumbent demonstrates advanced knowledge and expert skill in a range of interventions and treatment modalities used in a specialized treatment area of occupational therapy. Serves as a consultant and subject matter expert for health care providers and staff occupational therapists regarding the delivery of care within occupational therapy. Demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor medical center staff in hand therapy. The Incumbent functions as a mentor in the area of complex medical/surgical conditions and provides specific instruction and training in hand therapy to students and other members of the multidisciplinary team. Provides instruction to patients and family in these areas as appropriate to their roles and level of understanding. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Days Telework: Available on an ad-hoc basis at supervisor's discretion. Functional Statement #: 405-F08555 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 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 Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f) (a)). Education and/or Experience: The individual must meet one of the following requirements below for Education and/ or Experience: (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. Certification: Candidates must possess a current NBCOT certification as an Occupational Therapist. 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. Grandfathering Provision: 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: Occupational Therapist (Clinical Specialist), GS-13. In addition to the basic requirements of this occupation applicants must meet grade determining requirements the as stated in number 1 and 2 below: (1) Education, Experience, and Licensure: Completion of one full year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level and directly related to the position being filled and one of the following: (a) A minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice directly in the advanced practice area. This time must be within the past five years; (b) Certification in an area recognized by the AOTA; (c) Completion of a fellowship/residency or advanced degree program in the advanced practice area; or (d) An additional advanced degree in a related field. AND (2) Demonstrated 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: Certified Hand Therapy Credential Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Promotion Potential: This vacancy is GS-13 which is above the full performance level of this occupation. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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). 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. 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 for 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.
