This position is a Recreation Therapist located in the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Services (PM&RS) Department within the Montana VA Health Care System (MTVAHCS). The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the assigned region of the MTVAHCS. The incumbent directly reports to the Recreation Therapy Supervisor.

Duties

The duties include, but are not limited to: The Recreation Therapist is an integral member of the treatment team and work within an interdisciplinary team approach to identify patient needs and goals and develop treatment plans appropriate to the individual. He/she often services in a mentoring role for students, new or less experienced Staff. Recreation Therapists and serves as a subject matter expert in a consulting manner in the clinical field for other Recreation Therapists, PM&RS staff as well as for other providers internal and external to the MTVAHCS. The incumbent independently completes complex evaluations and interprets a wide variety of patients' physical and psychosocial level, provides, and progresses recreational therapy treatments as appropriate. Demonstrates ability and competency in treating patients that range in age from young adult to geriatric who may experience complex medical or mental health issues. He/she independently utilizes various methods to evaluate and interpret specific physical and psychosocial problems and implements the appropriate therapy necessary to teach new or compensating skills to restore patients' recreational pursuits. The incumbent independently solves complex problems related to recreation therapy, adapts, and modifies treatment plans, activities, and procedures as a result of changing medical conditions or because of a variety of severe physical and mental disabilities in order to meet the needs of Veterans with complex disabilities. In consultation with patients, their families, and caregivers, the incumbent educates regarding treatment interventions and goals, in addition to any consideration involving adaptations to better ensure optimal treatment outcomes. Demonstrates ability to provide appropriate Recreation Therapy interventions in both individual and group-based sessions in outpatient, inpatient, and community living center settings. He/she completes documentation of patient care including assessments, progress notes, encounters, consultations, care plans, and other reports in a thorough and timely manner according to facility policy. The incumbent acts as a subject matter expert to staff, students, and other healthcare professionals and serves as the Recreation Therapy representative on interdisciplinary teams as assigned or needed, including the process to assess and purchase adaptive recreation equipment for Veterans. Incumbent will develop and coordinate an outdoor therapeutic recreation program. Modalities may include; kayaking, bicycling, hiking, fishing, rafting, camping, adaptive skiing, Nordic skiing, swimming, water skiing, snowshoeing, fly-fishing, hunting, etc. Incumbent will schedule outdoor programs with community partners. Incumbent will assess each Veteran consulted to the outdoor program to determine appropriateness, develop goals and objectives and a plan of care. He/she assists in the training of Veteran athletes for the VA sponsored sports competitions, sports activities and National Special Programs and Events. The incumbent works with service organizations on planning special outings and attending their meetings, as appropriate. Maintains contact with community agencies and individuals to seek information concerning community leisure resources and opportunities. Establish relationships with community organizations to build community partnerships that will give Veterans additional recreation opportunities after discharge from therapeutic programs. He/she works with adaptive equipment vendors on special events and presentations, as appropriate. He/she collaborates with other VAMTHCS Recreation Therapists to participate in activities related to the National Veterans Programs. The incumbent provides clinical guidance to other recreational and/or creative arts therapists and also provides mentorship to other recreational and/or creative arts therapists who are at the full performance level or below. He/she maintains recreation therapy areas in an organized and safe manner in compliance with OSHA and VA Safety Standards, maintains supply inventory and recommends purchase of new supplies and equipment, and resolves problems that interfere with the delivery of recreation therapy. He/she promotes effective communication with all patients, caregivers, treatment team members, MTVAHCS staff, and community partners. The incumbent follows VHA/facility/departmental guidelines to ensure compliance with Joint Commission, VA regulations, policies, and procedures and recreation therapy professional guidelines, standards, and ethics. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm. The tour may include weekends, holidays, and evenings. Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 436-57815-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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 Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in spoken and written English, as required by 38 U.S.C. ? 7403(f). Education: The following education requirements apply to the recreation therapist, creative arts therapist (art), creative arts therapist (dance/movement), creative arts therapist (drama), and creative arts therapist (music): (a) A bachelor's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, with a major in therapeutic recreation or recreation/leisure, with an option and/or emphasis in therapeutic recreation. The degree must be approved by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC); OR (b) A bachelor's degree or higher in any field from an accredited college or university and must be a certified therapeutic recreation specialist (CTRS). The degree must be approved by the NCTRC. If hired under this education, the certification cannot be waived. Required Certification: Recreation Therapist. Applicants must be certified in recreation therapy as a CTRS by the NCTRC. If hired under paragraph 3b(1)(b), certification cannot be waived. have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. The private organization must deem such education at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. Exception. Non-registered and/or non-certified applicants, who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for registration and/or certification, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate recreation or creative arts therapist, under the authority of 38 U.S.C. ? 7405(c)(2)(B), for a period not to exceed two years. Applicants who fail to obtain registration and/or certification during this temporary full-time appointment may be terminated. The exception only applies to positions at the GS-7 and GS-9 level. For grade levels at or above the full performance level, the candidate must be registered and/or certified. Grandfather 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). All persons employed in VHA as a recreation or creative arts therapist, on the effective date 06/07/2019 of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, including positive education, and registration and/or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply. Grade Determinations: Recreation Therapist, GS-12 (a) Experience. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, completion of two years of progressively complex experience, which includes one year equivalent to the next lower grade directly related to the position being filled. AND, (b) Certification. Additional certification in a specialty treatment area in recreation therapy, such as, but not limited to: Physical Medicine/Rehabilitation, Geriatrics, Developmental Disabilities, Behavioral Health, Community Inclusion Services, Aquatic Exercise Therapy/Aquatic Therapy, Adapted Sports, Assisted Technology, Social Skills, etc., or in a directly related field such as, but not limited to: acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, dementia, dialectical behavioral therapy, gambling disorder, motivational interviewing, and/or wellness recovery action plan facilitator. (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: i. Knowledge of best practice and evidence-based recreation therapy across multiple areas of practice. ii. Ability to perform clinical services and balance organizational responsibilities while developing and implementing effective strategies with great autonomy, at a level compatible with the critical necessity for accuracy and completion. iii. Ability to adapt assessment tools and treatment to the complexity of the diagnosis or disability and demonstrate the clinical reasoning necessary to identify the need for further in- depth specific assessment. iv. Skill in developing, implementing, and modifying recreation therapy treatment plans in response to changing medical, physical, mental, psychological and/or psychosocial conditions, as well as comorbidities. v. Ability to provide clinical guidance using the advanced knowledge of best practice and evidence-based recreation therapy implementation across multiple areas of practice. vi. Knowledge of how recreation therapy impacts revenue resource allocation, as it relates to complex diagnosis, treatment, and diagnostic coding. (d) Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. At this level, recreation therapists use independent judgment of clinical information to administer specialized, complex, and extensive recreation therapy treatment theories, techniques, and evaluation methodologies in the provision of care to a diverse patient population with varying diagnoses, functional impairments, and cultural backgrounds. They also provide clinical practice guidance for other recreation therapy staff. Individuals in this assignment engage in a high level of decision making for independent care. With great autonomy, they employ specialty recreation therapy treatment modalities requiring cutting edge, sophisticated and complex skills and apply clinical expertise to a full range of patient populations. They apply advanced clinical skills to address: sensory motor, including sensory integration; neuromuscular and motor cognitive integration and cognitive components; and psychosocial skills and psychological components. The individuals in this assignment serve as the sole recreation therapist member of a multidisciplinary or specialty care treatment team. They mentor therapists who are at the full performance level or below and may coordinate clinical training programs, to include student supervision, administration and oversight, assignments, and evaluations. They may evaluate current research and coordinate or support research projects to conduct evidence-based initiatives. They assist in quality assurance efforts and strategic planning for recreation therapy programs. References: VA Handbook 5005/111 PART II APPENDIX G60 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Preferred Experience: Outdoor recreation therapy includes kayaking, alpine skiing, nordic fly-fishing, golf, etc. Adaptive sports equipment experience. National program experiences. Driving patients. Physical Requirements: Requires the ability to tolerate and work in extreme weather conditions, including snow and heat for prolonged periods of time. This may include walking and moving equipment in snow and mud. Also, requires the ability to work at high altitudes for extended periods of time. Regular and/or recurring physical exertion such as prolonged walking or standing, bending, lifting, or moving of equipment. This could include lifting a minimum 50 pounds and ascending/descending stairs carrying a minimum 30 pounds. Work demands require specific, common physical characteristics and abilities, such as above average agility and dexterity. This physical exertion can also occur while actively involved in physical activity with the patient. 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.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Fort Harrison VA Medical Center 3687 Veterans Drive Fort Harrison, MT 59636 US
• Name: Sokhan York
• Phone: 801-584-1284 X3119
• Email: [email protected]