This position is located in the Rehabilitation Section of the Rehabilitation and Extended Care Integrated Clinical Community (REC ICC) and provides comprehensive Occupational Therapy care to both inpatient and outpatient Veterans in the Occupational Therapy Clinic.

Duties

CLINICAL FUNCTIONS: The incumbent is assigned to the Occupational Therapy clinic. The incumbent provides comprehensive Occupational Therapy care to both inpatient and outpatient Veterans as outlined in MCP EC00-06 Rehabilitation Services. The incumbent is responsible for completing complex evaluation and treatments applying advanced evaluation methodologies and treatment theories in the provision of care to Veterans with a wide variety of functional impairments. General duties are outlined as follows: Independently plans, coordinates, and carries out Occupational Therapy evaluation and interventions for referred Veterans to restore function, compensate for dysfunction and improve quality of life and independence. The treatment program may include use of physical agent modalities if the clinician has obtained proper certification. Evaluates the Veteran's needs for assistive devices, and adaptive appliances, recommends adjustments for prosthetic/orthotic devices and makes minor adjustments to obtain maximal functional benefits. The therapist may fabricate orthotic devices and may make modifications on a wide range of orthoses. Receives Veteran referrals from appropriate source and assures that Veterans are scheduled for evaluation and treatment in a timely fashion. Reviews charts to assess appropriateness of the referrals and possible contraindications for treatment. Schedules Veterans for treatment, considering priority and frequency of care and coordinating schedules with other members of the treatment team. Flexibility of schedule must be maintained to allow for unscheduled Veterans and for family conferences. Documents performance and timely treatment and achievement of treatment goals. Assuring a high level of productivity and cost-effective treatments are provided. Assures all documentation is done in a timely manner as per documentation policy for all Veteran visits. Serves as a consultant for other rehabilitation therapists regarding the delivery of Occupational Therapy services. Functions on a multidisciplinary team, representing the Rehabilitation section by communicating directly with team members such as Veteran's physician, nursing personnel. social worker, dietitian, psychologist and other Rehabilitation disciplines involved with the Veteran's care. Advises and instructs medical center staff regarding care of Veteran's needs and progress; also providing discharge planning information. Continues to maintain and learn advanced skills in this area by attending continuing education courses and training when applicable. Participates in process improvement projects in the rehabilitation service as well as throughout the healthcare system as appropriate. ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS: Reviews documentation submitted by outside medical providers on behalf of the Veterans, making recommendations to the care team as appropriate. May provide direct supervision and training to students assigned to the Occupational Therapy program; working closely with the student to identify areas of personal interest, strengths, and weaknesses incorporating these factors into established training protocol to assure achievement of training goals and maintenance of Veteran treatment objectives. Maintains required supplies, reporting needed repairs, and maintaining general orderliness of clinic areas to which assigned. May serve as the Acting Rehabilitation Supervisor upon request. Provides orientation on Occupational Therapy to Medical Center employees, volunteers, and visitors on request. Work Schedule: 0730-1600 Monday-Friday Telework: Ad Hoc only Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7407(a)). Education and/or Experience. The individual must meet at least one of the following requirements below: 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. 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. Master's Degree or higher in occupational therapy. 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-9 Education, Experience, or Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Occupational Therapist, GS-11 Education, Experience, or Licensure. Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level and directly related to the position being filled; or Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree in occupational therapy or a directly related field; or Doctorate in occupational therapy. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of occupational therapy practice. Ability to administer/interpret evaluation findings to develop and coordinate intervention plans, including goals and methods of treatment. Ability to implement intervention plans directly or in collaboration with others. Skill in monitoring an individual's response to interventions and modify treatment plans and reevaluating as indicated. Ability to communicate and or collaborate with patients, family members, caregivers, interdisciplinary professionals and/or other individuals verbally and in writing. Knowledge of health and safety regulations to minimize risk in the provision of patient care and the environment of care. Knowledge of applicable regulations governing documentation, reimbursement and workload entry in accordance with established professional practice. Occupational Therapist, GS-12 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. Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of occupational therapy principles and techniques consistent with current clinical standards based on OT theory and evidence based practice. Knowledge is inclusive of physical, occupational, cognitive, and psychosocial functional deficits. Ability to collaborate and communicate orally and in writing with all internal and external stakeholders. 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. Skill in procuring, fabricating, adjusting, adapting, and modifying orthoses, splints, and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living (inclusive of durable medical equipment). Ability to conduct OT related in-service and clinical training. Preferred Experience: This position will serve as a generalist outpatient occupational therapist. Candidates with a wide variety of skills and experience preferred (orthopedics, ADL/home safety, cognition). References: VA Handbook 5005/127, Part II, Appendix G14 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-12. Physical Requirements: The incumbent must demonstrate the ability to walk, to get to other hospital locations on a daily basis. Activities including prolonged standing, repeated bending, reaching overhead, and pushing Veterans and objects for up to four hours during a regular shift, prolonged sitting, and moderate lifting and carrying of 15-44 pounds.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.

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 St Cloud VA Medical Center 4801 Veterans Drive St Cloud, MN 56303 US
• Name: Breeze Hennes
• Phone: (320) 252-1670 X5222
• Email: [email protected]