The incumbent serves as a subject matter expert in the specialty area of Rehabilitation Service diagnoses with a focus on power mobility/seating, and as a consultant to occupational therapy and other medical center staff in evaluating and treating patients in the specialty area of power mobility/seating OT practice that are beyond the general practice OT.

Duties

The primary function of this position is direct patient care and is considered to be at the full performance level. Staff RCS occupational therapists at this level are responsible for providing assessment and treatment intervention for Veterans. They are assigned to all program areas which are covered by Rehabilitation Care Services and provide professional, independent occupational therapy services in the assigned area. Duties will include: Clinical: Incumbent is expected to be familiar with tilt, recline, elevation, and standing options for said wheelchairs, as well as accessories for operation, drive control, and positioning devices. Evaluates patients with rehabilitative diagnoses for power mobility eligibility according to 1173 guidelines. Evaluations include the goals of maximum function, comfort, stability, safety, and protection of body structures. Provides training and fit of the power mobility considering seat width, back height, armrest height, seat height, seat depth, leg length, and overall postural requirements. Assists patients in reviewing operation and care of the mobility device. Evaluates and trains in use of power mobility in the hospital setting, or at another acceptable location. Will instruct patients in use of warranty and repair procedures as needed. Develops protocols for evaluation and issuance of power mobility including templates for documentation, reference sheets, and evaluation flow sheets. Acts as a resource to RCS therapists and other therapists throughout the facility for use of templates and guides them through evaluation, ordering, and training as needed. Uses advanced knowledge of contemporary OT theories and techniques across multiple areas of practice to evaluate, determine goals, implement a program, recommend adaptive equipment, and plan discharge for patients within the specialized area. The clinical specialist is expected to have advanced knowledge of the spectrum of patients in the service, and demonstrated ability to apply this advanced knowledge to provide clinical guidance to other occupational therapists in the department. Evaluates patients as appropriate using specialized evidence based occupational therapy services for their age and diagnosis to determine current levels of functioning (range of motion, strength/manual muscle test, coordination, sensation, proprioception, visual perceptual skills, self-care, mobility skills, community living skills, pre-vocational skills, cognitive status). This specialist may lead, participate and support clinical research projects as indicated. This may include grant writing, consultation and direct clinical participation in research. Documents patient evaluation and progress in the medical record. Develops and carries out advanced occupational therapy treatment to meet individual rehabilitation objectives of Veterans with RCS diagnoses. Assesses the need for and patient's ability to use adaptive equipment including ADL aids, adaptive meal preparation equipment, power mobility, bathroom aids, emergency access technology, and assistive technology. Educates patients and families during family conferences and on an individual basis in regards to issues dealing with the RCS population. Participates in patient planning meetings, rechecks, family conferences, team huddles, and chart rounds. Participates in home visit as appropriate to patient's home or place of employment to assess for safety, self-care capability at home, ergonomic considerations, and need for adaptive equipment as it relates to the RCS population. Responsible for providing advanced clinical information and education in the area of EADL's to all therapists and assistants in the assigned area, and in the facility, as requested. Demonstrates advanced knowledge in prosthetics/orthotic devices as it relates to the RCS population and demonstrates ability to make adjustments on devices or adaptive equipment to obtain maximum benefit from the device. Educational Establishes contact with local and national vendors and distributers of power mobility devices and accessories to keep up to date on newest products, establish in-services for therapy department for demonstrations of new equipment. Provides in-services to multi-disciplinary staff in various service lines as requested. Demonstrates the ability to function as clinical instructor for affiliating students with an emphasis on RCS and power mobility expertise. Demonstrates mentorship and ability to adapt to various learning styles. Enables students to fulfill their educational and professional requirements. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 07:30-4:00PM Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. ? 7403(f). Education and/or Experience: The individual must meet at least one of the following requirements below: (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. 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. Loss of Credential. An employee in this occupation who fails to maintain the required state or territorial licensure and the NBCOT certification, both current and in good standing, must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. 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: GS-13 Occupational Therapist (Clinical Specialist) Education, Experience, and Licensure: Completion of one 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. Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy across multiple areas of practice Ability to provide clinical guidance in the advanced practice area to other OT practitioners. Knowledge of advanced specialized evaluation, interventions and services to independently develop treatment strategies for area of specialization. Skill in developing protocols and procedures for intervention programs based on current occupational therapy theory, recent research, and practice. Ability to provide consultation to other health care practitioners and outside groups about occupational therapy scope of practice for area of specialization. Ability to implement, revise/update evidence based occupational therapy services and programming in area of specialization. References: VHA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G14, Qualifications for Occupational Therapists. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting (15-44 lbs), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, walking, standing, crawling, kneeling, repeated bending, near and far vision correctable, depth perception, ability to distinguish basic colors, mental and emotional stability, ability to be outside and inside, working closely with others, working alone.

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 VA Puget Sound Health Care System 1660 South Columbian Way Seattle, WA 98108 US
• Name: Michelle Yahne
• Phone: 503-220-8262 X53055
• Email: [email protected]