The Physical Therapist Clinical Specialist (in the specialty area of Assistive Technology (AT) / Seating and Mobility), serves as a consultant, clinician, and subject matter expert for the treatment of patients in both Outpatient and Inpatient Physical Therapy at the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The specialist knowledge has been acquired through a minimum of 2-years of advanced clinical experience, certification, and specialty training in this area.

Duties

The physical therapist provider is assigned clinical responsibilities for serving as the subject matter expert in the Assistive Technology/seating and mobility specialty area. They will also serve as a consultant to other medical center staff in evaluating and treating patients in the specialty areas of physical therapy practice. The focus of this position is multifaceted and requires a working knowledge of assistive technologies, power and manual seating and mobility, and assessing activities of daily living / home safety / knowledge of durable medical equipment / home modifications, advanced knowledge of contemporary physical therapy across multiple areas of practice, and they will demonstrate the ability to apply this advanced knowledge to provide clinical guidance to other clinic staff and providers within the VA healthcare system. Preferred experience, with credentialing, as having an Assistive Technology Practitioner (ATP) certification through the Rehabilitation and Engineering Societies of North America (RESNA); the incumbent will be required to have at least 2000 hours in the physical therapy service provision of Assistive Technology and/or Seating and Mobility within the past five years. The incumbent will provide these services in both the outpatient and inpatient settings. Clinical assignment also involves providing general physical therapy services as assigned throughout the PM&R department. The physical therapist will demonstrate clinical knowledge of advanced specialized evaluation, interventions, and services to independently develop treatment strategies for these specialty populations. This position will be assigned program planning, analysis, and professional oversight of the Mobility Clinic, and the AT / Seating and Mobility program, assigned by the Physical Therapy Supervisor or Service Chief. This provider will serve as a subject matter expert in all aspects of physical therapy evaluation, assessment, and treatment. This physical therapist must be proficient with a wide variety of diagnoses and patient complexity in the realm of chronic and acute pain, geriatric and adult musculoskeletal dysfunction, orthopedic and neurological disorders, and functional mobility. The incumbent will have the ability to determine the most appropriate plan of care relative to the patient's diagnosis, age, and clinical practice guidelines. The therapist will serve as a clinical instructor with the VHASLC Physical Therapy DPT Internship Program with specific mentoring and oversight of assigned DPT interns from various academic institutions across the country, and will provide clinical oversight of DPT Interns, as well as mentoring affective professional skills. The therapist will serve as a role model for PT Residents, students, and other PM&R/ therapy staff. With the advanced knowledge and clinical experience, they will employ unusual motivational techniques to enlist patient participation and adapt equipment and procedures to carry out a full range of complex treatment activities and interventions. They will evaluate patient conditions through Direct Access and with appropriate referrals to physical therapy to determine treatment plan. The physical therapist provider may refer patients to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, Primary Care, or other specialty clinics when determined necessary. The will perform and interpret results of tests and measurements for use in preparing for, modifying, and/or evaluating patients for treatment, and will adjust physical therapy treatment based on changes in patient's condition. The incumbent will evaluate the patient's needs with respect to prescribed braces, orthotic devices, assistive technology/seating and mobility. The therapist will select appropriate appliances and durable medical equipment, and will determine what suits the needs of the patient. The therapist will recommend necessary equipment items, or make modifications to existing items, and shall provide, or assist in the appropriate measurements and applications. This position is directly supervised by the Physical Therapist Supervisor. He/she will serve as a health care professional for the PM&R Service and will be required to follow service/section policies when planning, coordinating, and executing a comprehensive and complex physical therapy program for Veterans, including those referred to AT/Seating and Mobility and Physical Therapy Services. He/she works closely with medical and other health care providers in providing comprehensive patient care for veterans with rehabilitation and acute care needs. VA Careers - Physical Therapy: https://youtube.com/embed/Gi2hoFqIoqY Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 57898-O 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: United States Citizenship. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education and experience. The individual must meet at least one of the requirements below: Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy AND five (5) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist. Master's degree in Physical Therapy AND two (2) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist. Doctorate degree in physical therapy. NOTE: Prior to 1995 the terminal degree for PT's was either a bachelors or master's degree. In 1995 CAPTE accredited all baccalaureate, master's, and Doctor of Physical Therapy terminal degree programs. Effective 2002, CAPTE changed its scope of accrediting activities of PT education programs to include only those programs that culminate in post-baccalaureate degrees(eliminating the baccalaureate degree). Effective 2015, professional physical therapy education programs have only offered the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree to all new students. NOTE: Individuals must be a graduate of a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited college or university. The CAPTE is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit entry-level physical therapy programs. Verification of accredited programs may be obtained from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) at www.apta.org. Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign physical therapy programs meet the requirements in subparagraph 3b if they have a full unrestricted and current license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. The Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) is a non-profit organization created to assist the United States (U.S.) Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly INS) and U.S. state licensing authorities by evaluating the credentials of Foreign Educated Physical Therapists (FEPTs) who wish to immigrate and work in the U.S. Although the licensing of physical therapists in the U.S. is a right and responsibility of each jurisdiction, foreign educated individuals must undergo an educational credentials assessment for substantial equivalency to the first professional degree in the US. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) is committed to protect the public and to provide leadership within the field and practice of physical therapy. FSBPT's Foreign Educated Standards Committee has developed standards that represent "best practices" in evaluation services. The Credentials Evaluation Standards were developed with input from the physical therapy credentialing agencies that are licensed to use FSBPT's Coursework Tool. Licensure. Individuals hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Non-licensed PTs, who otherwise meet the basic requirements in this standard, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate PT at the GS-11 grade level under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 (a)(l)(D) for a period not-to-exceed two years from the date of employment on the condition that such PT provide care only under the supervision of a PT who is licensed. Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. NOTE. Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetency or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the state for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment. This requirement does not apply to licensed physical therapists on VA rolls as of November 30, 1999, provided the individual maintains a continuous appointment and is not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification. Grade Determinations, GS-13 Physical Therapist Clinical Specialist Experience. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level and one of the following: Evidence of a minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice directly in the specialty area. This time must be between the past two and five years; or Board Certification in the specialty area recognized by the ABPTS; or Completion of a fellowship program; or An additional advanced degree in a related field. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the all following KSAs. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Advanced knowledge and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in a specialized treatment area of physical therapy. Ability to serve as a consultant and subject matter expert for health care providers regarding the delivery of care within a specialized content area of physical therapy (see paragraph 2i). Ability to teach and mentor medical center staff in a specialized content area of physical therapy. Ability to guide the work of a multi-disciplinary team in a specialized content area of physical therapy. Advanced knowledge and expert skill to perform and interpret specialized procedures and tests in evaluating the treatment outcomes in the assigned specialty content area (see Definitions, paragraph 2. i.). Preferred Experience: Minimum of 4 years of clinical experience, minimum of 2 years recent experience in wheelchair seating/mobility and with complex assistive technology, ATP or SMS Certifications. References: VA Handbook 5005/99, Part II, Appendix G12 Physical Requirements: The physical requirements and work involve long periods of moving about the work unit. The work requires regular and recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, lifting, repositioning and transferring patients. Incumbent may be exposed to patients who are combative, secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders and patients who require restraints. The incumbent must be a mature, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, demonstrating cheerfulness, compassion, courtesy, and concern. Must be quick and dependable in taking emergency action in using initiative to prevent accidents. The incumbent must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction. "Preplacement and periodic physical examinations are required for hybrid occupations to ensure workers are placed in positions where they can perform the essential functions of their job considering their physical, mental and emotional capacities, without endangering their health or the health of their co-workers. 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 VA SALT LAKE CITY HCS 500 Foothill Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84148 US
• Name: Smaranda Georgescu
• Phone: 8015821565 X7320
• Email: [email protected]