This position is in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS) at the Tennessee Valley VA Healthcare System (TVHS) Nashville campus and/or the Alvin C. York Campus in Murfreesboro. The Occupational Therapist is charged with responsibility for a range of clinical functions in the areas of clinical occupational therapy delivery, information, education, screening/disposition of routine clinical operational matters for evaluation and treatment in direct patient care.

Duties

The duties of the Occupational Therapist include, but are not limited to: Performing telehealth or virtual care visits from the facility. Occupational therapy during direct patient contact appropriate to the cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the adult patient. Direct patient care demonstrating advance application of knowledge, skills and abilities associated with current professional occupational therapy practice. Independently planning, developing, and implementing comprehensive, complex treatment programs for individual patients or groups of patients to address pain, restore or enhance performance, and maximize ability to function as independently as possible. Perform treatments involved in the prevention of physical disability, movement dysfunction, and pain resulting from injury, disease and disability, or other health-related conditions. Interpret tests and measurements to assess normal parameters of physiological functions as well as pathophysiological, pathomechanical, electrophysical, ergonomic, and developmental deficits of bodily systems to determine diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and prevention. Completing evaluation and treatment in a timely fashion; charting reviews and scheduling consults with other members of the treatment team. Flexibility of schedule must be maintained to allow for unscheduled patients and for mentoring and consultation. Utilizing evaluation data to plan and implement comprehensive patient treatment programs, immediately involving patient in the goals setting and treatment processes as feasible. Modifying treatment plans according to evaluative findings on an ongoing basis to meet short and long-term goals. Demonstrating a full professional and current understanding of the theories of physical, occupational, cognitive, and psychosocial functional deficits and their proper application. Involving the patient, family, significant others, and pertinent health care staff in the treatment process by ongoing communication through demonstration, instruction, team conferences, and chart documentation as appropriate to each patient's treatment goals. Assessing patient's learning needs, and planning and implementing appropriate patient education programs, involving the patient, family, and significant others in the instructional process. Demonstrating knowledge and skill in a range of interventions and treatment modalities used in the treatment area of occupational therapy and serving as a consultant for health care providers regarding the delivery of care within occupational therapy. Demonstrating the ability to teach and mentor medical center staff as well as guide and evaluate the work of a multi-disciplinary team in occupational therapy. Functioning as a mentor in medical conditions (such as orthopedics/neurology) and providing specific instruction and training to students and other members of the multidisciplinary team as well as the patient and family in these areas as appropriate to their roles and level of understanding. Independently evaluates the patient's functional abilities including using a variety of standardized and non-standardized tests as needed to determine occupational therapy needs. Primary evaluation instruments and/or procedures include, but are not limited to cognitive assessments, goniometry, strength measurements, activities of daily living evaluations, observation, interview, and review of medical histories to establish patient-centered goals and treatment. Development of and ability to carry out a full range of occupational therapy treatments using a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional treatment techniques and modalities. The modalities/techniques used to meet individual rehabilitation objectives include but are not limited to strengthening and range of motion exercises, self-care training, application of adaptive equipment and splints, heat, ultrasound, cold, electrical stimulation, patient and family education regarding disability, cognitive re-training, wheelchair mobility and community re-integration. Understanding that patients often have multiple physical/medical and psycho-social deficits which necessitate adaptive treatment practices to meet specific/unique patient needs. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30 am-4:00 pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 0000 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. Creditable Experience. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current professional occupational therapy practice. Creditable experience can be obtained through employment as an OT. This may be evidenced by one or both of the following: Active professional practice. Active professional practice includes paid/non-paid employment as a professional OT, and as defined by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Experience gained after graduation but prior to licensure/certification is creditable, provided the candidate was utilized as a graduate OT and subsequently passed the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification, and the required state regulatory requirements. Completion of a post-graduate fellowship or a post-graduate residency program can be substituted for creditable experience on a year for year basis. Fellowships or post-graduate training programs are typically in specialty areas such as advanced practice, research, mental health, gerontology, enhanced education, health policy, leadership and therapeutic sciences. Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is post-graduate experience as a professional OT directly related to the duties to be performed. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to professional occupational therapy experience at the next lower level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. e. Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to a full-time workweek. For example, an OT employed 20 hours per week, or on a half time basis, would receive one (1) full-time workweek of credit for each two (2) weeks of service. Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to a full-time workweek. For example, an OT employed 20 hours per week, or on a half time basis, would receive one (1) full-time workweek of credit for each two (2) weeks of service. 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/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. OR 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 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. Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign occupational therapy programs meet the requirements of subparagraph 3b(2) if they have a current, full, active and unrestricted license referred to in subparagraph 3e of this appendix. 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. English Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. ? 7403(f). 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-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. Assignment. OTs at this level practice independently and are responsible for comprehensive assessment of functional and occupational roles using standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools. OTs select and provide direct occupational therapy interventions and procedures with varying degrees of complexity to enhance safety, wellness, and performance in ADL, instrumental IADL, education, work, play, leisure, and social participation. OTs demonstrate a full professional understanding of the theories of treatment in occupational therapy and their proper application through the use of activity analysis, behavioral intervention, frame of references, and therapeutic procedures. They are assigned to all program areas within VHA and provide professional, independent occupational therapy services. OTs at this level may be given assignments in any area where advanced specialized knowledge is not required on a recurring basis due to the patient population served and complexity of the facility and/or treatment area. Individuals may perform ancillary assignments, including program management duties on an occasional basis, where the complexity and amount of work is not substantial less than 25% of the duty time. References: VA Handbook 5005/127, Part II, Appendix G14, Occupational Therapist Qualification Standards. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Regular and recurring physical exertion in standing, walking, bending, reaching, and sitting should be anticipated routinely. Light to heavy lifting may be required at times. Work discharge may require physical health, unhindered use of arms and legs, and good visual and auditory acuity.

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 Tennessee Valley HCS - Nashville 1310 24th Avenue South Nashville, TN 37212 US
• Name: Adrianne Caldwell
• Email: [email protected]