This position is assigned to Whole Health Service at the Bay Pines Health Care System, providing Recreation Therapy evaluation and treatment to Veteran patients.

Duties

The Recreation Therapist's primary function is to provide direct patient care within a multitude of settings. The Recreation Therapist plans, develops, and implements comprehensive, routine treatment programs for individual patients or groups of patients to rehabilitate and remediate the effects of disease, disability, or illness and to help restore functioning at the highest level. They are also responsible for the following duties but not not limited to: Facilitate yoga and/or tai chi for outpatient Veterans and hold necessary certification(s) to provide class. Organize and facilitate recreation therapy groups to outpatient Veterans. Collaborate and assist with Whole Health classes and groups. Establish treatment procedures that are adapted and applied for acutely ill patients. Assist with the Recreation Therapy program management for patients with severe disabilities. Develop, plan, and execute programs with a full range of treatment modalities and procedures. Make adaptations to activities or equipment to facilitate full performance participation. Assemble pre-evaluation data, interpret medical record information, review therapy prescription, and conduct mental and physical evaluation of patients to develop and implement individualized treatment plans. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm ET; occasion weekends, evenings, and holidays may be required Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 20633F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position as a GS-0638 Recreation Therapist, you must meet the following: Basic Requirements 1. Citizen of the United States: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy 2. English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English, as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 3. Education: 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 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 path, the certification cannot be waived. 4. Certification: Applicants must be certified in recreation therapy as a CTRS by the NCTRC EXCEPTION: Non-certified applicants, who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate recreation 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. Grandfathering Provision: All persons employed in VHA as a recreation therapist, as of June 7, 2019, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, including positive education and 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:(1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to, and including, the full performance (journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level, or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.(2) Employees who were appointed on a temporary basis, prior to the effective date of the qualification standard, may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.(3) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or certification, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.(4) Recreation therapists who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements, in effect at the time of reentry, as a recreation therapist. Grade-Level Requirements GS-07 Recreation Therapist (Entry Level), Experience/Education Requirement: None beyond the basic requirements Assignment: Employees at this level work under the direct supervision of a recreation or creative arts therapist, at or above the full-performance level, or a designated supervisor in a clinical environment. Employees have knowledge of their respective discipline, and work with guidance from higher-level or supervisory staff to establish treatment procedures that substantially adapted and applied for acutely ill patients. Employees at this level would not be assigned work at a community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC), unless supervision is on site. GS-09 Recreation Therapist (Developmental) Experience/Education Requirement: At least one year of creditable experience at the next lower grade level (GS-7), or a master's degree in recreation therapy may be substituted for the required one year of professional recreation therapist experience. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, to qualify for the GS-09, you must demonstrate all the following KSAs: Knowledge of assessment tools and treatment for the diagnosis or disability of the patient. Knowledge to interpret and apply all health and safety regulations, to minimize and mitigate risks in the provisions of patient care, and environmental maintenance. Ability to effectively communicate and educate patients, families, caregivers, and other health care professionals to facilitate the treatment process. Knowledge to apply evidence-based and best practice therapeutic techniques and interventions. Assignment: Employees at this level serve in a developmental position as a recreation therapist. They work under general supervision to perform work in a clinical environment. Employees have knowledge of their respective discipline and work with guidance from higher level or supervisory staff to establish treatment procedures that are substantially adapted and applied for patients who are acutely ill. The recreation therapist may: conduct patient evaluations; analyze and interpret leisure, cognitive, and motor skill assessment data to develop individualized goals, objectives, and treatment plan of care; and develop and provide collaborative services with other team members. Therapists at this level may be given general assignments in a program area. GS-11 Recreation Therapist (Full Performance Level) Experience/Education Requirement: At least one year of creditable experience at the next lower grade level (GS-9). Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the requisite experience, to qualify for the GS-11, you must demonstrate all the following KSAs: Ability to adapt assessment tools and treatment interventions to address the complexity of the diagnosis or disabilities and demonstrate the clinical reasoning necessary to identify the need for further in-depth specific assessment of function and utilization of unconventional methods and techniques. Knowledge to independently interpret provider referrals and consults; and apply all health and safety regulations to minimize and mitigate risks in the provision of patient care and the environment of care. Skill in effectively communicating and educating, in a clear and concise manner, with patients, families, caregivers, and other health care professionals to facilitate the interdisciplinary treatment process. Skill in independently utilizing appropriate screening and evaluation techniques required to appropriately provide direct patient care in areas such as, but not limited to recommendations for recreation therapy assistive devices, including fit and function. Skill in independently applying evidence-based and best practice therapeutic techniques and interventions. Knowledge of the principles and techniques in recreation therapy assessment and the treatment of recreation, leisure, and biopsychosocial functional deficits. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-7 to GS-11. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G60 Preferred Experience: 200 Hour Yoga Certified and Tai Chi Certified Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

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 CW Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 10000 Bay Pines Boulevard Bay Pines, FL 33744 US
• Name: Anthony Jenkins
• Phone: 5618750885
• Email: [email protected]