The Occupation Therapist position is a full time position located in the Chares George VA Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina. The position requires that the therapist be proficient in providing comprehensive assessment, using standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools for inpatient acute medical/surgical, Primary Care, geriatric, outpatient and long term care/Community Living Center/Rehab populations, independently under the general supervision of Clinical Program Manager.

Duties

Duties for the Occupational Therapist includes: Independently develops and implements Occupational Therapy (OT) treatment program; using own judgment, makes changes in treatment program as medical conditions change. Implementation of treatment plans that directly affect the patients' social, economic and functional wellbeing in home and community settings. Therapist is a member of the multidisciplinary team and participates with the physician, nurses, psychologist, social worker and other disciplines in developing total treatment care plans. Acts as liaison between PM&RS, other sections (PT, KT, RT) and physician services in coordination and communication of the dysfunction/impairment rehab care plan and treatment for patients who have physical impairment with or without surgery. Appropriate selection of modalities with adequate formal training, experience and/or certification, including but not limited to: functional electrical stimulation, wheelchairs, power mobility, neuro-prosthetic devices, TENS, lymphedema management, ultrasound, iontophoresis and hot/cold modalities to reduce pain, edema, and spasticity. Appropriate selection of durable medical equipment, adaptive devices to maximize ADLs and all levels of transfer skills. Provides in-services in clinical training programs. Documentation is done in CPRS. Assessment/reassessment and progress notes should be timely and comprehensive in accordance with local policy, The Joint Commission and VISN/VHA standards. Reports to Clinical Program Manager/MDS/RAI are entered in a timely manner and supported by CPRS documentation. Provides cross coverage of clinical/administrative functions for Occupational Therapy activities in CLC, acute inpatient, bedside and clinic therapy for inpatients and outpatients as per direction of Clinical Program Manager. Utilizes FIM scoring for goal setting, reassessment, and incorporation into OT treatment/discharge plan as appropriate Participates in Occupational Therapy, PM&RS training programs. Participates in all appropriate/mandated meetings/committees in OT section and PM&RS. Development of new procedures or treatment techniques, following attendance of continuing education programs. Provides education/instruction to patient/family in Occupational Therapy program. Participates in various performance improvement (PI) activities as required in PM&RS. All members of Occupational Therapy will be trained and participate in protected peer review as stipulated in VHA Directive 2008-004 and local MCM. Applies in depth knowledge and training in FIM and RAI/MDS standards and is competent in its requirements. Therapist will keep CPR certification current. Therapist's CPRS documentation, MDS, FIM documentation should be accurate and timely and will participate in protected peer review and chart review processes. Collects, retrieves and reports data (written or oral report) to Clinical Program Manager and Chief PM&RS/designee, when requested. Knowledge of computer skills for CPRS. Knowledge of hospital mission and their role in performance improvement. Participates in PI activities in OT, PM&RS, Medical Center. Responsible for adherence to all provisions of the EEO Program, Fire and Safety codes, Infection Control, OSHA, AIS Security, and prevention of waste in accordance with OPM, VA, the Joint Commission, established Medical Center guidelines. Responsible for compliance with all mandatory educational requirements which include, but are not limited to, orientation (hospital and service wide), infection control, new equipment, CPR, blood borne pathogens, cultural diversity, hazardous materials, emergency preparedness, and quality improvement. Responsible to keep current Occupational Therapy licensure and BLS training requirements. Responds to patients, families, visitors and co-workers request for assistance in a prompt and friendly manner. Relationships with supervisors, co-workers and others within the organization are consistently courteous and cooperative in nature, contributing to the overall effectiveness of the organizational goals and customer satisfaction. Listens to and obtains feedback from patients, families and visitors contributing to the overall effectiveness of a customer driven organization. Work Schedule: Full time -Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Telework: Ad-hoc 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

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)). English 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: 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. NOTE: 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. 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. Grandfather Provision: 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-12: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. (1) 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. (2) Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) 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. (b) Ability to collaborate and communicate orally and in writing with all internal and external stakeholders. (c) 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. (d) Skill in procuring, fabricating, adjusting, adapting, and modifying orthoses, splints, and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living (inclusive of durable medical equipment). (e) Ability to conduct OT related in-service and clinical training. Preferred Experience: This position requires that the therapist be proficient in providing comprehensive assessment using standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools for geriatric, long term care/community Living Center/Rehab populations independently under the general supervision of Occupational Therapy Supervisor. This is a full time position requiring, 40 hours per week, working hours and days to be determined by clinic needs. Therapist will provide cross coverage of clinical and administrative function of Occupational Therapy as per direction of Supervision, and other duties as assigned. References: VA Handbook 5005/127, Part II, Appendix G14 Occupational Therapist Qualification Standard GS-0631, Veterans Health Administration . The full performance level of this vacancy is 12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-12. Physical Requirements: 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 Charles George VA Medical Center 1100 Tunnel Road Asheville, NC 28805 US
• Name: Hilda Cobb
• Phone: (919) 408-1864
• Email: [email protected]