The Oklahoma City VA Health Care System, Physical Medicine Rehabilitation Service, is currently recruiting for one (1) Occupational Therapist (Clinical Specialist) in Oklahoma City, OK. The incumbent serves as a core member of the VA Healthcare System interdisciplinary Caregiver Support team.

Duties

The Caregiver Support Program (CSP) Occupational Therapist position requires knowledge of the services and benefits available for caregivers from both federal, state, and private sector resources but the statute, regulations, and policy that govern the program. The incumbent must be sensitive to the issues and needs of Veterans and their families. The position is assigned to the Caregiver Support Program with primary responsibilities to provide clinical evidence-based services and interventions; provide caregiver, Veteran, and staff education on caregiver issues; engage in community outreach and resource development; continuous quality-improvement activities, and evaluation/consultation. An Occupational Therapist in this position must demonstrate the ability to apply occupational therapy knowledge, theories, and techniques to a full range of patient populations. They apply clinical skills in the following components: Sensory motor, to include sensory integration, neuromuscular and motor components. Cognitive integration and cognitive components. Psychosocial skills and psychological components. Occupational performance areas of activities of daily living (ADL), work activities, and play/leisure activities are assessed through administration of standardized and non-standardized tests. Caregiver Support Program Occupational Therapists serve as the rehabilitation therapy liaison to an interdisciplinary team in rehabilitation settings. This Occupational Therapist holds Lee Silverman Voice (LSV) BIG certification for treatment of Parkinson Disease, Designation Aging In Place Specialist, and Certified Dementia Management Practitioner. Major Duties and Responsibilities: Uses knowledge of the CSP to matrix Veteran level of functioning with the appropriate CSP services (i.e., Program of General Caregiver Support Services [PGCSS]; PCAFC; and/or Veteran entitlements and benefits) to ensure patient safety, recovery, and program stewardship and organizing delivery of care to assure continuity of care and peer accountability for practice, including access to care and discharge planning. Applies clinical knowledge/judgment to promote staff involvement in planning, decision-making, and evaluating PCAFC eligibility. Uses professional standards of care, scientific evidence, and practice to evaluate programs and/or service activities. (VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G14). Advises and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams throughout the medical center on caregiver issues. Creates educational tools, develops programs, and implements training focused on specific caregiver needs/issues. Provides education and in-service training to VAMC employees, Veterans, families, and caregivers. Provides ongoing consultation and support to colleagues regarding caregiver support. Develops and facilitates caregiver support groups (face-to-face or virtual) and educational programs. Distributes educational materials provided by VA, local, state, and national caregiver organizations. Supervises occupational therapy students and health profession trainees as assigned. Conducts caregiver and family clinical interventions to facilitate the identification of caregiver stress, psychiatric illness, emotional distress, and social needs as treatment issues. Professional judgment, including the knowledge of normal and abnormal behavior, is an inherent competency applied in daily interactions with caregivers and the Veterans they care for. Collaborates with the patient aligned care team, mental health, and geriatric primary care clinicians to provide Veteran and staff education on caregiver issues. Coordination will include hands-on support group work involvement, and training of patient aligned care team clinical social work staff in the development and facilitation of such groups. May provide outreach presentations to community partners on the VA Caregiver Support Program and services. Maintains basic knowledge of local VA medical center programs, community services and VA Central Office caregiver support initiatives. Assess functional abilities by conducting physical and cognitive assessments. This includes but is not limited to activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, supervised protection, motor and sensory functions, and cognitive perceptual function. Assessment instruments, tools, and measures include those specific to the VA Caregiver Support Program, in addition to assessment instruments, tools, and measures appropriate to the occupational therapy scope of practice. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00a - 4:00p Telework: As determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 58571-0 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. 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. 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-13 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 minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice directly in the advanced practice area. This time must be within the past five years; Certification in an area recognized by the AOTA; 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 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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. Preferred Experience: Experience with Caregiver Support Program. References: VA Handbook 5005/127 Part II, Appendix G14 This vacancy is for a GS-13 position, which is above the full performance level. Physical Requirements: The OKC VA HCS has a no-lift policy. There are lifts available throughout the hospital/CBOC if heavy lifting is required. Frequent lifting up to 35 pounds with frequent bending, stooping, pushing, pulling, overhead reaching, and getting up and down from the floor may be required during the performance of this therapy position. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, and sitting. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. In the performance of duties, the incumbent may be required to drive and/or ride in GSA-vehicles.

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 Oklahoma City VA Health Care System 921 Northeast 13th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73104 US
• Name: Travis Green
• Phone: 303-202-8679
• Email: [email protected]