The Puget Sound Health Care System is seeking an Occupational Therapist - Clinical Specialist. This position provides care to Veterans seeking self-directed, lasting changes aligned with their values. They provide interventions that promote health and wellness and enhance well-being, improve health-related outcomes, reduce likelihood of inpatient admission, and improve quality of life.

Duties

The incumbent can work in all hospital settings including, but not limited to Rehab Care Services in-patient and out-patient care settings. In all settings, the incumbent conducts interventions that lead to improved functioning, decreased probability of deterioration or admission, and enhanced quality of life. This specialist serves as the subject matter expert for Whole Health and the role that OT plays in supporting self-directed goals for our Veterans. Duties will include: Provides health coaching for Veterans in order to reduce or eliminate high-risk behaviors while increasing health ones. Conducts interventions for Veterans using one-on-one, couple, or group modalities in outpatient and inpatient settings. Conducts Whole Health Facilitated Groups; participate in MOVE, smoking cessation, diabetes management, hypertension clinics, mental health, and other inpatient and outpatient groups as appropriate. Provides follow-up care through telephone clinics or secure messaging between face-to-face appointments. Actively guides Veterans in the exploration of core elements of personal health planning through individual and group based programs. Encourages and assists Veterans with the adoption of habits that are conducive to a higher quality of life and in alignment with the Veteran's goals. Identify habits and behaviors that are harmful to quality of life and related to chronic illness. Develops treatment plans for Veterans focused on behavioral interventions based on current scientific knowledge and research that improve quality of life and reduce risk for chronic disease, or that reverse or slow progression of chronic disease. Reviews current health behaviors and develops customized treatment plans with Veterans. Schedule ongoing sessions to assess progress and assist in navigating. obstacles or challenges. Guide Veterans to learn about available support tools in the VA and the community that assist in attainment of goals. Coordinates care with Veterans' treatment providers, both primary and specialty care, to ensure identified goals are consistent with best practices for treatment and management of chronic illness. Utilizes motivational interviewing and health coaching techniques and processes, learned through prerequisite health coach training, to assist members in developing a realistic plan to accomplish their goals. Fosters an environment of individual responsibility to maximize each Veteran's ability to adhere to a lifestyle management plan. Works collaboratively within a team setting to provide positive outcomes for participants, peers and overall operations. Maintains education and knowledge regarding lifestyle (habits and behaviors) and clinical outcomes, including behaviors that improve Veterans' health and well-being and those related to poor clinical outcomes. Coordinates with others on the Veteran's healthcare team to ensure optimal patient care. Provides eligible Veterans and family member with information regarding lifestyle management including weight management, nutrition, exercise/fitness, smoking cessation, stress management, diabetes, pain management, and other appropriate conditions that are in line with the personalized health plan developed between the health care team and the patient, and in coordination with programs providing specific services when applicable, e.g., MOVE! for weight management or smoking cessation classes if Veteran is enrolled in these programs. Uses VISTA, CPRS, Microsoft office software, Intranet and Internet and other applicable software to track and support patient progress. Communicate proactively and effectively with Veterans, peers and supervisors. Completes all patient care documentation in accordance with rehabilitation policy. Evaluates patient's needs for assistive devices, and adaptive appliances, recommends adjustments for prosthetic/orthotic devices and makes minor adjustments to obtain maximal functional benefits. May fabricate orthotic devices and may make modifications on a wide range of orthoses. Uses outcome measures to document patient's progress towards established goals, modify interventions and plan of care, and for discharge planning. Engages in outcomes data collection and analysis, peer review, performance improvement and patient satisfaction surveys. Communicates readily with the multidisciplinary treatment team, advising the team of patient's needs and progress, exchanging discharge planning information; this communication occurs through team meetings, ward rounds, written reports and informal communication, such as personal and telephone conversations. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30-4:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 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. English Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Education: 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. 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. 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): Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the GS-13 grade held including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of this occupation. Employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: They may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. If an OT who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee will lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. OTs initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. OTs who are 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. Grade Determinations: Occupational Therapist Clinical Specialist, 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; OR Certification in an area recognized by the AOTA; OR Completion of a fellowship/residency or advanced degree program in the advanced practice area; OR An additional advanced degree in a related field. Demonstrated 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/127 PART II APPENDIX G14 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. 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 VA Puget Sound Health Care System 1660 South Columbian Way Seattle, WA 98108 US
• Name: Osha Stevenson
• Email: [email protected]