The purpose of the position is to perform Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialist duties at the Spokane VA Medical Center. The position provides outpatient services in blind/low vision rehabilitation, orientation and mobility, communication and daily living, low vision therapy, technology and computer access and manual skills.

Duties

Serves as a subject matter expert in the blind/vision rehabilitation field, acts as a consultant, and independently develops focused, complex treatment plans for Veteran patients. Coordinates, motivates and effectively manages staff and committee members to include organizing work, setting priorities and delegating tasks and responsibilities. Develops and maintains effective interpersonal and working relationships with patients, employees, team leaders, managers, key medical center staff and community agencies. Develops needed community support and disseminates appropriate information through various media to ensure that program goals are achieved. Develops short term and long range goals, and plan for future utilization of resources to manage all enrolled Veterans with legal blindness, excess disability, and/or low vision. Is responsible for identifying beneficiaries who have blind or low vision rehab training potential. Consults with the Visual Impairment Services Team, the eye clinic, blind rehab centers and community resources to locate potential clients. Is responsible for the blind and low vision rehab training, assessment and consultation. Prioritizes rehab training activities so as to maximize Veterans served, consistent with quality care and safety. Rehab training will be designed to minimize the length of stay at the VHA' s inpatient blind rehab centers. Veterans on the blind rehab center waiting list or those who have post discharge needs are highest priority for outpatient treatment. Makes maximum use of outpatient clinical facilities; together with proper and judicious use of home based services as necessary. Properly assesses a wide variety of patients having diverse and multiple disabilities. Uses objective and subjective assessment tools and methods in low vision, orientation and mobility, living skills teaching, manual skills and other associated disciplines. Consults with local and regional resources for information. Selects, interprets and adapts traditional strategies in order to meet Veteran's needs. Develops an individualized rehab training plan for each Veteran with rehab potential. Recommends appropriate blind/vision rehab prosthetic devices for patients making adaptations and modifications as required. Has knowledge of teaching methods and learning principles and uses these qualities to provide instructional activities to achieve therapeutic objectives for patients who are blind and visually impaired. Employs interventions, motivational techniques and coordinates treatment with other professionals to achieve outcomes of the rehabilitation plan. Provides case management for VA outpatient blind and low vision rehab training. Functions as an independent provider of blind and low vision rehabilitation. The incumbent documents assessment, rehabilitation progress, consults, referrals, and recommendations in the computerized patient record system according to the Spokane VA Medical Center's policy. Makes use of a wide variety of complex training aids and devices for blind and low vision rehabilitation. Uses assessment tools and trains veterans on prosthetic and sensory aids to accomplish specific tasks. Provides patient counseling in psychosocial adjustment to blindness or low vision. Relies upon knowledge of the psychosocial issues associated with visual impairment to assist the veteran in achieving a greater acceptance of blindness or low vision and the rehab process. Administers a blind or low vision rehab training program creating necessary local policies, documenting workload, writing reports, outcomes, and scheduling of patients. Must be flexible in order to adjust to changing conditions in the hospital. From time-to time, irregular tours of duty are required. Will require travel in this position and will interact at veteran's homes, businesses, streets, malls, public conveyances, neighborhoods, employment sites, school campuses, rural areas, and downtown and/or rural areas. Will operate a station vehicle to perform duties. Physical demands can have potential for the patient's safety involving training in orientation and mobility, low vision, living skills and manual skills. May be exposed to a variety of weather conditions during home visits and outdoor mobility training. While there are no major demands for lifting, must be able to safeguard the Veteran from harm and respond to emergency situations involving training activities. These tasks require moderate physical exertion, dexterity, and sustained mental concentration on a regular basis. Duties require travel and the ability to operate a government vehicle for transportation between Spokane and the above areas. Work Schedule: Monday thru Thursday 7:00am-5:30pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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 Experience: The applicants must have earned: A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major field of study in blind or vision rehabilitation, or a closely related program in rehabilitation, special education, family and consumer science education, technology, and industrial arts education; OR A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a major field of study in blind or vision rehabilitation, or a closely related program in rehabilitation, special education, family and consumer science education, technology, and industrial arts education; OR A bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited college or university (without a major field of study as outlined in above and obtained a certificate from an accredited college or university in the core curriculum in orientation and mobility, vision rehabilitation therapy, assistive technology for blind and visually impaired individuals, or low vision therapy. This education must have included supervised practice; and completion of one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the BRS, GS-9 grade level; OR Three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a doctoral degree in blind rehabilitation or a directly related field. NOTE: Foreign graduates must have proof of a minimum of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (or foreign equivalent, as verified through an independent credential evaluation company), with a specialization in blind rehabilitation. Certification (Required at all levels): Applicants must possess at least one active, current, full, and unrestricted certification to be eligible for appointment. An applicant who has, or ever had his/her certification suspended, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in Chapter 3, Section B, Paragraph 16 of this part. An applicant who has or has ever had a certification revoked or terminated for cause, or voluntarily relinquished such certification after being notified in writing by the State of potential revocation or termination for cause, is ineligible for employment and must be removed. This applies even if the applicant possesses one or more valid certifications or registration (38 U.S.C. § 7402(f)). NOTE: The Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP) administers four (4) certification programs: Low Vision Therapy, Orientation, and Mobility, Certified Assistive Technology Instructions Specialist and Vision Rehabilitation Therapy. They may then use the designation for the certification they hold (as listed in subparagraph below: BROS who provide the following services must obtain and maintain one certification at the GS-11 grade level and two certifications at the GS-12 grade level granted by ACVREP as follows: Orientation and mobility training - Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS®). Communication and daily living therapy - Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (CVRT®). Low vision therapy - Certified Low Vision Therapists (CLVT®). Assistive technology - Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist (CATIS®). Loss of Credential: Once certified, a BROS must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent certification(s) to remain qualified for employment. Loss of certification(s) will result in removal from the BROS occupation and may result in termination of employment. 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-11. Experience: None beyond the basic requirements. Certification: Candidates must meet the certification requirements in subparagraph above (at least one certification from ACVREP) **In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge and understanding of highly specialized complex evaluations and diagnostic tests and procedures of blind/vision rehabilitation. Ability to properly assess a wide variety of patients having diverse and multiple disabilities to make recommendations for blind/vision rehabilitation therapeutic interventions. Skill in development and writing of a blind/vision rehabilitation plan that includes evaluation information from multiple disciplines with observable, measurable goals and that identifies specific outcomes. Knowledge of teaching methods and learning principles. Ability to employ interventions, unusual motivational techniques, and coordinate treatment with other professionals to achieve outcomes of the rehabilitation plan. Skill in recommending appropriate blind/vision rehabilitation prosthetic devices for patients within scope of practice, making adaptations and modifications as required. Ability to plan, direct, and distribute work assignments to volunteers, assistants, interns, and/or BRSs at lower grade levels and perform assigned mentoring duties for staff, students, and interns. GS-12. (Full Performance Level) Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, completion of a minimum of 1 year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level is required. Certification: Candidates must meet the certification requirements in subparagraph above. BROS at the GS-12 grade level must achieve two ACVREP certifications to demonstrate full mastery in two areas of blind rehabilitation. **In addition to meeting the KSAs at the GS-11 grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill to independently develop, plan, and administer complex treatment programs. Ability to act as a subject matter expert in the blind/vision rehabilitation field, and as consultant, supervisor, and/or mentor in evaluating and treating patients in specialty or program areas. Ability to coordinate, motivate, and effectively manage staff and/or committee members to include organizing work, setting priorities, and delegating tasks and responsibilities. Ability to disseminate appropriate information through various media as a consultant or mentor. Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with patients, employees, other team leaders, managers, and other stakeholders. Ability to identify team group dynamics, objectively observe, and modify behaviors. Ability to apply decision-making principles to adjust programs on a day-to-day basis, to develop short[-]term and long-range goals, and to plan for future utilization of resources. References: VA Handbook 5005/110 Part II Appendix G42 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-12. Physical Requirements: Lifting (15-45 pounds or over), carrying (15-45 pounds or over), reaching above shoulders, use of fingers, walking (5-10 hours) and standing (5-10 hours). Environmental factors include: outside and inside, excessive heat and cold, excessive dampness or chilling, working around moving objects or vehicles, working closely with others and working alone.

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 Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 4815 North Assembly Street Spokane, WA 99205 US
• Name: Jovita Murphy
• Phone: 253-583-3850
• Email: [email protected]