The Dayton, Ohio Veterans Affairs Medical Center is recruiting for a well-qualified Physical Therapy Assistant, within the Physical Therapy Department of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service. The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the medical center, including all clinical and patient care areas involved with the service.

Duties

STRIDE is a supervised walking program aimed to increase mobility for older Veterans. Immobility during hospitalization can result in negative physical effects such as deconditioning, weakness, and reduced muscle mass. The STRIDE supervised walking program can help to reduce these negative effects and also reduce length of stay. The Dayton VA will be implementing this program in our acute care units through VHA funding. This position would also help to cover traditional inpatient therapy needs. Duties include, but are not limited to: demonstrating an understanding of the therapy treatment plan. implementing the therapy treatment plan under the general supervision of a Physical Therapist (PT) within the established time. progressing patient toward realistic goals, recommending modification of the treatment plan and identifying when a patient's highest level of function has been attained and informing the PT. documenting patient progress/response to treatment and instructions/educational material provided to patient or caregiver using appropriate format within the established time period. completing work that meets quantity and quality requirements in the established time period. maintaining a state-of-the-art understanding of rehabilitation theory and practice, identifying his/her training needs and taking action to meet these needs through available training resources. demonstrating the competency to treat young adult to geriatric patients. Work Schedule: Tuesday through Saturday, 0800 to 1630 Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 91188-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not approved

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. Creditable Experience. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the current scope of PTA practice. Experience must have been gained as a licensed PTA. Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time work week. For example, an individual employed 20 hours per week, or on a half time basis, would receive one full-time work week of credit for each two weeks of service. 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. Individuals must meet at least one of the requirements below: Associate degree from an accredited community college, junior college, college or university in a physical therapy assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education; OR Graduate of foreign physical therapy assistant degree programs that meet the educational requirement and have successfully passed the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) for PTAs. OR Graduate of military physical therapy assistant programs that meet the educational requirement and have successfully passed the NPTE for PTAs. Licensure. Current, full, active and unrestricted license as a PTA in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e. Puerto Rico) of the United States, or District of Columbia. Exceptions for Non-Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant. (a) Non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the minimum qualification requirements, but who do not possess state licensure, may be appointed, pending licensure, as a graduate PTA on a full-time temporary appointment and not to exceed two years. (b) Non-licensed individuals shall only provide care under the direct supervision of a licensed PTA or PT who meets all state regulatory requirements. (c) Non-licensed individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted until licensure is obtained. (d) Temporary appointments of non-licensed PTAs may not be extended beyond two years or converted to a new temporary appointment. (e) Failure to Obtain Licensure. In all cases, non-licensed PTAs must actively pursue meeting requirements for licensure starting from the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the non-licensed PTA with the written requirements for licensure, including the time by which the license must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. Failure to obtain licensure during this time period may result in termination of employment. Loss of Credential. A PTA who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. Grandfathering Provision. All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure/ trademark/ registration/ certification. English Language Proficiency. PTA candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English. Grade Determination Physical Therapy Assistant, GS-5 Experience: None beyond the basic requirements. Physical Therapy Assistant, GS-6 Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of evidence based physical therapy practice. Ability to perform physical therapy data collection and use of objective measures in order to carry out patient plan of care. Ability to modify treatment approaches, within the scope of the established treatment plans, to reflect patients' changing needs. Skill in promoting physical therapy services by providing training and interventions within the assigned areas. Physical Therapy Assistant, GS-7 Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to perform in depth chart review to implement treatment plans. Ability to independently use objective measures to assess progress, in accordance with the plan of care for complex patient cases. Knowledge of contemporary physical therapy practice. Ability to consult with the PT to assess progress, modify treatment and set discharge plan. Physical Therapy Assistant, GS-8 Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to independently implement treatment plan using knowledge of techniques related to the patient's disability and needs. Ability to independently provide varied and multifaceted physical therapy interventions based on the established care plan (e.g., therapeutic exercise, balance, body mechanics, flexibility, strength, gait training, neuromotor development, physical agents, functional training, etc.). Knowledge of physical therapy data collection and assessment techniques in order to perform specific interventions and to monitor and capture progress of the patient/client. Ability to instruct patient on varied interventions to provide materials to enhance compliance with home programs. Ability to modify treatment techniques based on the learning needs and perceptions of the patient. Ability to identify critical changes (e.g. vital signs, pain, mobility and alertness) in patient conditions to determine their medical and functional status. Ability to work with PTs and other interdisciplinary healthcare team members to evaluate patient information for planning, modifying and coordinating treatment programs and discharge planning. Preferred Experience: Inpatient PTA experience. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-8. Physical Requirements: Work includes regular and recurring physical exertion in standing, bending, kneeling, reaching, gripping, and walking. Moderate to heavy lifting is required to assist patients and operate equipment. Sitting is required in meetings and for conducting administrative work. Work may require physical stamina, normal use of arms and legs, and good visual and auditory acuity.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Dayton VA Medical Center 4100 West Third Street Dayton, OH 45428 US
• Name: Sage Artemis
• Email: [email protected]