The Occupational Therapist/Blind Rehabilitation Specialist position is located in the SWBRC which provides care and services to enhance the quality of life for individuals with vision loss through the participation in a comprehensive and individualized rehabilitation program so they may successfully reintegrate into their community and family environments. SWBRC provides comprehensive blind rehabilitation for visually impaired Veterans and Service Members from across the VHA system of care.

Duties

Major duties Include but not limited to: CLINICAL Occupational Therapy (OT) - Possesses knowledge of advanced occupational therapy techniques to perform functions associated within the occupational therapy scope of practice. - In the role as BRS OT, has primary responsibility for planning, revising, and 3 implementing treatment programs based upon initial and interim evaluations, including the patient and blind rehabilitation (BR) treatment team in the process. - Demonstrates knowledge of principles and techniques in the occupational therapy assessment and treatment of individuals consistent with current clinical standards based on OT theory and evidenced based practice, inclusive of the individual's occupational, cognitive, and psychological functional deficits. - Communicates and collaborates with the patients, family members, caregivers, interdisciplinary professionals, and other internal/external stakeholders both orally and in writing. - Able to use critical analysis, clinical reasoning, and evaluation findings to develop and coordinate intervention plans for patients, including developing goals and methods to achieve stated goals. - Adapts assessment tools and treatments to the complexity of the diagnosis or disabilities and demonstrates the clinical reasoning necessary to identify the need for further in-depth specific assessment of function and utilization of non-standard methods and techniques. - Monitors the patient's response to interventions, modifies treatment plan, and reevaluates as indicated to meet short-term and long-term goals. - Provides appropriate devices for activities of daily living and upper extremity support and can fabricate, adjust, adapt, and modify orthoses, splints, and adaptive equipment or other durable medical equipment for activities of daily living to meet the needs of patients. - Provides instruction and training to patient and/or caregiver on all equipment or assistive devices issued. - Provides consultation, as needed, to peers and other staff responsible for the care of assigned patients. Blind Rehabilitation Specialist (BRS) - Possesses knowledge of blind rehabilitation (BR) assessment, evaluation, treatment for Veteran/Service Members with visual impairment to utilize adaptive skills and techniques necessary to cope with the demands of everyday life. - Functions as a full member of one of the BR teams responsible for the total 4 rehabilitation process including assessing needs and identifying Veteran- specific goals, development of individualized treatment plan, implementation of that plan, counseling, and recommending prosthetic and adaptive equipment to best meet the Veteran' s training goals. - Provides direct patient care and support services to an adult population of Veterans which is characterized by a very significant number of older male Veterans. Review of demographic data discloses that the average age of the SWBRC Veteran is 72 years with a distribution of 94% male and 6% female. - This work involves evaluating and assessing needs, capabilities and limitations, goal setting and prescribing a treatment plan for individuals experiencing blindness/visual impairment caused by injury or disease. - The BRS works as part of the inpatient rehabilitation team coordinating care for blind and visually impaired Veterans. The Specialist may serve as Facilitator for one or more assigned Veterans throughout the Veteran's program. As a Facilitator, the specialist is responsible for developing and coordinating the Veteran's Individualized Treatment Plan with input from the Veteran and all team members. - The BRS maintains close communication with all other members of the interdisciplinary SWBRC staff, including optometry, psychology, social work, recreation, and nursing, to ensure the needs and goals of the Veteran are being met. - The BRS is responsible for using and maintaining discipline-specific technology necessary to assist in the Veteran's rehabilitation needs and processes such as electronic travel aids, speech output and input devices, large print devices, etc. Optical devices prescribed by an SWBRC eye care specialist are incorporated into the Veteran's individualized treatment plan. - The BRS also works with family members and/or significant others to educate and counsel about the ramifications of visual impairment. Family members are taught to recognize and change behaviors and behavior patterns that impede blind and vision rehabilitation progress and how to cope with the psychological and social problems and their own individual stress. - The BRS maintains awareness of new technological developments in the field through research and education. Serves as a SME for other medical and allied health staff by providing counseling to healthcare providers and professionals on the nature of visual impairment and blind and vision rehabilitation. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0730-1600 Telework: Not Available Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

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: proficient in spoken and written English. Note: To be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., Chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in Veterans Health Administration (VHA), applicants must be proficient in written and spoken English. Education: Graduated from a degree program in occupational therapy approved by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) or predecessor organizations to include an internship (supervised fieldwork experience required by the educational institution). The ACOTE is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Certification: Possess written documentation that you passed the entry-level Certification Examination for Occupational Therapist, which is administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Licensure: possess a full, current, and unrestricted state license, certification, or registration or trademark to practice occupational therapy in a State, Territory, a Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or in the District of Columbia and understand that I must maintain full, current and unrestricted license, trademark, registration, or certification as required by state statute. Grade Determinations: Occupational Therapist, GS-0631 GS-12: 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. 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. Creditable Experience. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current professional occupational therapy practice. Creditable experience can be obtained through employment as an OT. Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is post-graduate experience as a professional OT directly related to the duties to be performed. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to professional occupational therapy experience at the next lower level. References: VA Handbook 5005/127, Part II, Appendix G14, Occupational Therapist Qualification Standard, GS-0631, Veterans Health Administration. Physical Requirements: This position frequently requires minimal (under 15 lbs.) to moderate lifting (15-45 lbs.) Normally such lifting will involve but not be limited to assisting with transfers or gait training of the client in the physical therapy session. Must be able to walk (up to 8 hours); Stand (up to 8 hours); and tolerate repeated bending. The environment usually involves everyday risks of discomfort which requires safety precautions typical of hospital, offices, and meeting rooms. There is the occasional risk of physical harm from a violent client which may require special precaution and training. Special precautions are required regarding infectious diseases through client contact and airborne organisms.

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 Tucson VA Medical Center 3601 South Sixth Avenue Tucson, AZ 85723 US
• Name: Kimberly Ross
• Phone: 858-665-1906
• Email: [email protected]