Summary This position is located at the Conroe Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) serving the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. This assignment carries responsibility for providing outpatient occupational therapy services and reports to the Rehabilitation and Extended Care Line. Responsibilities If you are not a current, permanent VA employee or Federal employee from another agency, you should apply to CBST-12689678-25-JH This Occupational Therapist is responsible for the safety and effectiveness of the Occupational Therapy service delivery process for his/her patients. The Occupational Therapist is responsible for seeking the appropriate quality and frequency of supervision and/or assistance to ensure safe and effective occupational therapy service delivery. Demonstrates knowledge of occupational therapy techniques to perform the functions associated with the occupational therapy management of patients with a variety of upper extremity musculoskeletal diagnoses regardless of physical, occupational, cognitive, and psychosocial functional deficits. Is responsible for independently planning, developing, and implementing effective treatment protocols in the delivery of Occupational Therapy for patients with acute, chronic, conservative, and pre/post-op injuries/conditions of the hand and/or upper extremity ranging in age from young adult to geriatric. Patients are typically referred through Plastic Hand and Orthopedics services, and the Rehab Care Line, with additional consults from other approved providers as indicated. Demonstrates the ability to adapt assessment tools and treatment appropriately to meet the needs of patients with diverse upper extremity injuries. Demonstrates the use of 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. Exhibits the knowledge and skills necessary to practice independently and is responsible for a comprehensive assessment of functional and occupational roles using standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools. Provide direct occupational therapy interventions and procedures with varying degrees of complexity to enhance safety, wellness, and performance in ADL, instrumental IADL, education, work, play, leisure, and social participation. developmental requirements, and culturally related factors. Demonstrate a full professional understanding of the theories of treatment in occupational therapy and their proper application through the use of activity analysis. Work is typically performed in the CBOC Occupational Therapy clinic setting or in other locations as deemed necessary for the care and safety of the individual patient. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 580-00742F, 580-00743F, 580-00744F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. 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. Education and/or Experience: (1) The individual must meet at least one of the following requirements below: (a) 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 (b) 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 (c) Master's Degree or higher in occupational therapy. (2) 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. 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). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS 9: Education, Experience, or Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Assignments. [Individuals assigned at the GS-9 grade level serve as OT practitioners in a career development position progressively expanding their ability to provide assessment and treatment interventions for a wide range of human function systems. The entry level therapist has a basic foundation of OT and generally practices independently. OTs at this level typically have guidance from more experienced therapists. OTs that are not licensed must practice under the supervision of a licensed OT. GS 11: Education, Experience, and Licensure. Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at the GS-09 grade level and directly related to the position being filled. OR Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree in occupational therapy or a directly related field; OR Doctorate in occupational therapy. Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of occupational therapy practice. (b) Ability to administer/interpret evaluation findings to develop and coordinate intervention plans, including goals and methods of treatment. (c) Ability to implement intervention plans directly or in collaboration with others. (d) Skill in monitoring an individual's response to interventions and modify treatment plans and reevaluating as indicated. (e) Ability to communicate and or collaborate with patients, family members, caregivers, interdisciplinary professionals and/or other individuals verbally and in writing. (f) Knowledge of health and safety regulations to minimize risk in the provision of patient care and the environment of care. (g) Knowledge of applicable regulations governing documentation, reimbursement and workload entry in accordance with established professional practice. 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. Preferred Experience: Experience working in an outpatient setting. Specialized training in hand and shoulder rehab is a plus but not a requirement for this position. 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 12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS 09 to GS 12. Physical Requirements: a) Work requires typical physical requirements of working within a hospital facility, outpatient clinic, office, gymnasium or pool in the performance of job responsibilities. Physical exertion such as long periods of standing, or recurring and considerable crouching, bending, standing, stooping, stretching, walking or climbing/descending stairs. b) Employees frequently carry light items such as books, office supplies, instruments, occupational therapy supplies and other similar materials. Work also includes frequent lifting of moderately heavy items weighing less than 23 kilograms (i.e., under 50 pounds).c) May involve occasional exposure to conditions in facilities or hospital settings requiring safety precautions. Personal Protective Equipment may need to be worn in the course of your work day. 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/. Additional Information During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.