The Physical Therapist is assigned to the Physical Therapy Department within the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, within the Extended Care and Rehabilitation Service line. Primary function is to provide professional Physical Therapy services to any/all program areas that are covered by the Rehabilitation Services, including acute care, rehabilitation, long term care, home care, inpatient and outpatient settings as a treatment specialist in Wheelchair and Seating modalities. 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. Degree. Graduate from a degree program in physical therapy from an approved college or university approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). The CAPTE is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit entry-level physical therapy programs. Verification of accredited programs may be obtained from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Web site, or at their office address: American Physical Therapy Association, 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-1488, 703-684-2782, or 800-999-2782. (NOTE: Effective, January 1, 2002, CAPTE changed its scope of accrediting activities of PT education programs to include only those programs that culminate in post-baccalaureate degrees). Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign physical therapy programs meet the requirements in subparagraph 2b if they have a full unrestricted and current license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Any PT who has, or has ever had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with regulations issued by the Under Secretary for Health or designee. English Language Proficiency. Individuals appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA must be proficient in written and spoken English. See Chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Licensure: Current, full, active, and unrestricted license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Non-licensed PTs, who otherwise meet the basic requirements in this standard may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate PT not-to-exceed two years under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2). Non-licensed individuals appointed as a temporary graduate PT may not be appointed as a PT without being fully licensed. Note: A PT who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation for which he/she qualifies if a placement opportunity exists. A PT who has, or has ever had, his/her PT license revoked, suspended, denied, 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. Grandfather Provision: 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 meeting the basic requirements, the candidate must have one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level and one of the following to qualify for GS- 13 Physical Therapist. · Evidence of a minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice directly in the specialty area. This time must be between the past two and five years; or Board Certification in the specialty area recognized by the ABPTS; or Completion of a fellowship program; or An additional advanced degree in a related field. Important Note: In addition to the experience above, the candidate RESUME must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) or attach completed KSAs as separate Document to your resume: Advanced knowledge and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in a specialized treatment area of physical therapy. Ability to serve as a consultant and subject matter expert for health care providers regarding the delivery of care within a specialized content area of physical therapy (see paragraph 2i). ·Ability to teach and mentor medical center staff in a specialized content area of physical therapy. ·Ability to guide the work of a multi-disciplinary team in a specialized content area of physical therapy. ·Advanced knowledge and expert skill to perform and interpret specialized procedures and tests in evaluating the treatment outcomes in the assigned specialty content area (see Definitions, paragraph 2. i.). Preferred Experience: A minimum of two years of direct and continual clinical experience in the specialty area of wheelchair and seating evaluation and prescription is required and the incumbent must have a current Assistive Technology Practitioner (ATP) Certification through the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). 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-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.. Physical Requirements: Pre-placement and periodic physical examinations are required for hybrids occupations to ensure workers are placed in positions where they can perform the essential functions of their job considering their health or the health of their co-workers. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. ["VA St. Louis Health Care System is committed to Diversity and Inclusion. Together, we strive to create and maintain a working and learning environment that promotes professional growth and teamwork. We offer an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment where we celebrate our individual differences and unite as a team toward a common goal of providing outstanding service to our Nation's Veterans. Major Duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: Educates/orients students, nurses, and other clinical staff regarding PT in general and specifically, as it relates to Wheelchair and seating specialist mgmt. Mentors therapy staff. Reviews and updates wheelchair and seating protocols, policy, and program at the VASTLHCS. Provides evaluations and treatments for Wheelchair and Seating care. Provides a minimum of one (1) in-service education program per year to the PT department. Participates in communication with community care providers to optimize the care of veterans. Plans, implements, and reports on performance improvement activities. Serves as subject matter expert (SME) for Wheelchair and Seating modalities. Collaborates with local, and regional universities. Performs complex Physical therapy evaluation and treatment. Utilizes standardized, and non-standardized assessments, and compiles overall Occupational Health Information, concerning patient's social, physical, psychological and vocation status to determine a patient-centric treatment plan, based on current PT theory, research and practice. Assesses for and requests prosthetic/orthotic equipment as needed and can make modifications as necessary. Makes recommendations and referral to other medical specialties/services. Maintains a flexibility of schedule to allow for unscheduled patients, patient/team consultation and mentoring. Participates in regular team meetings, verbal and written communication and consultation amongst team members in order to guide and evaluate the work of the multi-disciplinary program. Assists in the care of patients other than those of the specialized area Wheelchair and Seating rehab as caseload permits, or as the needs of the department dictate. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday & Holidays (day shift to be determined) Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Physical Therapist Clinical Specialist GS-0633-13 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
