The Minneapolis VA Medical Center is recruiting an Occupational Therapist, Assistive Technology Clinical Specialist. The incumbent applies knowledge in assistive technology in conjunction with knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy theory, practice skills, and techniques, inclusive of cognition, psychological sequelae, physical and environmental contexts, and implications of medical conditions on daily function.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when itis not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a)). b. Education and/or Experience. 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. c. 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. d. Certification. Candidates must possess a current NBCOT certification as an OT. e. 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. Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of this occupation. Employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: They may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. If an OT who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee will lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. OTs initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. OTs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. English Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Occupational Therapist (Clinical Specialist), GS-13 Education, Experience, and Licensure. Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level and directly related to the position being filled and one of the following: (a) A minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice directly in the advanced practice area. This time must be within the past five years; (b) Certification in an area recognized by the AOTA; (c) Completion of a fellowship/residency or advanced degree program in the advanced practice area; or (d) An additional advanced degree in a related field. Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy across multiple areas of practice. (b) Ability to provide clinical guidance in the advanced practice area to other OT practitioners. (c) Knowledge of advanced specialized evaluation, interventions and services to independently develop treatment strategies for area of specialization.(d) Skill in developing protocols and procedures for intervention programs based on current occupational therapy theory, recent research, and practice.(e) Ability to provide consultation to other health care practitioners and outside groups about occupational therapy scope of practice for area of specialization.(f) Ability to implement, revise/update evidence based occupational therapy services and programming in area of specialization. Preferred Experience: Certification in one or more area related to the provision of clinical care implementing assistive technology such as Assistive Technology Provider (ATP) through Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) or Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist (CDRS). 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: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience in your resume may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA in your application package.
Significant duties include, but are not limited to: Seeks out information regarding populations served and utilizes information in evaluation and treatment of patients. Incorporates the occupational profile for the OT treatment of patients across multiple ages and diagnoses. Incorporates clinical practice guidelines and function-based activities to advance assistive technology, specifically seating and positioning knowledge and skills. Interprets and incorporates current research and practice standards to inform evidence - based practice with specific focus in seating and positioning. Independently selects and administers standardized and non-standardized assessments including a wide range of psychosocial, cognitive, and physical assessments appropriate for patient population. Documents comprehensive evaluations, progress, and discharge of patient's physical, occupational, cognitive, and psychosocial functional deficits to inform and develop appropriate OT treatment plans and discharge recommendations. Independently makes changes in treatment plans, methods and modalities based on patient response to treatment, communication with treatment team members, feedback from family members and the patient's goals. Professional competency is maintained through documented continuing education and training activities. Local and national VA educational expectations including but not limited to the Annual Mandatory Reviews (AMR's) are completed in a timely manner. Minnesota State License to practice OT is maintained as a condition of employment. A minimum of 2 competencies is completed annually. Competencies are completed on all new equipment prior to using it with patients. Stays current on professional trends; accomplished by participating in in-service training, meetings, attending lectures, reading current literature, attending professional meetings in community and within the VA system, and individual continuing educational pursuits. Occupational Therapy is advanced through participation in orientations, lectures and in- service presentations for Medical Center employees, volunteers, visitors, affiliated schools and community and supervision of OT students. Completes accurate and timely documentation that follows department and professional standards of patient services including evaluation, progress, discharge, patient contacts, and patient educations. Timely and accurate selection and application of the correct reimbursement codes and workload entry as supported by documentation. Maintains department and professional knowledge of coding and workload entry. Periodically conducts or participates in quality assurance utilization reviews regarding patient treatment and departmental issues. Remains current in knowledge of new and current DME, advocating for updated equipment as new products become available. Maintains competency in all department and facility safety trainings; additional trainings as required by incumbents assigned program. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized