Occupational Therapist-HUD-VASH/HJCR

This position is located in the Salt Lake City Social Work Service Homeless & Justice Clinical Recovery Program and provides Occupational Therapy services in the specialty area of Home and Community Integration and services (HUD-VASH/HJCR)within the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center, A-1 facility complexity. This therapist is able to serve as consultant to occupational therapy, HJCR, and the medical center staff in this specialty area.

Occupational Therapist-HUDVASH/HJCR

• Works with an IDT team including but not limited to physicians, residents, and staff, as well as other health care specialists in matters concerning Home and Community Integration and Services (HJCR/HUD-VASH).
• Establishes treatment goals and eventual discharge plan based on evaluations, and planning with patient and significant others (when appropriate), and coordination with the multidisciplinary team.
• Develops and carries out occupational therapy plans with individuals to meet individual rehabilitation objectives.
• Implements an Home and Community Integration and Services (HUD-VASH) and/or occupational therapy treatment plan to meet individual rehabilitation objectives utilizing functional activities which have as their goal the improvement of patient's activities of daily living, strength, range of motion, sensation, perceptive and/or cognitive process.
• Provides general assessment and treatment for veterans with physical dysfunction, neurological and orthopedic diagnoses, plan and carry out rehabilitation related to therapy, direct assistant treatment, and provide discharge planning.
• Re-evaluates patient's performance and modifies treatment as indicated.
• Presents patient information to health care providers regarding outcomes of treatment, status and expectations.
• Evaluates patient's living situation through home visits in-person, VVC, patient and family interviews, or consultation with other health care professionals.
• Assists patient in solving problems associated with that environment.
• Participates regularly in multidisciplinary care planning meetings including chart rounds, family conferences, and discharge planning.
• Develops, implements, and modifies the OT treatment plan effectively and independently.
• Initiates ordering, delivery and training in the use of patient specific adaptive equipment in a timely, efficient, and accurate manner, utilizing the processes related to the procurement of prosthetic equipment.
• Carries a full patient caseload, accepting new consults.
• Documents initial evaluations, progress, and discharge planning in a timely, concise manner, per section documentation and consult management requirements.
• Reports signs and symptoms of abuse or neglect to the appropriate authority
• Maintains prosthetic equipment supplies, providing necessary documentation of equipment provided to patients and obtaining stock replacement of equipment issued.
• Completes treatment sessions according to safety procedures and Practice Act.
• Complies with hospital policies and procedures, the Commission of Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) requirements, and the Joint Commission.
• Works with other providers and/or ward staff in teaching positioning, application of orthoses and slings, and proper use of self-help devices.
• Instructs patient and family members in the proper and safe use adaptive equipment and durable medical equipment and prepares timely prosthetics requests.
• Plans and implements patient education programs and adjusts teaching method to match the patient and/or family's learning style and cognitive level.
• Serves as mentor to Interdisciplinary team and other HUD-VASH staff.
• Maintains patient schedule and attendance.
• Accurately documents an initial evaluation including short- and long-term goals; progress reports which include description of treatment provided; discharge summary which includes summary of treatment, outcome in terms of goals set, equipment provided, and education given to patient and family.
• Assists in the development of new treatment programs, techniques, or refinements of current programs.
• Participates in Occupational Therapy, HJCR/HUD-VASH, and service staff meetings.
• Maintains safe, orderly work areas and complies with appropriate use of equipment.
• Reviews hazardous materials/Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)/waste management and follows Emergency Preparedness plan
• Follows security policies/procedures.
• Complies with federal, state, and local environmental and other requirements preventing pollution, minimizing waste, and conserving cultural and natural resources.
• Demonstrates infection control practices for disease prevention (i.e. hand washing, universal precautions/isolation procedures, including TB requirement /precautions).

Work Schedule: M-F, 800am-4:30pm
Compressed schedule: Available
Telework: Ad- hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:613820,#613830,#613840
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS):Not Authorized

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.

English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Education: 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). The individual must meet at least one of the following requirements below:

• Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) years of experience as an occupational therapist;
• Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) full years of graduate education in a related field;
• Master's Degree or higher in occupational therapy.

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.

Foreign Graduates: Graduates of foreign occupational therapy programs meet the education requirements if they have a current, full, active and unrestricted license to practice occupational therapy in a state, territory or Commonwealth of the United States

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.

Exceptions for the Graduate Occupational Therapist

• OT graduates from an approved occupational therapy program [who otherwise meet the minimum qualification requirements,] but who do not possess NBCOT certification and/or state licensure, may be appointed, pending certification and/or licensure, as a graduate OT [on a full-time temporary appointment] not-to ­exceed two years under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c).
• Graduate OTs may only be appointed at the GS-9 grade level and may not be promoted/converted to the GS-11 level until licensure and/or certification is obtained. For grades levels at or above the developmental GS-11 grade level, the OT must be certified and licensed.
• A graduate OT may provide care only under the direct supervision of a licensed OT who meets all state regulatory requirements.
• Temporary graduate OT appointments may not be extended beyond two years, or converted to a new temporary appointment.

Drivers License: A valid state drivers license is required as this position may require local travel through the use of a government owned or leased motor vehicle.

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:

Occupational Therapist, GS-09
Education, Experience, or Licensure None beyond the basic requirements.

Assignments
Individuals assigned at the GS-09 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.

Occupational Therapist,GS-11
Education, Experience, or Licensure.

• Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least 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 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of occupational therapy practice.
• Ability to administer/interpret evaluation findings to develop and coordinate intervention plans, including goals and methods of treatment.
• Ability to implement intervention plans directly or in collaboration with others.
• Skill in monitoring an individual's response to interventions and modify treatment plans and reevaluating as indicated.
• Ability to communicate and or collaborate with patients, family members, caregivers, interdisciplinary professionals and/or other individuals verbally and in writing.
• Knowledge of health and safety regulations to minimize risk in the provision of patient care and the environment of care.
• Knowledge of applicable regulations governing documentation, reimbursement and workload entry in accordance with established professional practice.

Assignment
OTs at this grade level practice independently and are responsible for the assessment of functional and occupational roles using standardized tools. The OT modifies standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools. OTs select and provide direct occupational therapy interventions and procedures with routine complexity to enhance safety, wellness, performance in activities of daily living (AOL); and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), education, work, play, leisure, and social participation.

Occupational Therapist, 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.

GS12 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)In addition to the [experience above, the candidate] must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• 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.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate orally and in writing with all internal and external stakeholders.
• 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.
• Skill in procuring, fabricating, adjusting, adapting, and modifying orthoses, splints, and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living (inclusive of durable medical equipment).
• Ability to conduct OT related in-service and clinical training.

Preferred Experience: Working with individuals in their homes. Experience with working with individuals experiencing or previously having experienced homelessness.

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: Occupational Therapy is considered a vocation that requires "medium" strength according to the Department of Labor. Medium Work entails: exerting 20 - 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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/.

• 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.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.