Physical Therapist (HBPC)

Serves as a staff physical therapist with evaluation and treatment responsibilities in outpatient, inpatient, and acute rehabilitation despite primary focus in home setting. Communicates effectively within a multidisciplinary service to provide quality care with compassion and a commitment to excellence.

SCOPE OF ASSIGNED RESPONSIBILITIES:
A. CLINICAL:

1. Independently develops, implements, and evaluates therapeutic rehabilitation programs within the framework of HBPC or in the inpatient/outpatient setting at OGJVAMC. Considers the populations served by the medical center when assessing and validating the knowledge, skills, and ability of clients to fulfill therapy goals and interventions.
2. Assesses the goals, living skills, physical abilities, and related needs for each patient referred for in-home assessment and assessment at the facility.
3. Completes safety assessments after falls to include recommendations relevant to the Veteran's home environment, health/disease status and available resources.
4. Performs a comprehensive in-home environmental and functional assessment initially and follow-up assessments when clinically indicated or at minimum annually, that will include identifying functional deficits (Barthel Index, Katz, FIM, or other functional assessment tool), fall risk, home safety risks, assessing and planning for emergency preparedness, planning and implementing intervention using evidence based practice guidelines, and monitoring and evaluating a patient's progress, preferable in person. Performs evaluation and ongoing patient management for patients are OGJVAMC.
5. Evaluates the patient's home, on admission and annually and as clinically indicated, to identify the need for structural modification and adaptive equipment to improve the safety and accessibility of the home environment.
6. Develops a treatment plan directed toward achieving maximum level of functioning within the home, consulting with other clinicians as indicated, and developing the plan in collaboration with the patient, caregiver and other involved HBPC disciplines.
7. Implements the treatment plan by providing direct patient care; procuring necessary equipment/ adaptive devices; instructing and training the client and caregiver concerning exercises, activities of daily living, rehabilitation techniques, and equipment/adaptive devices; and recommending community referrals. Provides follow-up assessments after equipment has been provided to assure correct use and understanding of the equipment.
8. Reassess patients' levels of functioning and home environment, revising the treatment plan as indicated.
9. Evaluates the need for additional services and uses professional judgment to initiate consultation with other professionals to provide such services.
10. Evaluates the home for positional changes to promote the patient's safety and independence.
11. Participates in the HBPC Performance Improvement Program, including completing assessment and documentation required by performance measures applicable to the PT's role.
12. Is an active participant in 4 East, Community Living Center (CLC) or HBPC interdisciplinary team meetings. This involves providing up-to-date assessments and progress toward functional goals.
13. Serves as content expert in ordering complex and specialized medical equipment.
14. Practices safe home care, recognizing the potential risks associated with various home and communities and adjusts visit times to assure to personal and client safety. Provides the team with weekly visit schedule.
15. Participates in HBPC disaster and emergency planning. Incorporates plan into home therapy visits, re-enforcing the plan developed for management of disasters.
16. Shall follow all policies and procedures to ensure compliance with all applicable environmental regulations and requirements and be good stewards of the environment through pollution prevention, waste minimization and resource conservation. When applicable, shall consider environmentally preferable and recycled products in all purchasing.
17. Ability to make autonomous clinical decisions in a Direct Access environment. This includes ability to independently evaluate and treat patients who seek physical therapy services.
18. Skill in performing examinations and evaluations of individuals who have or may develop impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions related to conditions of the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and/or integumentary systems while considering the effects attributable to unique psychosocial and environmental factors.
19. Ability to interpret findings from examination and evaluation, select appropriate test and measures, and integrate findings into the physical therapy plan of care for the full range of patient populations.
20. Ability to establish a diagnosis within the scope of physical therapy and identify the appropriate rehabilitation intervention, including referral to another provider for further consultation as clinically indicated.
21. Other duties assigned

Work Schedule: Full Time Mon-Fri,08:00am- 4:30pm.
Telework: This is not a telework position.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:08579F, 08577F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Relocation/Recruitment Incentives are 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
Citizenship: Must be a citizen of the United States.
English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English.
Education and Experience: The individual must meet at least one of the requirements below:
(1) Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy AND five (5) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.
(2) Master's degree in Physical Therapy AND two (2) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.
(3) Doctorate degree in physical therapy.

NOTE: Individuals must be a graduate of a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited college or university. 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) at www.apta.org.

Licensure: Must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.

NOTE: Non-licensed PTs, who otherwise meet the basic requirements in this standard, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate PT at the GS-11 grade level under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 (a)(1)(D) for a period not-to-exceed two years from the date of employment on the condition that such PT provide care only under the supervision of a PT who is licensed.

Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment.

In addition to the Basic Requirements listed above, you must meet the requirements list for the grade levels below.

GS-11 Physical Therapist (Entry)
None beyond the basic requirements.
Education, Experience, and Licensure.

GS-12 Physical Therapist (Full Performance Level)

Education, Experience and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, hold a valid unrestricted state license and demonstrate all the KSAs below:

1. Ability to make autonomous clinical decisions in a Direct Access environment. This includes ability to independently evaluate and treat patients who seek physical therapy services.
2. Skill in performing examinations and evaluations of individuals who have or may develop impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions related to conditions of the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and/or integumentary systems while considering the effects attributable to unique psychosocial and environmental factors.
3. Ability to interpret findings from examination and evaluation, select appropriate test and measures, and integrate findings into the physical therapy plan of care for the full range of patient populations.
4. Ability to establish a diagnosis within the scope of physical therapy and identify the appropriate rehabilitation intervention, including referral to another provider for further consultation as clinically indicated.
5. Ability to determine physical therapy prognosis by incorporating examination findings with the patient's preferences in order to set clinically appropriate treatment goals, optimize outcomes and maximize functional independence.
6. Ability to independently provide clinical oversight of Physical Therapy Assistants as well as students on clinical affiliations who are in Doctoral PT Programs or PTA Programs.

Assignment: At the full performance level, PTs are responsible for independently providing assessment and treatment interventions to inpatients and outpatients received through healthcare provider referrals and patient self-referrals. Guided by differential and movement diagnoses, PTs perform examinations and evaluations of individuals who have or may develop impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions related to conditions of the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and/or integumentary systems while considering the effects attributable to unique personal and environmental factors. PTs interpret findings from examination, diagnostic studies/medical tests and, during evaluation, select appropriate clinical tests and measures, and then integrate findings into the physical therapy plan of care for the full range of patient populations. PTs establish a diagnosis within the scope of physical therapy and identify the appropriate intervention to treat and/or refer to another provider for further consultation when needed. They determine physical therapy prognosis by incorporating examination findings with the patient's preferences for meaningful level of function in order to set clinically appropriate treatment goals and optimize outcomes. Physical therapists select appropriate equipment needed to substitute for loss of function or to substitute for limited function of individuals they treat. Staff PTs at this level practice autonomously, making recommendations and referrals to other medical specialties/services as clinically indicated during ongoing assessment of patients under their care.
The staff PT may also develop and provide individualized clinical training experiences for physical therapy students in facilities with established clinical experience rotations. PTs at this level may be given general assignments in any/all areas where physical therapy services are deemed necessary, and/or may serve as the sole PT at a less complex facility. Individuals may perform ancillary assignments as deemed appropriate given the needs of a facility on an occasional basis, where the amount of work is not substantial (less than 25% of the duty time).

References: https://department.va.gov/employees/va-qualifications-standards/

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-12.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: This position frequently requires moderate to heavy lifting. Normally such lifting will involve, but is not limited to, assisting with transfers or gait training of the client in the physical therapy clinic.

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.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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.