Occupational Therapist Clinical Specialist - Certified Hand Therapist

The Orlando VA Healthcare is a Level 1A complexity system that covers approximately 140,000 veterans in East Central Florida. The incumbent is part of the Rehabilitation section of the Anesthesiology Service composed of Physical and Occupational Therapy.

The incumbent will directly report to a Section Chief or Occupational Therapy Supervisor. The Occupational Therapist (OT) Clinical Specialist is responsible for growing the Hand Therapy Program and forging a strong relationship with hand and Plastic Surgeon's. Since the OT Specialist is considered the subject matter expert within the organization, he/she is expected to provide education and guidance to the Rehabilitation Supervisors, PT/OT staff, and other medical center providers. The incumbent will mainly evaluate/treat veterans in the outpatient setting. There will be occasions when the Hand Specialist would need to perform therapy off site assisting with splinting and evaluation needs. A Section Chief or OT Supervisor may also required the specialist to cover other Outpatient Clinics, inpatient and the Community Living Center (CLC) to address specific OT hand therapy needs. The OT Clinical Specialist is also responsible for the supervision of assigned OT residents/fellows, students, and volunteers that rotate through the outpatient area. Given this person is the subject matter expert in the hand therapy, it is expected that they participate in an OT Residency/Fellowship programs as either a Mentor or Educator. They will also be responsible for OT students as a clinical instructor as determined by his/her supervisor. The incumbent should be a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) and will be responsible for an OT Residency or Fellowship Program should be one be approved for the Orlando VAHCS.

Duties but not limited to:

• The incumbent will be responsible for handling all Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation referrals for therapy as well as teaching therapists at other sites the nuances of referring care for this population.
• The OT clinical specialist plans, develops, coordinates, and implements Hand and Upper Extremity rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities.
• The OT Clinical Specialist for Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation assesses, plans, evaluates, and delivers care in this specialty area as a component of the Occupational Therapy Section, which usually involves multiple disciplines.
• Creates a plan of care and refers treatment to an Occupational Therapist Assistant when appropriate.
• Works closely with an interdisciplinary team in the planning and implementation of the patient's treatment program.
• Assessing or providing client care, the therapist considers the age of the client as it relates to the ability to understand directions, provide objective self-assessments, or any other medical milieu appropriate to the overall treatment plan.
• Recognizes contraindications and appropriateness of treatment prescribed by the primary provider and consults with provider if these are in question.
• Appropriately plans client discharge and/or need for continuing treatment and terminates treatment when the client reaches maximum benefit.
• Documents all treatment, progress, education, counseling and training in the patient's medical record. Documentation Is completed per station policies for content and timeliness.
• Develops, and implements comprehensive, complex treatment programs for individual patients or groups of patients to relieve pain, restore or enhance performance, and maximize ability to function independently as possible.
• Address psychological factors (thoughts, behavior, emotions) and social aspects of human performance as they influence mental health and participation in everyday activities.
• The therapist independently develops and implements individualized occupational therapy treatment programs and/or group treatments for all patients referred for consultation.
• Occupational Therapist performs assessments, evaluations, and treatments for the prevention of physical disability, movement dysfunction, and pain resulting from injury, disease and/or disability.
• The incumbent will serve as the primary mentor and co-coordinator of the Orlando VAHCS Hand & Upper Extremity Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program that is currently in the development phase.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Tour may be modified by a Section Chief or OT Supervisor based on clinical space and/or organizational needs.
Telework: Not Available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 81650F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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 Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Education and/or Experience-Documentation Submitted
  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-Documentation Submitted. Candidates must possess a current NBCOT certification as an OT.
• State Licensure--Documentation Submitted.. 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.
• Loss of Credential. An employee in this occupation who fails to maintain [the required state or territorial licensure and the NBCOT certification, both current and in good standing,] must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment

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 minimum of 3,000 hours of clinical practice directly in the advanced practice area. This time must be within the past five years;
• Certification in an area recognized by the AOTA;
• Completion of a fellowship/residency or advanced degree program in the advanced practice area; or
• An additional advanced degree in a related field.
• A Certified Hand Therapy (CHT) certification is preferred.

Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy across multiple areas of practice
• Ability to provide clinical guidance in the advanced practice area to other OT practitioners.
• Knowledge of advanced specialized evaluation, interventions and services to independently develop treatment strategies for area of specialization.
• Skill in developing protocols and procedures for intervention programs based on current occupational therapy theory, recent research, and practice.
• Ability to provide consultation to other health care practitioners and outside groups about occupational therapy scope of practice for area of specialization.
• Ability to implement, revise/update evidence based occupational therapy services and programming in area of specialization.

Preferred Experience: Certified Hand Therapist (CHT)


References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G14

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: Standing, walking, squatting, bending, sitting, and changing from one position to the other frequently throughout the day. Sitting at a desk and using upper extremities to reach, grasp and place papers, chars, and binders. Reaching, lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling: 1-10 pounds constantly, 10-25 frequently, and 20-50 pounds occasionally.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.