Physical Therapist (Clinical Specialist)

This Physical Therapist (Clinical Specialist) position is in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services (PM&RS) at the VA Boston Healthcare Systems, with duties at both Brockton campus and Plymouth CBOC. Incumbent provides Physical Therapy care in the outpatient setting. This position is a full-time position at 40 hours per week including weekend/holiday rotation at West Roxbury Acute Care.

The Physical Therapist (Clinical Specialist) serves in the Physical Therapy Department, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS), at the VA Boston Healthcare System. The incumbent practices independently under the general guidance of the Service Line Care Manager and Outpatient Physical Therapy Supervisor.

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Providing comprehensive physical therapy evaluations and treatment, particularly for patients with complex conditions.
• Applying advanced clinical knowledge and skills within the designated specialty area.
• Making autonomous clinical decisions regarding patient evaluation and treatment.
• Independently evaluating and treating patients in a Direct Access environment.

Preferred Experience:

1. Strong leadership and communication/teaching skills.
2. Preference for orthopedic and/or geriatric PT expertise.
3. Leadership skills and growth mindset with a commitment to supporting the team, department, and system.
4. High level of autonomy in advanced clinical decision making and system/process improvement.
5. Program development experience.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at Brockton, Wednesday and Friday at Plymouth. Weekend/Holiday Rotations a West Roxbury Acute Care.
Compressed/Flexible: Not authorized.
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).
Telework: Not eligible.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: F04788
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized.

NOTIFICATIONS:

• This position is in the Excepted Service.
• This position is part of the AFGE Bargaining Unit.
• Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.
• Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.
• Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.
• You may be required to travel to other Boston Campus locations.

Physical Requirements: The work involves standing, stooping, lifting (frequently greater than 50 pounds), sitting, pulling, assisting patients in transferring from various devices (bed, W/C, floor, motorized vehicles, mats etc.). Additionally, moving patient and supplies and pushing patient in their manual or motorized W/C's. Additionally, the PT is required to work at a computer workstation to complete his/her documentation of incidents involving a patient and the progress in the patient's overall PT Program.

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: 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.
• Education and Experience: Physical Therapists must meet one of the education/experience requirements below:
  • Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy AND five (5) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist; OR
  • Master's degree in Physical Therapy AND two (2) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist; OR
  • Doctorate degree in physical therapy.

• NOTE: Prior to 1995 the terminal degree for PT's was either a bachelors or master's degree. In 1995 CAPTE accredited all baccalaureate, master's, and Doctor of Physical Therapy terminal degree programs. Effective 2002, CAPTE changed its scope of accrediting activities of PT education programs to include only those programs that culminate in post-baccalaureate degrees(eliminating the baccalaureate degree). Effective 2015, professional physical therapy education programs have only offered the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree to all new students.
• 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.
• License: Individuals 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.

Grade Determinations: GS-13 Physical Therapist (Clinical Specialist)

Experience. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level and one of the following below examples of experience include, but are not limited to: independently providing assessment and treatment interventions to inpatients and outpatients received through healthcare provider referrals and patient self-referrals; 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 personal and environmental factors; interpreting findings from examination, diagnostic studies/medical tests and, during evaluation, selecting appropriate clinical tests and measures, and then integrate findings into the physical therapy plan of care for the full range of patient populations; establishing a diagnosis within the scope of physical therapy and identifying the appropriate intervention to treat and/or refer to another provider for further consultation when needed.

1. 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
2. Board Certification in the specialty area recognized by the ABPTS; or
3. Completion of a fellowship program; or
4. An additional advanced degree in a related field.

In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's):

1. Advanced knowledge and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in a specialized treatment area of physical therapy.
2. 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 .
3. Ability to teach and mentor medical center staff in a specialized content area of physical therapy.
4. Ability to guide the work of a multi-disciplinary team in a specialized content area of physical therapy.
5. Advanced knowledge and expert skill to perform and interpret specialized procedures and tests in evaluating the treatment outcomes in the assigned specialty content area.

Foreign Graduates: Graduates of foreign physical therapy programs meet the requirements if they have a full unrestricted and current license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. The Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) is a non- 4 profit organization created to assist the United States (U.S.) Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly INS) and U.S. state licensing authorities by evaluating the credentials of Foreign Educated Physical Therapists (FEPTs) who wish to immigrate and work in the U.S. Although the licensing of physical therapists in the U.S. is a right and responsibility of each jurisdiction, foreign educated individuals must undergo an educational credentials assessment for substantial equivalency to the first professional degree in the US. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) is committed to protect the public and to provide leadership within the field and practice of physical therapy. FSBPT's Foreign Educated Standards Committee has developed standards that represent "best practices" in evaluation services. The Credentials Evaluation Standards were developed with input from the physical therapy credentialing agencies that are licensed to use FSBPT's Coursework Tool.

Grandfathering Provision. All licensed PTs employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For 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:

1. Employees grandfathered into the GS-0633 occupational series as PTs may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation.
2. PTs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of this 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 this standard.
3. PTs initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard and must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
4. If PTs who are grandfathered under this provision leave the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation

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 a GS-13.

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 pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• 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.