Occupational Therapist

This position is located in the Physical Rehabilitation Services Department at the Gallup Indian Medical Center, Gallup, NM. The primary purpose of the position is to provide professional occupational therapy evaluation and treatment, including advanced rehabilitation and upper-extremity services, to eligible inpatients and outpatients across the lifespan as the developmental level of a career ladder.

A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).

• Conduct comprehensive occupational therapy evaluations and provide individualized treatment to improve patients' activities of daily living, mobility, strength, coordination, cognition, endurance, and overall functional independence.
• Evaluate and treat upper-extremity, hand, wrist, and elbow conditions, including post-operative and musculoskeletal injuries, while designing, fitting, and modifying custom orthoses and recommending adaptive equipment.
• Establish individualized short- and long-term goals, determine treatment frequency and duration, monitor patient progress, modify interventions as needed, and make appropriate discharge or referral recommendations.
• Collaborate with physicians, nurses, rehabilitation staff, patients, families, and other healthcare professionals while providing education on home programs, adaptive techniques, activity modification, precautions, and safe functional progression.
• Maintain accurate clinical documentation, provide guidance to therapy staff and students, participate in quality improvement and interdisciplinary activities, maintain professional credentials and competencies, and assist with equipment, supplies, and operational needs.

IHS Selectees whose duties and responsibilities require them to work permanently, temporarily, or occasionally in an IHS healthcare facility must comply with the IHS Employee Immunization Policy related to vaccine-preventable diseases, consistent with recommendations for healthcare workers. Vaccine exemption requests may be available, as outlined in the IHS Employee Immunization Policy and facility guidance.

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

BASIC REQUIREMENT(S):
Note: Employees currently assigned to positions in this occupational series as of September 2017 will be considered tohave met the basic requirements for the position occupied.

Education: A graduate or higher level degree that included:

• An occupational therapy curriculum approved by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) or a professional accrediting organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained; and
• Completion of the clinical requirements prescribed by the school.

Note:
Applicants who have completed an approved graduate level curriculum and who subsequently completed additional graduate training in a specialized field of clinical practice designed to assure professional competence to practice in the specialty meet the requirements for GS-11. Additional information concerning specialty practice areas is available at the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) website.

Certification
For all grade levels, applicants must have passed the national examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).

In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service.

GS-11

• 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: providing occupational therapy evaluation and treatment for patients with complex physical, neurological, musculoskeletal, orthopedic, developmental, cognitive, behavioral, and post-operative conditions; developing and modifying individualized plans of care based on clinical findings and patient response; providing upper-extremity and hand therapy; designing, fabricating, fitting, and modifying custom orthoses; providing adaptive equipment recommendations and patient/family education; coordinating care with interdisciplinary healthcare teams; providing consultation and clinical guidance; and participating in quality improvement, patient safety, education, and evidence-based occupational therapy practices. OR
• 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph. D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. OR
• Combination of education and experience when combined fully meet the minimum qualifications for this position. The total percentage equals at least 100 percent to qualify for this GS-11 grade level.

GS-12

• 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: providing advanced occupational therapy services to patients with complex physical, neurological, musculoskeletal, orthopedic, developmental, cognitive, behavioral, or post-operative conditions. Independently integrating assessment findings, precautions, functional limitations, patient goals, and treatment response to develop and modify individualized plans of care; providing advanced interventions for daily function and participation; and delivering specialized hand therapy, including evaluating upper-extremity conditions and designing, fabricating, fitting, or modifying custom orthoses.

Time In Grade
Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP).

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

This position has an education requirement.
If you are substituting education for experience; You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.

Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.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/.

The Indian Health Service (IHS), National Health Service Corps (NHSC), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) have student loan repayment programs for qualifying health disciplines. This is a competitive process separate from the hiring process. Opportunities for LRP are based on agency hiring priorities and availability of funds. For additional information please visit:
For IHS - http://www.ihs.gov/loanrepayment/
For NHSC - https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/
For HRSA Nurse Corps - https://bhw.hrsa.gov/loansscholarships/nursecorps

This position meets the criteria specified in pillar number one of the five pillars of the PHS Commissioned Corps. PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps MUST apply online under the merit promotion announcement indicated above in order to receive consideration. For more information on PHS Commissioned Corps, visit the website at: https://www.usphs.gov/.

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period
ESEP appointees typically serve a two year trial period
U.S. Citizenship is required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.

You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.

Background Investigation Requirement:

This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment.

A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service.

Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.

Financial Suitability Requirement:

This position requires a review of the applicant's financial history as part of the personnel security and suitability determination. Applicants must demonstrate financial responsibility, maintain good standing with creditors, and satisfy all legal financial obligations prior to applying.

Individuals with substantial delinquent or unresolved financial obligations-including, but not limited to, delinquent federal or state tax liabilities, defaulted federal student loans, court-ordered fines or fees, or child support arrears-may be deemed unsuitable for employment with the Indian Health Service (IHS).

Prior to the appointment, candidates must present two valid forms of identification. If one of the documents is a state-issued ID or driver's license, it must be REAL ID-compliant.