Physical Therapist

The Physical Therapist position is within the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation service ( PM&R) and evaluates patients and develops and delivers functional rehabilitation plans using various assessment methods and tools. The primary focus is direct patient care across multiple clinic settings. Responsibilities cover all clinical areas (including inpatient, outpatient, CLC, and other areas as assigned) associated with the PM&R service while primarily supporting Primary Care and 4E PACT teams.

Major duties include but not limited to:

• Provides autonomous physical therapy clinical decision-making within the Reno VA's Direct Access and PACT-based outpatient care model.

• Independently evaluates and treats Veterans presenting for physical therapy across the Reno VA and its surrounding rural catchment area, including Veterans from Northern Nevada and surrounding communities.

• Partners with Veterans, families or significant others, primary care providers, and the interdisciplinary team to establish treatment goals and individualized plans of care through ongoing communication

• Adapts treatment approaches for Veterans who are medically complex, acutely ill, or experiencing significant physical, cognitive, behavioral health, or emotional impairments.

• Demonstrates advanced clinical reasoning and independent problem-solving by recognizing subtle but clinically meaningful changes in a Veteran's condition and modifying the plan of care accordingly.

• Performs and interprets specialized tests and procedures to evaluate outcomes in the Reno VA PACT population, including comprehensive multisystem assessments addressing cardiopulmonary, integumentary, neurological, lymphatic, pain, mobility, and functional systems.

• Integrates relevant laboratory findings, pulmonary function testing, imaging, electrophysiological studies, and other diagnostic information into comprehensive physical therapy evaluation and treatment planning.

• Applies knowledge of epidemiology, population health, and lifespan management to address the needs of Veterans living in Northern Nevada, including those with chronic disease, complex disability, limited access to specialty services, and transportation or geographic barriers.

• Identifies the need for and recommends referrals to other medical specialties and services based on findings obtained during evaluation and ongoing treatment.

• Recognizes early indicators of chronic disease, medical deterioration, behavioral health concerns, depression, and suicide risk, and initiates appropriate referral, consultation, screening, or follow-up.

• Applies clinical appropriateness criteria when recommending laboratory testing, imaging, electrophysiological studies, or other diagnostic procedures.

• Evaluates the need for prosthetic and orthotic devices, submits appropriate requests, and makes clinically indicated modifications to support mobility, safety, positioning, and function.

• Maintains accurate, timely, and comprehensive documentation in the electronic health record in accordance with accepted physical therapy standards, VA policy, Reno VA procedures, and Rehabilitation Service requirements.

• Participates in PACT, Rehabilitation Service, and interdisciplinary team meetings and uses verbal, written, and electronic communication to coordinate care and support clinical decision-making across the Reno VA and affiliated care settings.

• Contributes to the development, implementation, and evaluation of outpatient physical therapy services designed to meet the needs of the Reno VA's diverse and geographically dispersed Veteran population.

• Provides consultation, education, and clinical support to other disciplines and services regarding mobility, fall risk, exercise, pain, vestibular disorders, functional decline, and rehabilitation needs.

• Assists with the care of Veterans outside the primary specialty area of outpatient physical therapy when departmental needs require, while maintaining patient safety, professional standards, and scope of practice.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday (hours to be discussed with hiring manager)
Telework: Not Eligible
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
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.

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.
(4) Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign physical therapy programs meet the requirements in subparagraph 3b 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.

Licensure. Individuals 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. 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.

Loss of Credential. A PT who fails to maintain the required license must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation, if qualified, and if a placement opportunity exists.

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.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:

GS-12 Physical Therapist (Full Performance Level)(a)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:

Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities:
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 aswell as students on clinical affiliations who are in Doctoral PT Programs or PTA Programs.

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.

Physical Requirements: Pre-placement and periodic physical examinations are required for hybrid occupations to ensure workers are placed in positions where they can perform the essential functions of their job considering their physical, mental and emotional capacities, without endangering their health or the health of their co-workers. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. g. 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.

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/.

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 postbaccalaureate 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.

• 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.