Physical Therapist (Clinical Specialist)

This position is in the Physical Therapy section of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service at VA Palo Alto Health Care System and covers throughout the Health Care System including all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Physical Therapy Section. As a clinical specialist for Assistive Technology, the incumbent will serve as subject matter and workflow expert within the Assistive Technology sections.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30AM-4:30PM
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 11662-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
VA Careers - Physical Therapy: https://youtube.com/embed/Gi2hoFqIoqY

Duties include, but are not limited to:

CLINICAL

• Perform examinations and evaluations to patients who have or may develop impairments, activity limitations, and participations 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.
• Selects appropriate equipment needed to substitute for loss of function or to substitute for limited function of individuals.
• Works with treatment team members and other health care providers in coordinating the patient's total care.
• Perform general assignments in any/all areas where physical therapy services are deemed necessary.
• Provides clinical practice guidance for other staff and assist with program solving. Assists PT's in determining treatment options for complex patients with multiple conditions.

EDUCATIONAL

• Performs educational duties consistent with expertise in the acute care setting, including leading, organizing, and performing teaching, lectures and/or in-services for the Physical Therapy and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service as appropriate.
• Serves as clinical mentor and support for Physical Therapy Residents rotating through clinical specialty area.
• Enhances own professional growth by attending seminars, workshops, lectures, and in-services meetings, especially in the specialty field.

ADMINISTRATIVE

• Ensures proper supply levels are maintained for patient treatment.
• Maintains and submits statistics and other required reports in a timely manner.
• Obtain assistance from supervisors or managers on problems that arise.
• Serves as primary point of contact between the acute care Physical Therapy section and other intradisciplinary team members.
• Serves as primary driver and developer of Assistive Technology related programs, responsible for creating programmatic frameworks, utilizing staff/administrative support and reporting results and outcomes to rehabilitation leadership.

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:
• Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy AND five (5) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.
• Master's degree in Physical Therapy AND two (2) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.
• 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.

Foreign Graduates: Graduates of foreign physical therapy programs meet the Education and Experience 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.

Licensure: 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.

Creditable Experience: Knowledge of Contemporary Professional Physical Therapy Practice. To be creditable, a candidate must have demonstrated possession of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the scope of physical therapy practice. The candidate's experience may be evidenced by one or more of the following:

(a) Active professional practice. Active professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a professional PT as defined by APTA or the appropriate licensing board. Experience gained after graduation but prior to licensure is creditable provided the candidate was utilized as a graduate PT and subsequently passed the licensure examination.
(b) Completion of a post-graduate fellowship or a post-graduate residency program may be substituted for creditable experience on a year for year basis.

Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it was post degree experience as a professional PT and is directly related to the duties to be performed. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to or exceeding the professional PT experience at the next lower grade level.

Grandfathering Provision: 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).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.

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: (require supporting documentation)
  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 KSAs.

• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • Advanced knowledge and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in a specialized treatment area of physical therapy.
  • 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.
  • Ability to teach and mentor medical center staff in a specialized content area of physical therapy.
  • Ability to guide the work of a multi-disciplinary team in a specialized content area of physical therapy.
  • Advanced knowledge and expert skill to perform and interpret specialized procedures and tests in evaluating the treatment outcomes in the assigned specialty content area.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is 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 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.