Occupational Therapy Assistant (Mobility Clinical Specialist)

Occupational Therapy Assistant

This position is located in the Occupational Therapy Department of the Rehabilitation Care Service (RCS) line in the VA Puget Sound Health Care System. This position serves as the subject matter expert in powered mobility and acts as a consultant to OT staff and other medical center staff in treating veterans with disabilities.

Functions

Serve as a Senior OTA and subject matter expert in the area of Powered Mobility

Serve as Clinical Educator (CE) for OTA students

Provide instruction/training to other interdisciplinary staff members concerning the role of occupational therapy in the outpatient, inpatient, and/or long-term care environment and specialized techniques of evaluating the medically complex geriatric patient

Apply advance practice skills to treat patients with complex diagnoses

Provide documentation of continuing education, which would support knowledge and skills well beyond entry level

Establishes and maintains contact with other key staff involved in patient care via written, telephone, and personal communication on regular basis at VA Medical Center and VISN level

Receives and interprets requests or instructions for procedures from the OT or physician

Plans and implements specialized treatment programs and applies occupational therapy procedures to patients under the general supervision of an OT

Completes a preliminary review/examination of patient data (including medical history), compiles and organizes pertinent information, and develops/presents a patient profile to be used in assessing patient's status

Assists with or renders a course of treatment based on the assessed needs of the patient, developing progressive types of occupational therapy treatment programs

Assists therapist in development of a comprehensive specialized treatment plan

Persuades and motivates Veterans and family members to participate in treatment plans and comply with indicated regimens and post-discharge activities

Interacts with the patient and family regarding goals for treatment

Monitors and records patient condition during treatment

Utilizes the full range of therapy modalities

Instructs, motivates and assists patients to learn activities of daily living and improve functional activities

Prepares and maintains appropriate equipment and supplies required for these treatments

Varies procedures or positions to adjust for Veterans' medical conditions

Modifies intervention environment, tools, materials, and activities in response to each veteran's response to treatment

Prepares and presents written and oral reports for the physician, physiatrist, nursing staff, fellow therapists and all other professionals concerned with the patient's care

Participates in family and multidisciplinary team meetings to identify patient's needs, report on patient's goals and progress and to assist in planning patient's treatment program

Maintains a safe work environment

Maintains a high level of competence through participation in continuing education programs

Assists with the supervision and training of student OT Assistants, volunteers, work students and other healthcare practitioners

Seeks advanced Powered Mobility/seating and positioning trainings and certifications, to provide excellent, evidenced-based treatment approaches

Performs documentation in accordance with service and medical center policies in a timely manner

Maintains appropriate timeline demands for services and communicates through spreadsheet for tracking equipment orders

Schedules appointments for assigned patients as needed

Performs other tasks as assigned by the Supervisor, Occupational Therapy Section, and the Rehabilitation Program Coordinator

Participates in the performance improvement activities for the service

Demonstrates advanced knowledge of electronic documentation and computer skills

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.

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.

Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.

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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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:. OTA candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

Education: Individuals must meet at least one of the requirements below:

Associate's [or higher] degree in occupational therapy from a college or university accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

Completion of a military training program in an OTA program accredited by the ACOTE.

Certification: OTAs must have written documentation that they have passed the entry-level certification examination for OTAs administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).

Licensure: OTAs must hold a full, current, and unrestricted state license to practice occupational therapy in a State, Territory, a Commonwealth of the United States (i.e. Puerto Rico) or in the District of Columbia.

Loss of Credential: Management officials, in collaboration with Human Resource (HR) Office staff must remove employees in this occupation who fail to maintain the required state or territorial licensure and the NBCOT certification, both current and in good standing, which may result in termination of employment.

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:

Occupational Therapy Assistant, GS-09: Education and Experience: One year of creditable experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position being filled. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate one of the following: A minimum of 2000 hours of clinical practice directly in the specialty area and completion of 60 contact hours of continuing education directly related to the specialty area. This time must be within the past five years; or Certification in specialty area; or An additional academic degree related to the healthcare mission.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Skill in the utilization of delegated assessment tools to assist in developing individualized treatment plan related to specialty area.

Skill in developing protocols and procedures for specialized intervention techniques and programs.

Ability to independently implement treatment plan using specialty skills and complex techniques.

Ability to provide complex evidence-based interventions related to clinical specialty.

Ability to provide consultation and mentoring to other healthcare practitioners and stakeholders in area of specialty.

Assignment:

For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

Employees at this grade level serve as advanced OTAs with additional education and experience for treatment of patients with multiple comorbidities and diagnoses.

Advanced OTAs apply advance practice skills to treat patients with complex diagnoses, including independently choosing personalized seating and positioning, creating and fabricating adaptive devices, etc.

Advanced OTAs possess a higher-level of clinical competence and serve as a consultant to other OTAs.

They serve as subject matter experts in comprehensive rehabilitation programs such as, but not limited to, assistive technology, driving and community mobility, environmental modification, low vision, safe patient handling, research, neurology (e.g., brain injury, spinal cord injury), geriatrics and mental health.

Advanced OTAs may participate in clinical research/outcomes studies, applying related interventions, testing new products/techniques and protocol and program development.

They mentor