Occupational Therapist Clinical Specialist

Truman VA Medical Center is committed to Diversity and Inclusion. Together, we strive to create and maintain a working and learning environment that promotes professional growth and teamwork. We offer an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment where we celebrate our individual differences and unite as a team toward a common goal of providing outstanding service to our Nation's Veterans.Qualifications: 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: OTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook Part II, chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3j.
• Education: Graduation from a degree program in occupational therapy approved by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) or predecessor organizations to include an internship (supervised fieldwork experience required by the educational institution). The ACOTE is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Degree programs may be verified by contacting the American Occupational Therapy Association website or at their office address: American Occupational Therapy Association, P.O, Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220.
  NOTE: Foreign graduates of occupational therapy programs meet the requirements subparagraph 2b(1) if they have a current, full, active and unrestricted license/certification/registration/trademark referred to in subparagraph 2d and certification/registration referred to in subparagraph 2c.
• Certification/Examination: Possession of written documentation that the individual has passed the entry-level certification examination for OTs which is administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
• State Licensure/Certification/Registration/Trademark: OT must hold a full, current, and unrestricted state license, certification, or registration or trademark to practice occupational therapy in a State, Territory, a Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or in the District of Columbia

Preferred Experience: Five years of experience and ATP Certification.
Grade Determinations:
GS-13 Occupational Therapist Clinical SpecialistCompletion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the [GS-12 grade] level and directly related to the position being filled [and one of the following:
(a) A minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice directly in the advanced practice area. This time must be within the past five years;
(b) Certification in an area recognized by the AOTA;
(c) Completion of a fellowship/residency or advanced degree program in the advanced practice area; or
(d) An additional advanced degree in a related field.]
In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy across multiple areas of practice.
(b) [Ability to provide clinical guidance in the advanced practice area to other OT practitioners.
(c) Knowledge of advanced specialized evaluation, interventions and services to independently develop treatment strategies for area of specialization.
(d) Skill in developing protocols and procedures for intervention programs based on current occupational therapy theory, recent research, and practice. (e) Ability to provide consultation to other health care practitioners and outside groups about occupational therapy scope of practice for area of specialization.
(f) Ability to implement, revise/update evidence based occupational therapy services and programming in area of specialization.]
References: References: VA Handbook 5005/127 PART II APPENDIX G14, December 13, 2019 Occupational Therapist Qualification Standards.
Physical Requirements: Position requires heavy lifting (45 pounds and over); heavy carrying (45 pounds and over); pulling hand over hand (4 hours); pushing (4 hours); reaching over shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking (6 hours); standing (6 hours); kneeling (5 hours); repeating bending (5 hours); climbing, use of legs and arms; both legs required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; good vision; hearing (aid permitted); mental and emotional stability required.Education: IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.Employment Type: FULL_TIME