Occupational Therapist (Hud-Vash/Homeless)

The Occupational Therapist (OT) - (HUD-VASH/Homeless) is assigned to the HUD-VASH Program, located in Homeless Programs within the Social Work Service at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital. HUD-VASH is an intensive case management program for homeless Veterans aimed at providing psychosocial services to Veterans.
Qualifications:

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/or Experience.]
  (1) The individual must meet at least one of the following requirements below:
  (a) Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) years of experience as an Occupational Therapist;
  NOTE: The baccalaureate degree must be from an approved program prior to the AOTA January 1, 2005 decision that the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) would only accredit master or doctoral degree programs in occupational therapy.
  or
  (b) Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) full years of graduate education in a related field;

NOTE: The baccalaureate degree must be from an approved program prior to the AOTA January 1, 2005 decision that ACOTE would only accredit master or doctoral degree programs in occupational therapy.
or
(c) Master's Degree or higher in occupational therapy.
(2) Individuals must be a graduate of a degree program in occupational therapy approved by the ACOTE or predecessor organizations. This is inclusive of an internship (supervised fieldwork experience required by the educational institution). ACOTE is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. 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

• Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign occupational therapy programs meet the requirements of subparagraph [3b(2)] if they have a current, full, active and unrestricted license referred to in subparagraph [3e] of this appendix.
• Certification. Candidates must possess a current NBCOT certification as an OT.
• State Licensure. Candidates must possess a full, current, and unrestricted state license, to practice occupational therapy in a state, territory or Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or in the District of Columbia.
• English Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

Grade Determinations: Occupational Therapist, GS-12
(1) Education, Experience, and Licensure. Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at the [GS-11 grade level and directly related to the position being filled.]
(2) Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the [experience above, the candidate] must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of occupational therapy principles and techniques consistent with current clinical standards based on OT theory and evidence based practice. Knowledge is inclusive of physical, occupational, cognitive, and psychosocial functional deficits.
(b) Ability to collaborate and communicate orally and in writing with all internal and external stakeholders.
(c) Ability to use critical analysis, clinical reasoning, and creativity to independently solve complex problems related to adapting and modifying assessments, treatment plans, activities and procedures to meet the needs of patients.
(d) Skill in procuring, fabricating, adjusting, adapting, and modifying orthoses, splints, and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living (inclusive of durable medical equipment).
(e) Ability to conduct OT related in-service and clinical training.
Preferred Experience: Experience working in community based settings, or with individuals experiencing homelessness preferred.
References: VA Handbook 5005; Part II, Appendix G14
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS12.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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-13 Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.
NOTE: Current GS-0620 LPN/LVN employee of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who were converted to an appointment under 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) in implementation of Public Law 98-160, enacted November 21, 1983, or who was converted to an appointment under 38 U.S.C. 7405 in implementation of Public Law 99-576, enacted October 28, 1986 are considered to have met the Education requirement. The waiver does not apply to persons appointed under 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) or 7405 after these conversions.
Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.Employment Type: FULL_TIME