Clarification from the agency

Open to all U.S. Citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

This position is for an Occupational Therapist (Outpatient) in the Occupational Therapy Section of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS) in the VA New Jersey Health Care System. The Occupational Therapist will have experience in orthopedic and neurological diagnoses and treatments as well as the ability to provide coverage in acute inpatient and telehealth home evaluation settings.

The Occupational Therapist is responsible for performing occupational therapy assessments and treatment interventions, demonstrates a full professional understanding of the theories of treatment in occupational therapy and their proper application using activity analysis, behavioral interventions, frames of reference, therapeutic procedures. therapeutic exercise, and physical agent modalities. Incumbent is responsible for administering and delivering professional and independent occupational therapy services in the assigned area as prescribed or requested by the physician or other approved referring clinician. At this grade, the incumbent performs at the full performance level.

The duties and responsibilities of this position may be carried out in all program areas throughout the VA New Jersey Health Care System including various clinical, administrative, and patient care areas associated with PM&RS at all campuses, as assigned by the Supervisory Occupational Therapist or their designees and dictated by workload requirements, and in the community as indicated.

Some duties include, but are not limited to:

Clinical

• Provides comprehensive assessment of functional and occupational roles, including underlying physical deficits and psychosocial challenges, using standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools across a broad range of diagnoses.
• Selects and provides direct occupational therapy interventions and procedures with varying degrees of complexity, and a wide scope of diagnoses, to enhance safety, wellness, and performance in ADL, instrumental IADL, education, work, play, leisure, and social participation.
• Using standardized and non-­standardized evaluation tools, provides comprehensive assessment of occupational roles, environmental, functional, and safety needs in the home environment to ensure accessibility into, out of, and within the home setting through virtual modalities and home visits, as appropriate, and orders necessary and appropriate durable medical equipment, stair glides, chair lifts, ramps, HISA grants, etc.
• Demonstrates knowledge and skill to measure, prescribe, and educate Veterans on the use of wheelchairs, scooters, HISA grants, ramps, hospital beds, lifts, durable medical equipment (DME), assistive devices (AD), etc.
• Educates and trains Veterans and caregivers in fall prevention, home programs, transfer techniques, safe use of DME/AD, and in efficient care for the patient in language that is clear and understandable to those involved.
• Procures, fabricates, adjusts, adapts, and modifies orthoses, splints, and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living (inclusive of durable medical equipment).
• Uses physical agent modalities for which competency has been established by the Supervisory Occupational Therapist and/or certification has been obtained per the State of New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council Statutes.
• Performs other related duties as assigned including, but not limited to,
  • Maintaining a safe work environment to include non-technical maintenance of equipment, safety checks, cleaning, stocking, etc.
  • Developing safe work habits to prevent injury to patients, co-workers, and self.
  • Monitoring physical agent modality temperatures.

Administration

• Adheres to established standards, policies, and procedures set forth by the Section, Service, Facility, VISN and VHA.
• Participates in quality assurance review including chart reviews, peer reviews, patient care monitoring, and patient satisfaction surveys as directed by the Supervisory Occupational Therapist.
• Maintains personal productivity and assists the section in maintaining/increasing effectiveness and efficiency in meeting its objectives.
• Attends departmental meetings, multidisciplinary staff meetings, other meetings effecting patient care, and committee meetings as assigned.
• Conducts OT related in-service and clinical training.
• Individuals may perform ancillary assignments, including program management duties on an occasional basis, where the complexity and amount of work is not substantial (less than 25% of the duty time).

Performs other functions as required and/or assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-4:30PM
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 49439-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• RESUME REQUIREMENTS - Your resume MUST include the following information:
• Job Title (for each position)
• Description of duties (be as detailed as possible)
• Month and year start/end dates (e.g. June 2018 to April 2020) of employment
• Full-time or part-time status (include average hours worked per week)
• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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.

Qualifications

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education/Experience: 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.

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 education if they have a current, full, active and unrestricted license.

• 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Occupational Therapist, GS-12:

• 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.

AND

• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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: Outpatient hospital setting with 2-5 years experience UE/hands, including splinting, as well as ability to treat Veterans across a broad scope of medical diagnoses including neurologic, general orthopedics, and virtual home evaluations for DME and assistive devices.

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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Work requires prolonged standing, bending, walking, lifting, carrying, occasional kneeling, crouching and pushing. Work requires physical effort and ability to perform repetitive motions with arms. This position requires good balance to prevent falling when assisting patients with an activity.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Area of Consideration: Eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred based on Veterans' Preference.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Copy of current National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification as an Occupational Therapist (OT)
• Copy of 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.
• Resume
• SF-15
• Transcript

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.


The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Copy of current National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification as an Occupational Therapist (OT)
• Copy of 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.
• PCS Orders
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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