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. Degree. Graduate from a degree program in physical therapy from an approved college or university approved by the
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). 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) Web site, or at their office address: American Physical Therapy Association, 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-1488,
703-684-2782, or 800-999-2782. (NOTE: Effective, January 1, 2002, CAPTE changed its scope of accrediting activities of PT education
programs to include only those programs that culminate in post-baccalaureate degrees).
- Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign physical therapy programs meet the requirements in subparagraph 2b if they have a full
unrestricted and current license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United
States, or in the District of Columbia. Any PT who has, or has ever had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or
issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with regulations issued by the Under Secretary for Health
or designee.
- English Language Proficiency. Individuals appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA must be proficient in written and spoken English. See Chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.
- Licensure: Current, full, active, and unrestricted license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Non-licensed PTs, who otherwise meet the basic requirements in this standard may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate PT not-to-exceed two years under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2).
- Non-licensed individuals appointed as a temporary graduate PT may not be appointed as a PT without being fully licensed.
- Note: A PT who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation for which he/she qualifies if a placement opportunity exists. A PT who has, or has ever had, his/her PT license revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in Chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16 of this part.
Grandfather 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).
Grade Determinations: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, the candidate must have one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the
GS-12 grade level and one of the following to qualify for GS- 13 Physical Therapist.
· 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
- Board Certification in the specialty area recognized by the ABPTS; or
- Completion of a fellowship program; or
- An additional advanced degree in a related field.
Important Note: In addition to the experience above, the candidate
RESUME must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and
Abilities (KSAs) or attach completed KSAs as separate Document to your resume:
- 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 (see paragraph 2i).
- ·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 (see Definitions, paragraph 2. i.).
Preferred Experience: A minimum of two years of direct and continual clinical experience in the specialty area of wheelchair and seating evaluation and prescription is required and the incumbent must have a current Assistive Technology Practitioner (ATP) Certification through the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA).
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-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is
GS-13..
Physical Requirements: Pre-placement and periodic physical examinations are required for hybrids occupations to ensure workers are placed in positions where they can perform the essential functions of their job considering their health or the health of their co-workers. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.