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 experience. The individual must meet at least one of the requirements below:
- (1) Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy AND five (5) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.
- (2) Master's degree in Physical Therapy AND two (2) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.
- (3) Doctorate degree in physical therapy.
NOTE: Prior to 1995 the terminal degree for PT's was either a bachelors or master's degree. In 1995 CAPTE accredited all baccalaureate, master's, and Doctor of Physical Therapy terminal degree programs. Effective 2002, CAPTE changed its scope of accrediting activities of PT education programs to include only those programs that culminate in post-baccalaureate degrees(eliminating the baccalaureate degree). Effective 2015, professional physical therapy education programs have only offered the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree to all new students.
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).
NOTE: Individuals must be a graduate of a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited college or university. 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) at www.apta.org.
Licensure. Individuals hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
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. 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:
GS-13 Physical Therapist (Program Coordinator)
Experience. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.
In addition, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
1. Ability to apply advanced knowledge of contemporary physical therapy within specialty area to provide clinical guidance, training or education for internal and external stakeholders.
2. Ability to serve as a consultant within the assigned program area for intra-agency and interagency planning and to provide service coordination to optimize program continuity, efficiency and effectiveness.
3. Knowledge of and skill in management, administration and/or education methodologies. This includes the ability to monitor and track data, utilize available resources effectively, evaluate program quality, and generate reports for local, and/or VISN and/or VACO leadership.
4. Ability to develop and coordinate treatment and/or educational programs within a concentrated field or specialty area, such as, but not limited to, amputee, spinal cord injury, chronic pain, student clinical education/residency programming, polytrauma/traumatic brain injury.
5. Ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships within department and with other departments or affiliated programs.6. Ability to guide the work of a multi-disciplinary team.
Preferred Experience:
- Two or more years of experience in rehabilitation for acute and/or sub-acute setting.
- Experience performing chart review, evaluation and develop treatment plan for acute and/or chronic injuries with impairment such as; amputation, musculoskeletal, neurological, orthopedic, cardio-pulmonary, pain management, cancer, etc.
- Experience in performing direct supervision Physical Therapy assistance and/or Physical Therapy students
- Experience providing mentoring to peers and provide education regarding rehabilitation to others healthcare services.
- Leadership Development experience or project development.
Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. PTs at this level have experience that demonstrates advanced practice skills and judgment across one or more areas of physical therapy. The individual may be assigned broad administrative responsibility. The individual is assigned a major content specialty area to include assessing, planning, evaluating and delivering care within a special clinical program or component of a Rehabilitation Service, which usually involves multiple disciplines. See the definition for specialty areas in paragraph 2. i, that includes Polytrauma/Traumatic Brain Injury, Chronic Pain, Amputation, Spinal Cord Injury and clinical education programs. PTs provide administrative direction and decisions related to the program. The Physical Therapy Program Coordinator is responsible for the coordination of multiple professionals from a variety of disciplines for optimal clinical care and educational programming. He/she implements programs, policies, and procedures to meet program goals, policy and external accreditation requirements. He/she monitors outcomes, participates in strategic planning and implements strategies for program improvement particularly in assigned content specialty area. The Program Coordinator supports the rehabilitation service and serves as a point of contact providing guidance to facility leadership on matters related to specialty content area.
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.
Physical Requirements: Should have the ability to perform repetitive physical activities:- Up to 4-6 hours of the following: sitting, walking, standing, twisting, bending, stooping, reaching, reaching overhead, grasping and pinching with hands and fine manipulation, such as typing/keyboarding.- Up to 1-2 hours of the following: straight pulling, puling hand over hand, pushing, climbing and kneeling.- Required lifting light to moderate (up to 44 pounds) and carrying light to moderate (up to 44 pounds).- Required functional hearing with/without hearing aids, Near vision correctable at 13-16", Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, the ability to use both eyes, depth perception, ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of colors.- Use of fingers, both hands and use of both legs.- Sitting is required for meetings, administrative work and frequently driving motor vehicle most of the day. The ability to drive is required.- The position demands significant physical stress and strain such as transferring patients, crouching and crawling on mats, and occasionally defending self against combative patients assigned to the incumbent.- Work may require good physical health, normal use of arms and legs and good visual and auditory acuity, to evaluate and treat patients, and to use computer, keyboard, monitor, phone, etc.- Work is performed in the clinic, exercise areas, office, conference rooms, and occasionally in patient's home.