The GS-13 Physical therapist will be a graduate of an American Physical Therapy Association accredited physical therapy program and a licensed physical therapist and is assigned to the Spinal Cord Injury/ Dysfunction Service. This position will practice at a Complexity Level 1 facility. Incumbent develops the Physical Therapy program for patients treated on the SCI Unit with a special emphasis on Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) skill set.
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 fiveyears; 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 candidates 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.). 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.
Assignments are of a broad and comprehensive nature providing SCI patients with a full spectrum of care. The incumbent demonstrates advanced clinical knowledge (shown by advanced course work, advanced clinical degree, research participation, publication, teaching experience and advanced certifications) to allow complete independence in clinical care of all patients with SCI and other co-morbidities. The clinical specialist physical therapist in this specialty area of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) provides specialized mentorship and modeling for other therapy staff in the area of SCI/D. This position assists with planning, integrating, and coordinating a comprehensive PT program for patients with spinal cord injury. Duties include but are not limited to: Demonstrates advanced knowledge of FES; advanced knowledge to include depth and breadth of equipment available to issue; evaluation techniques, ordering process, as well as national and local policies for evaluation and ordering of equipment. Performs complex physical therapy evaluations for SCI/D patients with rehabilitative diagnoses for all wheelchair mobility eligibility according to 1173 guidelines for male and female patients aged 20-85+ years old. e Demonstrates knowledge of entire spectrum of FES equipment. Understands variety of options available for use of FES. Problem-solves basic problems over the phone, triages advanced repair needs to local vendors. Demonstrates evidenced based practice with the most current clinical practice guidelines and best practices as supported by the body of literature and the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy. Patient centered application of the evidence at expert level. Documents patient evaluation and progress in the medical record. Communicates with team members regarding changes in patient status, development of treatment programs, and discharge plans. Assesses the need for/and patient's ability to use mobility devices including manual wheelchair, power wheelchair, power assist/ power add-on devices, walker, crutches, transfer boards, and lifts. Completes appropriate trials in appropriate environments to ensure appropriate device prescription. Orders the appropriate custom equipment, issues it to patients and trains them/their families/caregivers in proper use of the devices. Educates patients and families during family conferences and on an individual basis in regards to issues dealing with the SCI/D population. Participates in home visit as appropriate to patient's home or place of employment with patient and/or family, to assess accessibility, mobility, environmental barriers and ergonomic considerations as it relates to the SCI/D population. Demonstrates the ability to make many decisions regarding custom adaptation of established treatment procedures and equipment for successful outcomes of complex cases. Provides advanced expertise and training to physical therapists and physical therapy assistants assigned to the SCI/D service with additional focus on FES clinical application and equipment. Assists in educational needs of staff as requested. Mentors other therapists in the necessary skills to treat unusual or complex treatment problems, works with them on clinical solutions.. Provides clinical oversight for registry therapy staff, including orientation to policies and procedures, and daily clinical supervision. professional conflicts when dealing with patients, staff, and others as they arise. Effectively manage an inpatient caseload of acute and subacute SCI/D specific physical therapy rehab needs while collaborating with the inpatient interdisciplinary team from initial evaluation to discharge. Demonstrates the ability to identify and resolve interpersonal or professional conflicts when dealing with patients, staff, and others as they arise. Work Schedule: M-F 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized