• Job Description

  Req#: 760460800
  This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.
  
  
  Duties
  
  
  Major Duties and Responsibilities of the Position:
  
  
  Requirements
  
  
  
  
  Qualifications
  
  
  *** This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until February 2, 2024. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be December 05, 2023. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as needed basis until positions are filled. ***
  
  Basic Requirements:
  
  -United States Citizenship
  Candidates must be a citizen of the United States.
  
  -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.
  
  -Education and Experience
  
  Applicants must meet at least one of the requirements:
  • Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy AND 5 years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.
  • Master's degree in Physical Therapy AND 2 years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.
  • Doctorate degree in physical therapy.
  • Foreign Graduates: Graduates of foreign physical therapy programs meet the requirements if they have a full unrestricted and current license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. The Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) is a non-profit organization created to assist the United States (U.S.) Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly INS) and U.S. state licensing authorities by evaluating the credentials of Foreign Educated Physical Therapists (FEPTs) who wish to immigrate and work in the U.S. Although the licensing of physical therapists in the U.S. is a right and responsibility of each jurisdiction, foreign educated individuals must undergo an educational credentials assessment for substantial equivalency to the first professional degree in the US.
  -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.
  
  Grade Determinations:
  
  GS- 13 Physical Therapist (Clinical Specialist)
  
  -Experience
  In addition to meeting the basic requirements, one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level AND one of the following:
  • 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.
  • Board Certification in the specialty area recognized by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS).
  • Completion of a fellowship program.
  • An additional advanced degree in a related field.
  AND
  
  Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities-KSAs
  
  Candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • 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.
  • 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.
  Assignment
  For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety. Clinical Specialists spend at least 25% or greater of their time working with specialized population(s) within their department. Physical therapists at this level perform assignments in specialty areas such as geriatrics, neurology, cardiopulmonary, orthopedics, spinal cord injury, amputee, wound care, chronic pain, electromyography, women's health or pelvic health, polytrauma, brain injury, lymphedema, vestibular, assistive technology, seating and mobility. The individual is assigned responsibility for serving as the subject matter expert in the content specialty area and as a consultant to physical therapy and other medical center staff in evaluating and treating patients in the specialty area. Clinical Specialists have advanced knowledge and demonstrate expert clinical practice skills in providing assessment and treatment interventions across the continuum of care. He/she utilizes advanced knowledge and expertise to modify treatment plans and to identify therapeutic activity interventions based on the changing needs, goals and performance of patients. Clinical Specialists have advanced training in specialized technology related to their area of practice. He/she establishes and maintains contact with other health care providers involved in patient care via written, telephone, and personal communication on a regular basis. He/she exercises expert professional judgment to establish appropriate discharge planning recommendations to ensure safe discharge from inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation programs. If the medical center has a PT residency program, the clinical specialist may be on faculty for the program.
  
  Preferred Experience: Applicants should have at least 2 years experience and pelvic rehab specialty certification.
  
  References: VA Handbook 5005/99, Part II, Appendix G12
  
  Physical Requirements: The physical demands of a Physical Therapist are considered "medium duty: with regards to strength and endurance according to the Department of Labor. Medium work entails exerting 20-50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and /or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.
  Positional tolerance is required as follows:
  • Frequent standing, walking, bending, sitting, crouching/kneeling, and changing from one position to the other frequently throughout the day.
  • Sitting at a desk and using upper extremities to reach, grasp, and place papers, charts, and binders.
  • Reaching, lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling: 1-10 pounds constantly, 10-25 pounds frequently, and 20-50 pounds occasionally.
  • Physical Therapy requires good manual dexterity to manipulate tools and equipment with examples that may include, but are not limited to the following:
    • Operating all aspects of a computer - keyboarding, mouse, and control buttons.
    • Demonstrating the use of all aspects of adaptive equipment for patient instruction.
    • Assembling equipment with the use of hand tools such as screwdrivers and pliers.
    • Treatment using specifically designed tools for soft tissue manipulation, biofeedback, and exercise sessions related to the position.

• About the company

  The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with integrating life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 1700 VA medical centers and outpatient clinics located throughout the country.

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