Occupational Therapy Assistant
What you'd do
The position is located in the Occupational Therapy Department of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS) at the Baltimore VA. The Occupational Assistant (GS-0636) under the direction of and in partnership with an Occupational Therapist (OT) provide preventive, remediation and rehabilitative services to persons with mental, physical, emotional, or developmental impairments.
Major duties
Major Duties include but are not limited to: Completes a preliminary review/examination of patient data (including medical history), complies and organizes pertinent information, and develops/presents a patient profile to be used in assessing the patient, under the direction of an OT Plans, coordinates and administers occupational therapy treatment for prevention, remediation and rehabilitation of diverse diagnoses in all practice areas Recommends and modifies assistive devices and instruct patients on their care and use to ensure optimal performance Independently provide patient education on areas of occupation, assistive devices and orthotics based on patient's and families' level of cognition, cultural and/or behavioral variables Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to make recommendations for the patient's rehabilitation, reintegration and disposition needs Develops, participates in and ensures compliance with quality improvement activities through participation in medical center/section committees as delegated Documents any assessments, progress/changes in status, discharges and patient or caregiver education Responsible for continuing education needs and documentation for professional memberships and mandated TMS trainings Responsible for any assigned administrative support tasks Participates in PM&RS staff meetings May provide supervision for volunteers assigned to department Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 512-260169-F, 512-260170-F, 512-260171-F, 512-260172-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
What you need to qualify
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. English Language Proficiency. OTA candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English [in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Education. [Individuals must meet at least one of the requirements below:] (1) Associate's [or higher] degree in occupational therapy from a college or university accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). (2) [Completion of a military training program in an OTA program accredited by the ACOTE. Certification. OTAs must have written documentation that they have passed the entry-level certification examination for OTAs administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Licensure. OTAs must hold a full, current, and unrestricted state license to practice occupational therapy in a State, Territory, a Commonwealth of the United States (i.e. Puerto Rico) or in the District of Columbia. Exceptions for Non-Certified or Non-Licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant. (1) OTAs who graduated from an ACOTE approved occupational therapy assistant program but do not possess the NBCOT certification and/or licensure requirements, may be appointed, pending licensure and/or NBCOT certification, on a full-time temporary appointment under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(a)(1)(B) and not to exceed two years in accordance with the timeframe in 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2). (2) OTAs may only be appointed at the entry grade level and may not be promoted/converted until licensure and/or certification are obtained. (3) OTAs may provide care only under the direct supervision of a licensed OTA or OT who meets all state regulatory requirements. (4) Temporary OTA appointments may not be extended beyond two years. Grandfathering 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). All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. ** See the section "How You Will be Evaluated" for more Grandfathering Provision information ** Grade Determinations: Occupational Therapy Assistant, GS-05: Experience. None beyond the basic requirements Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. None. Occupational Therapy Assistant, GS-06: Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Certification. OTAs must have written documentation that they have passed the entry-level certification examination for OTAs administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Licensure. OTAs must hold a full, current, and unrestricted state license to practice occupational therapy in a State, Territory, a Commonwealth of the United States (i.e. Puerto Rico) or in the District of Columbia. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. (a) Knowledge of evidence-based occupational therapy practice. (b) Knowledge of basic group techniques and interpersonal communication (c) Skill in written communication to document data, progress/change in status, discharge status, and patient or caregiver education. (d) Skill in oral communication to document data, progress/change in status, discharge status, and patient or caregiver education. (e) Ability to assist in the development of treatment goals/objectives. (f) Ability to implement a patient care plan incorporating activity analysis theory. Occupational Therapy Assistant, GS-07: Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Certification. OTAs must have written documentation that they have passed the entry-level certification examination for OTAs administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Licensure. OTAs must hold a full, current, and unrestricted state license to practice occupational therapy in a State, Territory, a Commonwealth of the United States (i.e. Puerto Rico) or in the District of Columbia. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. (a) Skill in promoting occupational therapy services effectively, providing training and interventions within the assigned areas (b) Ability to perform in depth chart review to identify treatment goals and implement treatment plans. (c) Ability to use problem-solving skills when providing therapeutic interventions for patients. (d) Ability to provide multi-step instructions to patients, caregivers and other health care professionals adapting instructions to meet the learning needs of the individual. Occupational Therapy Assistant, GS-08: Experience. One year of creditable experience comparable to the next lower grade level. Certification. OTAs must have written documentation that they have passed the entry-level certification examination for OTAs administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Licensure. OTAs must hold a full, current, and unrestricted state license to practice occupational therapy in a State, Territory, a Commonwealth of the United States (i.e. Puerto Rico) or in the District of Columbia. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. (a) Ability to implement delegated assessments. (b) Ability to provide reports of observations and patient performance. (c) Ability to use complex therapeutic techniques and interventions, utilizing problem-solving skills to maximize patient's functional status. (d) Ability to modify therapeutic interventions for simple and complex cases with a wide range of diagnoses and disabilities. (e) Ability to recommend complex adaptive and assistive devices and durable medical equipment. (f) Ability to consult with health care practitioners about the patient's treatment plan and the occupational therapy scope of practice and services. Preferred Experience: 1-2 years in an acute inpatient hospital setting working in a dynamic environment under the supervision of a staff OT. Assignment may include outpatient coverage as caseload permits. 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-08. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-05 to GS-08.
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