Summary

The Chief, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services (PM&RS), Supervisory Occupational Therapist manages complex sections within the medical center that provide specialized rehabilitative services with responsibility over a large number of staff to include occupational therapy, physical therapy, kinesiotherapy, speech language pathology, recreation therapy, and the VISN 22 Polytrauma Amputation Network Site (PANS).

Duties

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Routinely reviews and incorporates new research and best practices in the development of programming to meet the complex, dynamic and changing needs of Veterans served through PM&RS.
• Utilizes shared tools for communication and effectiveness.
• Is independent in gathering information and resources to assist in development of rehabilitation providers and rehabilitation services.
• Cross covers departmental leadership, thus maintains at least minimal knowledge of overall functioning of all PM&S services. Responsible for completion of all assigned and appropriate tasks in a timely fashion.
• Delegates responsibilities to subordinate section, planning, and scheduling work; assigning work to employees; accepting, amending or rejecting completed work; assuring that production and accuracy requirements are met; appraising performance and recommending performance standards and ratings; assigning delineated clinical privileges; approving leave; and affecting all levels of disciplinary measures.
• Supervises, motivates, and manages effectively a diverse clinical staff in a large, Complex 1B health care system.
• Manages conflict; uses active listening and problem solving skills while remaining unbiased and maintaining respect for all parties and maintaining a functioning therapy department.
• Plans and establishes the work schedules and makes assignments for the therapy staff in accordance with approved scope of practice, discipline practice standards and skill levels.
• Processes paperwork for the allocation of special contribution awards following established facility policy and budget guidelines.
• Has oversite for PM&RS budget obligations and serves as contact for equipment requests; priorities, and manages budget for all supplies and equipment. Manages budget for PM&R departmental travel and tuition requests.
• Assesses data and staffing needs, creating business plans for requesting additional staff, develops functional statements, designs interview questions and facilities selection of qualified staff to meet the departmental needs.
• In the role of VISN 22 TBI/Polytrauma Lead, he / she provides leadership to other TBI/polytrauma programs across the VISN to support the sustainment and development of high quality, specialized, interdisciplinary rehabilitation programs for TBI/polytrauma Veterans and their families in need of those services.
• He / she assesses need for continued education within the department and manages competency training to ensure quality care. Provides orientation and training for new staff. He / she assists in training and supervision of students, providing feedback on progress toward established educational goals.
• Has overall responsibility for planning, assessing, and evaluating programs to ensure proper coordination between care delivered by the service and the overall delivery of health care within the facility;
• Exercises supervision, administrative management and direction of all professional areas in a unified PM&RS department and administrative management and program direction of the PANS.
• Maintains records and statistical data as requested for the purpose of required reporting, workload management, data driven decisions, responds to suspense's, as well as program and service data. Reports are accurate and timely.
• Complies with all regulations, policies and procedures related to the safe and effective provision of PM&RS.
• Ensures safe practices and ensures staff compliance with published safety policies and measures. Takes action on required safety modifications.
• Demonstrates the ability to set priorities, delegate tasks, and solve problems in order to meet multiple deadlines and identify/address organizational problems.
• Assists medical center management in utilization review activities, quality improvement, and other administrative reporting. He/she actively follows the tenants of EEO.
• Has working knowledge of EEO and customer service tenants, harassment, ADR, and affirmative action and knows when to seek counsel regarding related issues. Is familiar with applicable union contracts and knows the grievance process and policy.
• Works toward resolution of employee issues/complaints at the lowest level and refers unresolved grievances and complaints to appropriate sources.
• Maintains effective labor management relations within scope of practice.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

Telework: Available Ad-Hoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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 - The individual must meet at least one of the requirements below:

1. Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) years of experience as an occupational therapist;

NOTE: The baccalaureate degree must be from an approved program prior to the AOTA January 1, 2005 decision that the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) would only accredit master or doctoral degree programs in occupational therapy.

2. Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) full years of graduate education in a related field;

NOTE: The baccalaureate degree must be from an approved program prior to the AOTA January 1, 2005 decision that ACOTE would only accredit master or doctoral degree programs in occupational therapy.

3. Master's Degree or higher in occupational therapy.

Individuals must be a graduate of a degree program in occupational therapy approved by the ACOTE or predecessor organizations. This is inclusive of an internship (supervised fieldwork experience required by the educational institution). ACOTE is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Degree programs may be verified by contacting the American Occupational Therapy Association website or at their office address: American Occupational Therapy Association, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD [redacted].

Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign occupational therapy programs meet the requirements of subparagraph [3b(2)] if they have a current, full, active and unrestricted license referred to in subparagraph [3e] of this appendix.

Certification. Candidates must possess a current NBCOT certification as an OT.

State Licensure. Candidates must possess a full, current, and unrestricted state license, to practice occupational therapy in a state, territory or Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or in the District of Columbia.

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-14 Supervisory Occupational Therapist (Service Chief)

Experience - Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level and directly related to the position being filled.

In addition, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs:

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of evidence-based practices and clinical practice guidelines in multiple professional areas to use these resources to guide the program staff in providing clinically appropriate treatment interventions.
• Skill in interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution in dealing with employees, team leaders, and administrators.
• Ability to manage resources for a large, integrated service including not only occupational therapy, but also other focused rehabilitation, ancillary, or other health care services.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with a group of professional staff.
• Ability to translate extensive rehabilitation knowledge into cogent and useful policy in complex facilities and/or across multiple sites.
• Skill in providing clinical and administrative oversight and supervision of 12 multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs in complex facilities and/or across multiple sites.
• Ability to collaborate with strategic planning committees at local, VISN or national levels for new ventures addressing patient care delivery systems, facilities management, and system reorganizations.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: Regular and recurring physical exertion in standing, walking, bending, reaching, and sitting should be anticipated routinely. Light to heavy lifting may be required at times. Work discharge may require physical health, unhindered use of arms and legs, and good visual and auditory acuity.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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