Summary

The Supervisory Occupational Therapist (Service Chief) will serve as the Chief, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Service at the Cincinnati VA Medical Service which includes oversight, planning and development of all Service functions and programs.

Duties

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This facility is a level 3 complexity facility servicing one of the largest geographical catchment areas in the United States. As the Chief, PM&R Service, the incumbent will plan, direct, and coordinate all aspects of a multifaceted, complex service which includes Physiatry, Physical Therapy, occupational Therapy, Pain Management, Traumatic Brain Injury/Polytrauma, Spinal Cord injury, and Amputee Services. The duties of the position includes but are not limited to the following:

• Evaluates and monitors administrative and clinical activities and acts independently or makes substantive recommendations to the Executive Leadership Team to make Service improvements. Provides expert advice and technical assistance to Medical Center managers at all levels and supervisors and team leaders within the Service in a wide variety of areas, clinical and administrative, related to the Service.
• Directs the personnel management program for PM&R Service, performing or overseeing the full range of human resources requirements. Acts as personnel management expert for the Service. Functions as a Service leader with overall project responsibility as the primary Service representative for the Medical Center to redistribute the workforce, positions, and sections of the Service to comply with legislative or regulatory changes impacting the mission and goals of the Medical Center, VISN 10, National PM&R Program Office and Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
• Arranges for and participates in annual goal-setting/strategic planning sessions, coordinates the development of the final operating plan, and conducts continuing evaluations at the Service level as well as the Medical Center, VISN, and national levels as it relates to the activities of the Service addressing patient care delivery systems, facilities management, system reorganizations or the other issues and initiatives.
• Provides for the budgeting and financial management for the Service. Performs as an expert in budgeting and financial management for the Service and for the Medical Center as it relates to Service programs.
• Manages procurement and contracting for the Service and the Medical Center in projects related to the Service. Determines when contract termination is warranted and initiates action as appropriate with the accountable Contracting Officer.
• Serves as the official PM&R Service consultant to all other Medical Center services and departments and provides expert advice and technical assistance to entities outside of the Medical Center, including those within VISN 10 and at the national level on matter related to PM&R in the various roles in which the incumbent serves.
• Communicates effectively verbally and in written correspondence with employees and customers at all levels of the Service and Medical Center; Medical Center peers and superiors; individuals at the VISN, National PM&R Program Office as well as other Central Office level contacts; and stakeholders.
• Oversees the work of Service employees and ensures the accuracy of reports submitted by supervisors and team leaders. Identifies and implements opportunities for improvement and ensures Service compliance with clinical and other standards based upon professional journal and literature reviews, Medical Center policies, VHA Directives, Clinical Practice Guidelines and other applicable documents.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday with subject to negotiable upon selection. Driving is required and will need a valid license.

Telework: Ad-hoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive(s) may be authorized for a Highly Qualified Individual.

Requirements

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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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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 and/or Experience:
  
  
  • The individual must meet at least one of the following requirements below:
    
    
    • 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. OR
    • 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. OR
    • 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 20824-1220.
  • 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:

• Education, Experience, and Licensure. Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level and directly related to the position being filled.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs:
  
  
  • 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 a diverse range of 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 diverse 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 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

Preferred Experience:

• 3-5 years in Federal Healthcare managing a medium to large section and/or service; experience as a site/program director for American College of Graduate Medical Education programs with affiliated universities and health professions trainees through OAA.
• An understanding of complex accreditation requirements for rehabilitation programs within the purview of the Rehabilitation Service Line.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is 14.

Physical Requirements: Pre-placement and periodic physical examinations are required for hybrid occupations to ensure workers are placed in positions where they can perform the essential functions of their job considering their physical, mental and emotional capacities, without endangering their health or the health of their co-workers. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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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