Summary

The Occupational Therapist Supervisor is assigned to the Occupational Therapy section of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS) at the Durham VA Medical Center. The incumbent is responsible for planning and directing therapy staff assignments across multiple settings.

Duties

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• Organizes section work, sets priorities, delegates tasks to meet multiple deadlines of the section, service, and facility
• Assists with the coordination of care among the various rehabilitation clinical areas including acute care, outpatient care, Polytrauma, Community Living Center (CLC), Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC), HUD/VASH, Home Based Primary Care (HBPC), Transitional Care (TLC), and Psychiatric Acute Recovery Center (PARC)
• Mentors staff through sharing advanced knowledge of contemporary therapy across multiple areas of practice
• Implements evidence-based, best-practice principles for the provision of high quality, safe patient care
• Develops and communicates standards for therapy interventions, frequencies and treatment plans based on current theory, recent research, and practice
• Liaisons with matrixed service leadership (i.e., program managers, section/service chiefs, etc.) to ensure assigned staff are meeting individual program expectations and providing optimal OT interventions/care
• Functions with a high level of autonomy in carrying out patient treatment, education, and applying advanced therapy procedures in accordance with laws or regulations and AOTA documents across the areas under his/her supervisory control
• Provides guidance to home care staff for the clinical education of trainees (students, fellows or residents); provides direct supervision to trainees as needed
• Provides education to other clinical areas regarding home care practice, coordination of care and services available through the PM&RS section
• Serves as an advocate and resource consultant to the facility at large through communication with other departments, physicians, external agencies and other groups regarding home-based rehabilitation programs and operation of the OT section
• Identifies continuing education and training needs and investigates resources and methods to implement evidence-based treatment programs
• Serves as an instructor for facility- and service-level training
• Responsible for conducting performance evaluations, recommendations for appointment, awards, promotions and disciplinary actions of assigned staff therapists and assistants with input from C/OT and C/PT as indicated
• Works with assigned therapy staff to ensure designated productivity standards are being met/barriers to meeting standards are being addressed
• Mentors and supports assigned staff in performance and personnel issues, including facilitating and supporting C/OT and C/PT in facilitating conflict resolution, handling staff conflicts and promotions in an unbiased and professional manner
• Assists with development of section policies and competencies related to delegation of specific aspects of the screening, evaluation, or re-evaluation process to an Occupational or Physical Therapy Assistant (OTA or PTA)
• Administers time and leave
• Ensures assigned programs staffing levels are adequate for patient care needs and arranges for cross coverage as indicated; assists with recruitment, interviewing and hiring of new staff
• Ensures that the maintenance of the clinical areas and equipment are performed in accordance with facility and Joint Commission standards
• Assists with development and/or revision of consult screens/processes to ensure that requests for rehab services identify appropriate candidates and contain sufficient clinical information
• Reviews documentation by staff to ensure that documentation is accurate, concise, timely and in accordance with standards established by the PM&RS department and the Durham VA Medical center and other regulatory bodies
• Provides other administrative responsibilities as needed for continuity of rehab services in the absence of other members of PM&RS leadership

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday

Compressed/Flexible: Possibly Available

Telework: Ad-hoc

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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.
• 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

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 Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. a7 7403(f).
• Education and/or Experience. (1) The individual must meet at least one of the following requirements below: (a) Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) years of experience as an occupational therapist; OR (b) 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 (c)Master's Degree or higher in occupational therapy.
• 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.

NOTE: 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].

Grade Determinations:

GS-13:Must have one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level and directly related to the position being filled. Assignment. The supervisory occupational therapist is responsible for the supervision, administrative management and direction of the occupational therapy program in an OT section or equivalent work group. They have oversight for planning and directing the staff assignments in a variety of clinical settings. The supervisory OT provides a Veteran/client centered environment while enhancing staff engagement. Typical duties include: assigning work; monitoring clinical performance; resolving staff conflicts; identifying continuing education and training needs; and preparing performance standards and ratings. They interview candidates for positions; recommend appointments, advancements, or when appropriate, disciplinary actions; administer leave; and coordinate staffing needs. Supervisory OTs may provide occupational therapy and have capacity to care for more complex patients. They develop/initiate new treatment programs which integrate outcomes and advancements in practice from current research findings. The supervisory OT serves as an instructor in the facility's in-service clinical training program. They serve as an advocate and resource consultant to the therapy staff and facility-at- large through communication with other departments, physicians, external agencies and other groups regarding programs and operation of the occupational therapy section.

Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

(a) Ability to balance multiple responsibilities, set priorities, delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze organizational problems, and develop and implement effective solutions.

(b) Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems to develop and implement solutions that result in efficient operations and use data effectively to manage workload, quality performance, and productivity within the service.

(c) Skill in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers to include conflict resolution.

(d) Ability to utilize evidence-based practices and clinical practice guidelines in a professional area and to guide the staff in applying these tools.

Preferred Experience: More than 3 years in VHA; Supervisory experience, Homebased primary care experience; Caregiver support program experience/knowledge, Knowledge of HUD/VASH program

The full performance level of this vacancy is 13.

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

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

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.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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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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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.