Supervisory Occupational Therapist - Acute Care

Summary The Supervisory Occupational Therapist duties are primarily carried throughout the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center, at University Drive, Acute Care Division. Individuals at this grade level are responsible for managing staff within Rehabilitation Services. The Supervisory Occupational Therapist also works collaboratively with the Chief of PT/OT services and supervisory staff within the Rehabilitation department. Responsibilities The Supervisor of the Occupational Therapy department administratively manages and directs the inpatient Acute Care, Occupational Therapy and Rehab Programs. Programs in this service or equivalent service-level department, consist of three or more Occupational Therapists and other multi-discipline staff. The incumbent provides supervision of key clinical and training programs, including the overall technical oversight of the OT, OTA, PT, PTA, and other staff whom they administratively supervise. Rehab services at the University Drive division includes, inpatient acute care, inpatient behavioral health, the Emergency Department, surgical services and additional programs. The incumbent is responsible for the development and implementation of policies and procedures to address focused clinical needs and the overall services delivered within Occupational Therapy department and Rehabilitation Services. The incumbent demonstrates a great deal of autonomy in performing supervisory responsibilities that include, but are not limited to, assigning work to employees, monitoring workload and clinical volume, reviewing work for employees to assure accuracy and validity of submissions, assuring adequate clinical staffing, imposing disciplinary measures, and monitoring clinical privileges and competencies. They are also required to provide overall clinical supervision that assures the proper coordination and delivery of care within the section and the facility at large. The individual holding this position, at this grade level providing clinical coverage would include: independently solving complex problems related their Occupational Therapy adapting and modifying treatment plans, activities, and procedures to meet the needs of patients with complex disabilities. Serving as as a subject matter expert and a consultant in their discipline to other medical center staff in evaluating and treating patients and serving as a mentor to students treating patients. They are assigned to all program areas which are covered by the Occupational Therapy department, Rehabilitation Services and provide professional, independent discipline specific services in the assigned area. The incumbent at this level may provide coverage in any program area where the advanced specialized knowledge is required on a recurring basis due to the patient population served. Provide leadership to inpatient and outpatient clinics, coordinates with internal/external stakeholders to ensure patient outcomes are consistent with current research findings and evidence-based practice (EBP). Maintains 0.5 FTEE clinical workload as treating therapist, including expert clinician for complex patients. This includes the performance of evaluations, treatments, developing plans of care, communicating with stakeholders, assisting in transitioning process to the next level of care. Responsible for documentation in CPRS, VISTA, and educating appropriate parties. Gathers inpatient data, performs analyses, and interprets trends from patient flow committee, Action Required reports, Decision Support Systems (DSS) mapping, and workload to maximize access to care. The individual holding this position, as this grade level provides clinical coverage for all inpatient and outpatient Occupational Therapy services. The individual serves as a subject matter expert and a consultant in Occupational Therapy department and other medical center staff in evaluation and treating patients and serving as a mentor to students. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am-4:00pm, with rotational weekend and holiday on-call responsibilities; as determined by department needs. Telework: Ad-Hoc; as determined by supervisor Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. 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. English Language Proficiency: Individuals appointed under the 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: All applicants must have completed a degree program in occupational therapy approved by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) or predecessor organizations to include an internship (supervised fieldwork experience required by the educational institution). 1) Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) years of experience as an occupational therapist; OR 2) Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) full years of graduate education in a related field; OR 3) Master's Degree or higher in occupational therapy. 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: Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level and directly related to the position being filled. (Examples of this experience include; OTs select and provide direct occupational therapy interventions and procedures with varying degrees of complexity to enhance safety, wellness, and performance in ADL, instrumental IADL, education, work, play, leisure, and social participation. OTs demonstrate a full professional understanding of the theories of treatment in occupational therapy and their proper application through the use of activity analysis, behavioral intervention, frame of references, and therapeutic procedures. They are assigned to all program areas within VHA and provide professional, independent occupational therapy services.) 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 Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-13. Physical Requirements: The Occupational Therapy may engage in the following activities/positions/tasks as defined: Lifting/carrying up to 30 lbs. intermittently, frequent walking, standing, sitting. Occasional stooping, kneeling, overhead reaching, fine manipulation, pushing, and/or pulling. In addition, occasional operation of a motor vehicle may be indicated. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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 or 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. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.