Qualifications

COVERAGE. The following are requirements for appointment as an occupational therapist (OT) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). These requirements apply to all OTs in the General Schedule (GS) GS-0631 series.

Basic Requirements:

• a
• Citizenship
• Be a citizen of the United States
• b
• 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
• 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 (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
• (2) 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
• c
• Certification
• Candidates must possess a current National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification as an OT
• d
• 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
• e
• English Proficiency
• Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f)
• GRADE DETERMINATIONS
• In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Occupational Therapist, GS-9 (1) Education, Experience, or Licensure
• None beyond the basic requirements
• (2) Assignments
• Individuals assigned at the GS-9 grade level serve as OT practitioners in a career development position progressively expanding their ability to provide assessment and treatment interventions for a wide range of human function systems
• The entry level therapist has a basic foundation of OT and generally practices independently
• OTs at this level typically have guidance from more experienced therapists
• OTs that are not licensed must practice under the supervision of a licensed OT
• Occupational Therapist, GS-11 (1) Education, Experience, or Licensure
• (a) Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level and directly related to the position being filled
• or (b) Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree in occupational therapy or a directly related field
• or (c) Doctorate in occupational therapy
• (2) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of occupational therapy practice
• (b) Ability to administer/interpret evaluation findings to develop and coordinate intervention plans, including goals and methods of treatment
• (c) Ability to implement intervention plans directly or in collaboration with others
• (d) Skill in monitoring an individual's response to interventions and modify treatment plans and reevaluating as indicated
• (e) Ability to communicate and or collaborate with patients, family members, caregivers, interdisciplinary professionals and/or other individuals verbally and in writing
• (f) Knowledge of health and safety regulations to minimize risk in the provision of patient care and the environment of care
• (g) Knowledge of applicable regulations governing documentation, reimbursement and workload entry in accordance with established professional practice
• (3) Assignment
• OTs at this grade level practice independently and are responsible for the assessment of functional and occupational roles using standardized tools
• The OT modifies standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools
• OTs select and provide direct occupational therapy interventions and procedures with routine complexity to enhance safety, wellness, performance in activities of daily living (ADL)
• and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), education, work, play, leisure, and social participation
• Occupational therapists require guidance with higher complexity conditions
• OTs demonstrate an 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
• Occupational Therapist, GS-12 (1) Education, Experience, and Licensure
• Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at the GS-11 grade level and directly related to the position being filled
• (2) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of occupational therapy principles and techniques consistent with current clinical standards based on OT theory and evidence based practice
• Knowledge is inclusive of physical, occupational, cognitive, and psychosocial functional deficits
• (b) Ability to collaborate and communicate orally and in writing with all internal and external stakeholders
• (c) Ability to use critical analysis, clinical reasoning, and creativity to independently solve complex problems related to adapting and modifying assessments, treatment plans, activities and procedures to meet the needs of patients
• (d) Skill in procuring, fabricating, adjusting, adapting, and modifying orthoses, splints, and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living (inclusive of durable medical equipment)
• (e) Ability to conduct OT related in-service and clinical training
• (3) Assignment
• OTs at this level practice independently and are responsible for comprehensive assessment of functional and occupational roles using standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools
• 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
• OTs at this level may be given assignments in any area where advanced specialized knowledge is not required on a recurring basis due to the patient population served and complexity of the facility and/or treatment area
• Individuals may perform ancillary assignments, including program management duties on an occasional basis, where the complexity and amount of work is not substantial (less than 25% of the duty time)
• Preferred Experience: This position includes independently and solely managing acute level patients
• Recent experience is preferred in treating adult/older adult patients in acute care to include but not limited to: orthopedics, acute rehab and acute spinal cord injury.