Physical Therapist (Clinical Specialist - Pelvic Health)

Summary Incumbent is a treatment specialist in Pelvic Health Rehabilitation. The GS-13 Physical Therapist is assigned to provide professional Physical Therapy services to any/all program areas that are covered by the Rehabilitation Services, including acute care, rehabilitation, long term care, home care, inpatient and outpatient settings. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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. 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). 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. Degree. Graduate from a degree program in physical therapy from an approved college or university approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). The CAPTE is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit entry-level physical therapy programs. Verification of accredited programs may be obtained from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Web site, or at their office address: American Physical Therapy Association, 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-1488, 703-684-2782, or 800-999-2782. (NOTE: Effective, January 1, 2002, CAPTE changed its scope of accrediting activities of PT education programs to include only those programs that culminate in post-baccalaureate degrees). Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign physical therapy programs meet the requirements in subparagraph 2b if they have a full unrestricted and current license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Any PT who has, or has ever had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with regulations issued by the Under Secretary for Health or designee. English Language Proficiency. Individuals appointed under 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. See Chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Licensure: Current, full, active, and unrestricted license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Non-licensed PTs, who otherwise meet the basic requirements in this standard may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate PT not-to-exceed two years under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2). Non-licensed individuals appointed as a temporary graduate PT may not be appointed as a PT without being fully licensed. Note: A PT who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation for which he/she qualifies if a placement opportunity exists. A PT who has, or has ever had, his/her PT license revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in Chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16 of this part. Grandfather Provision: 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: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, the candidate must have one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level and one of the following to qualify for GS- 13 Physical Therapist. · Evidence of a minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice directly in the specialty area. This time must be between the past two and five years; or Board Certification in the specialty area recognized by the ABPTS; or Completion of a fellowship program; or An additional advanced degree in a related field. Important Note: In addition to the experience above, the candidate RESUME must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) or attach completed KSAs as separate Document to your resume: Advanced knowledge and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in a specialized treatment area of physical therapy. Ability to serve as a consultant and subject matter expert for health care providers regarding the delivery of care within a specialized content area of physical therapy (see paragraph 2i). ·Ability to teach and mentor medical center staff in a specialized content area of physical therapy. ·Ability to guide the work of a multi-disciplinary team in a specialized content area of physical therapy. ·Advanced knowledge and expert skill to perform and interpret specialized procedures and tests in evaluating the treatment outcomes in the assigned specialty content area (see Definitions, paragraph 2. i.). Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.. Physical Requirements: Pre-placement and periodic physical examinations are required for hybrids occupations to ensure workers are placed in positions where they can perform the essential functions of their job considering their health or the health of their co-workers. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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. Read more Benefits 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 window Learn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits 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.