Occupational Therapist (Clinical Specialist)

Basic Requirements Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States Certification: Must possess a current NBCOT certification as an OT. State Licensure. 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. English Proficiency. Must be proficient in spoken and written English. 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. Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign occupational therapy programs must 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. *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). Preferred Experience: Candidate must be able to work independently, have strong problem-solving abilities and have a history of developing treatment strategies for Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder (SCID) patients. Preferred experience 3 or more years of Inpatient experience serving patients with SCID, Multiple Sclerosis & ALS. Grade Determinations: GS-13 Occupational Therapist [(Clinical Specialist)]: (1) Education, Experience, and Licensure- Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the [GS-12 grade] level and directly related to the position being filled [and one of the following]: [(a) A minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice directly in the advanced practice area. This time must be within the past five years; (b) Certification in an area recognized by the AOTA; (c) Completion of a fellowship/residency or advanced degree program in the advanced practice area; or (d) An additional advanced degree in a related field.] (2) Demonstrated KSAs- In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy across multiple areas of practice. Ability to provide clinical guidance in the advanced practice area to other OT practitioners. Knowledge of advanced specialized evaluation, interventions and services to independently develop treatment strategies for area of specialization. Skill in developing protocols and procedures for intervention programs based on current occupational therapy theory, recent research, and practice. Ability to provide consultation to other health care practitioners and outside groups about occupational therapy scope of practice for area of specialization. Ability to implement, revise/update evidence based occupational therapy services and programming in area of specialization. References: VA Handbook 5005/127 PART II APPENDIX G14 Physical Requirements: Occupational Therapy is considered a vocation that requires “medium” strength according to the Department of Labor. Medium work entails exerting 20-50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10-25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Occupational Therapy requires good manual dexterity to manipulate tools and equipment with activities such as: 1. Operating all aspects of a computer 0-keyboarding, mouse, and control buttons. 2. Demonstrating the use of all aspects of adaptive equipment of patient teaching. 3. Assembling equipment with the use of hand tools such as a screwdriver or pliers. 4. Fabricating splints or adaptive equipment requiring the use of scissors, cutting tools, and ability to mold plastic, foam or plaster.
This position is located at the Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC, SCI/D Center, in Aurora, CO. This Occupational Therapist primary patient coverage is for patients with SCI/D diagnoses admitted to the inpatient setting for the Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Program (CIIRP).