Physical Therapy Assistant

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. PTA candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Education: Applicants must meet at least one of the requirements below: Associate degree from an accredited community college, junior college, college, or university in a physical therapy assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) OR Graduate of foreign physical therapy assistant degree programs that meet the educational requirement and have successfully passed the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) for PTAs OR Graduate of military physical therapy assistant programs that meet the educational requirement and have successfully passed the NPTE for PTAs. Licensure. Current, full, active and unrestricted license as a PTA in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e. Puerto Rico) of the United States, or 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: Physical Therapy Assistant GS-9 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade. This experience may include; implement the plan of care for patient cases, advance the program and continually review the patient’s condition to determine their medical and functional status. Provide evidenced based skilled interventions including, but not limited to, therapeutic exercise, therapeutic activities, therapeutic modalities, gait training, transfer training, manual treatment, neuromuscular re-education, self-care and management training, patient/caregiver’s education and group therapy. Meet with the physical therapy staff and other healthcare team members to evaluate and discuss patient information for planning, modifying and coordinating treatment programs and discharge planning. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate one of the following: (a) A minimum of 2000 hours of clinical practice directly in the specialty area, and completion of 60 contact hours of selected continuing education coursework. This time must be within the past five years; or (b) Advanced Practice Proficiency (APP) in the specialty area recognized by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA); or (c) An additional academic degree related to the health care mission. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Ability to mentor other staff in advanced clinical guidelines and best practices. (b) Ability to serve as a subject matter expert (SME) for healthcare providers in specialty practice areas regarding physical therapy care. (c) Ability to present] advanced knowledge in the therapeutic interventions and clinical practice guidelines with the healthcare team. (d) Ability to interpret and apply clinical practice guidelines. Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty)and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. PTAs at this level apply advanced practice skills to treat complex patients. PTAs possess an advanced level of clinical competence and serve as a SME n specialty practice areas. They serve as a subject matter expert in a rehabilitation program such as, but not limited to, geriatrics, amputee, brain injury, cardiac rehabilitation, orthopedics, neurological, safe patient handing, or any other functional debilitative conditions. They possess advanced practice skills and experience with a wide range of patient complexity. They apply advanced methodologies to a vast array of functional impairments and patients. They independently recommend and apply evidence-based treatment approaches within the plan of care. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G23- Physical Therapy Assistant Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-9. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-9. Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting and carrying (45+ lbs.); Moderate carrying (15-44 lbs.); straight pulling ( <1 hour); pushing (_<1 hour); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking ( 2 hours); standing (3 hours); kneeling (<1 hour). See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
Incumbent is a Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) who is responsible for providing treatment that promotes the prevention, remediation, and rehabilitation of acute and chronic physical and psychosocial dysfunction in the specialty of orthopedic physical therapy. The PTA administers and monitors therapeutic interventions based on goals formulated by a Physical Therapist but must be able to carry out a general treatment plan without the direct involvement of a Physical Therapist.