Occupational 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.

01Basic 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.

Individuals must meet at least one of the requirements below: (1) Associate's or higher degree in occupational therapy from a college or university accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association(AOTA) ; OR (2) Completion of a military training program in an OTA program accredited by the ACOTE. Certification.

OTAs must have written documentation that they have passed the entry-level certification examination for OTAs administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Licensure. OTAs must hold a full, current, and unrestricted state license to practice occupational therapy in a State, Territory, a Commonwealth of the United States (i.e. Puerto Rico) or in the District of Columbia. English Language Proficiency.

OTA candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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).

02Grade Determinations

In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Occupational Therapy Assistant, GS-08 Experience. One year of creditable experience comparable to the next lower grade (GS-7) level. This specialized experience include: grade and adapt treatment interventions to maximize patient's functional status.

OTAs provide education regarding ways to structure activities and areas of occupation for patients to family members, other care professionals and program staff. They interact with patient and family to explain therapy procedures and discuss treatment plans to comply with indicated regimens and post discharge activities. OTAs may provide clinical supervision (Note, this does not constitute supervisory control) to OTA students and other healthcare practitioners.

This will include promoting clinical reasoning and reflective practice, as well as ethical practice and professional competency development. They provide department in-service training and provide caregiver and home management training to patients and families. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Ability to implement delegated assessments. (b) Ability to provide reports of observations and patient performance. (c) Ability to use complex therapeutic techniques and interventions, utilizing problem-solving skills to maximize patient's functional status. (d) Ability to modify therapeutic interventions for simple and complex cases with a wide range of diagnoses and disabilities. (e) Ability to recommend complex adaptive and assistive devices and durable medical equipment. (f) Ability to consult with health care practitioners about the patient's treatment plan and the occupational therapy scope of practice and services.

03Preferred Experience

Outpatient/Orthopedic "shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand" experience 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-8.

04Physical Requirements

Work includes regular and recurring physical exertion, which involves standing, bending, kneeling, reaching, gripping, and walking. Moderate to heavy lifting (45lbs or greater) is often required. Sitting at meetings, desks, or computer terminals for documentation purposes is required. Visual acuity to perform daily documentation and work with clients. Mental and emotional stability to work with varied caseloads.

Major duties include, but is not limited to: Clinical Functions Incumbent is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)who performs at the full performance level and is appropriately licensed and certified; he/she performs all duties under the oversight of a licensed occupational therapist.

The COTA is able to treat complex problems using knowledge of occupational therapy principles and techniques consistence with current clinical implement standards based on OT therapy and evidenced based practice Knowledge is inclusive of physical, occupational, cognitive and psychosocial functional deficits.

The COTA independently provides varied and multifaceted occupational therapy interventions based on the established OT plan of care and administers a wide variety of evidence-based occupational therapy procedures.

Incumbent must possess advanced knowledge of treatment techniques to assess changes in physical, occupational, cognitive and psychosocial functional deficits Incumbent must possess advanced knowledge of occupational therapy data collection and assessment techniques to perform specified aspects of patient evaluations and interventions. Administrative Duties Incumbent is responsible for the care, upkeep, and sanitation of equipment in assigned work environment.

Must organize and maintain clinical and administrative space to optimize safety, infection control and efficiency. Incumbent assesses equipment needs of the department and maintains adequate stock of supplies and materials. Incumbent schedules his/her patients for treatment, considering priority and frequency of care and coordinates schedules with other members of the treatment team. Flexibility of schedule must be maintained to allow for unscheduled patients and unforeseen circumstances.

Incumbent provides guidance and support to co-workers, students, and volunteers. Incumbent delegates duties to other support staff as appropriate. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized