Caregiver Support Program Clinical Assessor Occupational Therapist

The Caregiver Support Program (CSP) Clinical Assessor- Occupational Therapist (OT) referred to herein as "OT Clinical Assessor" or "Incumbent" is disciplinarily assigned to Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and programmatically assigned to the CSP Program at Fayetteville VA Coastal Health Care System with broad administrative oversight of the Manager of CSP Programs and clinical oversight from the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Department.

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.

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• English Proficiency
• [Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. A 7403(f).] 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
• Degree programs may be verified by contacting the American Occupational Therapy Association website or at their office address: American Occupational Therapy Association - P.O
• Box 31220 - Bethesda - MD 20824-1220
• c
• Foreign Graduates
• Graduates of foreign occupational therapy programs 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)
• d
• Certification
• Candidates must possess a current NBCOT certification as an OT e
• 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
• f
• Loss of Credential
• An employee in this occupation who fails to maintain [the required state or territorial licensure and the NBCOT certification - both current and in good standing -] must be removed from the occupation - which may result in termination of employment
• Grade Determinations: 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 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: Experience in conducting home visits - completing assignments and case management Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-12 to GS-12
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

• Evaluation and Treatment: - Accept and respond to OT/CSP consults and document evaluation and treatment in compliance with CSP and Occupational Therapy policies
• - Complete Veteran functional assessments - including the VFAI - for the PCAFC
• - Possesses skill in independently utilizing appropriate screening and standardized and non-standardized evaluation tools required to appropriately provide and direct the OT care plan in multiple settings
• - Responsible for the independent comprehensive assessment of functional and occupational roles and provide direct intervention with varying degrees of complexity to enhance safety - wellness - participation - and performance in all areas of occupation (ADLs - IADLs - work/play - leisure - education - social participation - and rest/sleep) of Veterans referred to the Caregiver Support Program
• - Demonstrates knowledge of and ability to independently apply clinically appropriate assessment techniques and treatment interventions to address and evaluate all aspects of the occupational therapy domain: occupations - client factors - performance skills - performance patterns - contexts - and environments
• - Able to utilize standardized and non-standardized assessment methods to communicate information to the Centralized Eligibility & Appeals Team (CEAT) and inter-professional CSP team about Veterans' and caregivers' functioning
• Communication - Demonstrates the teaching skills required to provide education to Veterans - family members - caregivers - students - and other healthcare professionals
• - Demonstrates the ability to effectively communicate - both orally and in writing - with Veterans - family members - supervisors - caregivers - students - and other healthcare professionals
• - Establishes and maintains contact with other health care providers involved in Veteran care via written - telephone - and personal communication on a regular basis
• - Participates in interdisciplinary care planning conferences - as assigned
• Documentation: - Performs comprehensive written documentation of evaluations/assessments - progress notes - and discharge summaries
• - Documentation is consistent with regulatory bodies and accrediting commissions - VHA policy - and facility directives regarding content and timeliness
• - Proactively communicates with Prosthetics and Sensory Aide Services (PSAS) to address Veterans' needs for adaptive/durable medical equipment - orthoses - and prosthetics devices - in accordance with facility policy
• - Documents Veteran functional assessments for PCAFC in a timely manner and communicates information from assessments to the interprofessional CEAT for timely processing of the application
• Quality Assurance (QA) / Quality Improvement (QI): - Conducts data collection as specified or requested by the Supervisor of both Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and CSP for projects related to continuous process improvement for quality assurance (QA) and Quality Improvement (QI) for the CSP program
• Education: - As assigned - acts as Fieldwork Educator for occupational therapy student(s) from accredited educational programs
• - As assigned - demonstrates the teaching skills as required to provide education to Veterans - family members - caregivers - employees - students - and coworkers
• - Educates multiple service lines within the facility about the Occupational Therapy scope of practice
• - The OT continually seeks to improve knowledge and skills by reviewing current literature - conducting in-service training - participation in presentations - and attendance at continuing education programs - especially in their area of expertise
• - Continuing education and training will be focused on maintaining and improving competency in all general clinical functions but will also include coursework directed toward the development and improvement of clinical instruction - data collections and reporting techniques - and utilization and reporting of outcome measures
• - Continuing education will also involve staying up-to-date with training/certification per regulations of NBCOT/AOTA and state regulations - as well as taking initiative and completing other educational opportunities to enhance ability to delivery evidence-based occupational therapy assessments and interventions
• - Complete initial Veteran Functional Assessment Instrument (VFAI) intensive training with a recertification occurring every two years
• Administrative Responsibilities: - Completes all VAMC mandatory training in a timely manner - including yearly competencies and TMS requirements and CSP training requirements
• - Stays updated on CSP Program guidelines and policies
• - Competent in using the computer system for storing and retrieving electronic documents and files - transmitting and receiving e-mail - activating printers - and accessing the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS)
• Becomes familiar with the CSP Hub
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm