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The Creative Arts Therapist is aligned under the Spinal Cord Injury Service. The mission of the St. Louis SCI/D Creative Arts Therapist program is to improve and enrich bio-psycho-social functioning through an art therapy framework to develop specific skills attained through art making that may include increased independence, focus to task, sense of self-worth, coping skills, self-care and social skill. The incumbent is supervised by the SCI/D Therapy Supervisor.
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.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(F)
• Education: The individual must meet at least one of the requirements below:

(1) Master's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, with a major in Art Therapy approved by the American Art Therapy Association on or before June 30, 2016. If the degree is received after June 30, 2016, a master's degree or higher from an accredited college or university, with a major in art therapy, must be accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Art Therapy Education: a committee of the Commission on Accreditation on Allied Health Education Program.
OR
(2) Master's degree in a related field, plus graduate coursework and supervised field experience in Art Therapy. Acceptable related fields include: Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Social Work, Psychology, Addictions Counseling, Psychiatric Nursing, and Psychiatry, AND must possess a full, current, and unrestricted registration as a Registered Art Therapist (ATR) approved by the Art Therapy Credentials Board. If hired under this education, the registration cannot be waived.
Registration: Must possess a full, current, and unrestricted registration with the ATR. If hired under paragraph 3b(2)(b), registration cannot be waived.
Exception. Non-registered and/or non-certified applicants, who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for registration for a period not to exceed two years. Applicants who fail to obtain registration and/or certification during this temporary full-time appointment may be terminated. The exception only applies to positions at the GS-9 level.
Failure to Obtain Registration/Certification: At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the unregistered and/or uncertified recreation or creative arts therapist with the written requirement to obtain registration/certification, the date by which the registration and/or certification must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming registered and/or certified by the deadline. Failure to become registered and/or certified within two years from the date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0638 recreation and creative arts therapist occupation.
Loss of Credential. A recreation or creative arts therapist who fails to maintain the required registration and/or certification must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment.
Grandfathering 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 the basic requirements, the below qualification requirements must be met at the grade(s) in which you are applying:
GS-9 Creative Arts Therapist (Entry Level)
Experience/Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
Assignment: Employees at this level serve in an entry level position as creative arts therapist (art). Employees have knowledge of their respective discipline and work with direct supervision and guidance from higher-level or supervisory staff. Established treatment procedures are substantially adapted and applied for patients who are acutely ill. Therapists at this level may be given general assignments in a program area.
GS-11 Creative Arts Therapist (Full Performance Level) Experience: At least one year of creditable experience at the next lower grade level (GS-9). Examples include, but are not limited to: knowledge of their respective discipline and work with direct supervision and guidance from higher-level or supervisory staff. Established treatment procedures are substantially adapted and applied for patients who are acutely ill. Implements and modifies as necessary treatment plan and goals as needed throughout course of treatment to ensure optimum outcome. Maintains timely and appropriate documentation of all consults, initial evaluations, progress notes, discharge notes, patient/family education, workload statistics, QA monitors, patient attendance records and other clinical activities.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Ability to identify current art resources in the community at the time of assessment, for discharge planning purposes.
• Ability to develop and implement quality improvement systems as related to internal and external regulatory requirements, including patient safety.
• Knowledge of diagnostic coding and symptoms of diagnoses in the provision of art therapy.
• Knowledge of the creative process and art media and their effect on the patients' cognitive, sensory, emotional, and physical states.
• Ability to demonstrate and educate stakeholders on the value of the creative process as a therapeutic tool.
• Ability to establish and maintain a therapeutic relationship with professional boundaries that reflect a trusting, empathetic, and respectful interaction.
• Skill in collaborating and maintaining liaison with an interdisciplinary team and educating the treatment team on theoretical framework of art therapy interventions.

Assignment. Employees at this level serve as a creative arts therapist (art) at the full performance level. They provide direct patient care and receive guidance from higher-level or supervisory staff members for complex patients only. They gather informal art-based assessment of patients' needs, aptitudes, interests, and abilities. The therapist also develops and implements individualized art therapy treatment plans, to include the scope, duration, and frequency of treatment. Treatment goals may include, but are not limited to: emotional regulation, resolving traumatic memories, active meditation, building empathy and a sense of self-worth, and identifying potential risks and the need for adaptive interventions to facilitate improved well-being. Duties may include, but are not limited to developing art therapy programs, interventions, and instructional programs, including typical and atypical materials and resources that are appropriate to the needs, skills, and aptitudes of the patient. The therapist supports engagement in, and reflection of, the art process and product, through an art therapy framework where the engagement develops specific skills attained through art making that may include increased independence, focus to task, sense of self-worth, improved coping skills, self-care, and social skills. They provide a safe environment for patients to understand the symbolic expression of their art product, process, and their experience with the materials as it relates to their recovery and wellness.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
Preferred Experience: Neurologic rehabilitation experience preferred.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-09 to GS-11
Physical Requirements: Moderate Lifting (15-44 pounds); Moderate carrying (15-44 pounds); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Walking; Standing; Climbing (use of legs and arms); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Hearing (aid permitted); Clear Speech; Emotional and mental stability.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/.Employment Type: OTHER