Summary
This Physical Therapy position includes services to the outpatient, in-patient and home environments of the Spinal Cord Injury Disorders patient population. The physical therapist is responsible for independently providing assessment and treatment interventions received through healthcare provider referrals and patient self-referrals to provide a customized and integrated plan of care to achieve the SCI Veteran individual goal-directed outcomes diagnoses.
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Duties
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Duties include but not limited to:
Performs Patient Evaluations:
- Veterans are scheduled for evaluation considering caseload complexity and acuity of medical condition. Coordinates veteran schedule with other interdisciplinary team members.
- Guided by differential (screen for systemic diseases and medical conditions that can mimic neuromuscular and musculoskeletal problems) and movement (examine and evaluate the movement system -including diagnosis and prognosis- to provide a customized and integrated plan of care to achieve the individual's goal-directed outcomes) diagnoses.
- Perform examinations and evaluations of individuals who have or may develop impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions related to conditions of the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and/or integumentary systems while considering the effects attributable to unique personal and environmental factors.
- Review of medical records to interpret findings from examination, diagnostic studies and/or medical tests. During evaluation select appropriate clinical tests and measures; then integrate findings into the physical therapy plan of care for the full range of patient populations, using relevant evidence-based data and norms.
- Establish a diagnosis within the scope of physical therapy and identify the appropriate intervention to treat and/or refer to another provider for further consultation when needed.
- Determine physical therapy prognosis by incorporating examination findings with the patient's preferences for meaningful level of function in order to set clinically appropriate treatment goals and optimize outcomes.
Treatment Implementation:
- Evaluation findings are used to develop and implement comprehensive patient treatment plans including objective, measurable goals, timeliness for completion. These goals are developed in collaboration with the patient, family and/or stakeholder input.
- Modifies treatment plan according to patient response to treatment and towards meeting established goals. Documents treatment progression and/or modifications accordingly.
- Demonstrates a full professional understanding of selective therapeutic techniques and modalities related to disability being treated. May serve as a resource to other, less experience therapists.
- Develops Home Programs for patients as indicated at discharge. Instructs significant others in ways to assist patients to carry out home program and in the use of equipment and assistive devices issued.
- Collaborates with nursing and the interdisciplinary rehabilitation team to facilitate the operation of the ward/unit/clinic to meet common goals.
Administrative functions include:
- Assist to receive and triage patient referrals/consults, patient self-referrals and adheres to consult compliance established guidelines and is knowledgeable of SCI services provided by PM&RS for appropriate veteran continuum of care.
- Participates in Process Improvement activities related to SCI (e.g. Cultural Transformation, Patient Centered Care, etc.), PM&R and VANTHCS.
- Participates in update of evaluation forms and protocols to adequately meet the requirements of the program and types of patients in the assigned clinical program.
- Delegates tasks/procedures to the appropriate support personnel to facilitate effective and efficient patient care.
- Reports all safety hazards and faulty equipment to Lead Therapist and/or Supervisor Program Manager.
Education and Research:
- Conducts in-services for interdisciplinary team and other rehabilitation programs.
- Maintains current concepts and trends in Physical Therapy and evidence based medicine/rehabilitation practices through literature reviews, study of current research, clinical practice, and through attendance to continuing education courses, conferences and in-services.
- Student supervision: has a responsibility to the profession and VANTHCS to assist with the instruction of physical therapy (PT) and physical therapy assistant (PTA) students. Serves as Clinical Instructor for PT and PTA students as assigned.. Participates in developing and upgrading student training program content in clinical area.
- Participates in facility and/or service education projects. Develops patient education printed materials. Serves as a resource person to VANTHCS and the community in matters relating to Physical Therapy, the delivery of health care, and the needs of the veteran/military population.
- Complies with mandatory training, annual, and continuing education hours as required by facility and Physical Therapy state board to maintain professional license and competency.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 53643-F, 53642-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
- All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
- Subject to background/security investigation.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
- Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications
HPTs who are on track to graduate/complete the requirements should respond as if they have met the requirements. Provide details in the narrative sections of the assessment.
Basic Requirements:
Citizenship. Candidates must be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
Education and experience. The individual must meet at least one of the requirements below:
- Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy AND five (5) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist. (Or)
- Master's degree in Physical Therapy AND two (2) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist. (OR),
- Doctorate degree in physical therapy.
NOTE: Individuals must be a graduate of a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited college or university. The CAPTE is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit entry-level physical therapy programs. Verification of accredited programs may be obtained from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) at www.apta.org.
Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign physical therapy programs meet the requirements in subparagraph 3b if they have a full unrestricted and current license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
Licensure. Individuals hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Non-licensed PTs, who otherwise meet the basic requirements in this standard, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate PT at the GS-11 grade level under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 (a)(1)(D) for a period not-to-exceed two years from the date of employment on the condition that such PT provide care only under the supervision of a PT who is licensed. Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment.
English Language Proficiency. Individuals appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA must be proficient in written and spoken English. See Chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.
Grade Determinations:
GS-11 Education, Experience, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.
Assignment. PTs at this level are responsible for providing assessment and treatment intervention. PTs plan and modify treatment based on a patient's response to intervention and/or change in medical condition. PTs at this level may be given general assignments in any physical therapy program area where advanced specialized knowledge is not required or may serve as the sole PT such as in an outpatient clinic. Licensed PTs may provide oversight and delegate patient care responsibilities to a Physical Therapist Assistant, and/or delegate non-patient care duties to non-licensed staff. PTs that are not licensed must practice under the close supervision of a licensed PT.
GS-12 Education, Experience and Licensure.
In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, hold a valid unrestricted state license and demonstrate all the KSAs below:
- Ability to make autonomous clinical decisions in a Direct Access environment. This includes ability to independently evaluate and treat patients who seek physical therapy services.
- Skill in performing examinations and evaluations of individuals who have or may develop impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions related to conditions of the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and/or integumentary systems while considering the effects attributable to unique psychosocial and environmental factors.
- Ability to interpret findings from examination and evaluation, select appropriate test and measures, and integrate findings into the physical therapy plan of care for the full range of patient populations.
- Ability to establish a diagnosis within the scope of physical therapy and identify the appropriate rehabilitation intervention, including referral to another provider for further consultation as clinically indicated.
- Ability to determine physical therapy prognosis by incorporating examination findings with the patient's preferences in order to set clinically appropriate treatment goals, optimize outcomes and maximize functional independence.
- Ability to independently provide clinical oversight of Physical Therapy Assistants as well as students on clinical affiliations who are in Doctoral PT Programs or PTA Programs.
Assignment. At the full performance level, PTs are responsible for independently providing assessment and treatment interventions to inpatients and outpatients received through healthcare provider referrals and patient self-referrals. Guided by differential and movement diagnoses, PTs perform examinations and evaluations of individuals who have or may develop impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions related to conditions of the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and/or integumentary systems while considering the effects attributable to unique personal and environmental factors. PTs interpret findings from examination, diagnostic studies/medical tests and, during evaluation, select appropriate clinical tests and measures, and then integrate findings into the physical therapy plan of care for the full range of patient populations. PTs establish a diagnosis within the scope of physical therapy and identify the appropriate intervention to treat and/or refer to another provider for further consultation when needed. They determine physical therapy prognosis by incorporating examination findings with the patient's preferences for meaningful level of function in order to set clinically appropriate treatment goals and optimize outcomes.
Preferred Experience:
- 1-2 years experience with neuro population
- Experience with adaptive sports, wheelchairs, and adaptive equipment
- Experience performing comprehensive evaluations and ass
