Job Summary

Supervisory Occupational Therapists (OTs) at this level are responsible for the professional and administrative management of an assigned area in a large occupational therapy service or a rehabilitation service with multiple therapy related disciplines, including but not limited to Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), Kinesiotherapy (KT), Speech & Language Pathology, Recreation Therapy, and Blind Rehabilitation.

Job Description

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 Proficiency. [Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 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. 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. Certification. Candidates must possess a current NBCOT certification as an OT.] 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. 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). Supervisory Occupational Therapist, GS-14: Education, Experience, and Licensure. Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level and [directly related to the position being filled. Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs: a. Knowledge of evidence-based practices and clinical practice guidelines in multiple professional areas to use these resources to guide the program staff in providing clinically appropriate treatment interventions. b. Skill in interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution in dealing with employees, team leaders, and administrators. c. Ability to manage [resources] for a large, integrated service including not only occupational therapy, but also other focused rehabilitation, ancillary, or other health care services. d. Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with a group of professional staff. e. Ability to translate extensive rehabilitation knowledge into cogent and useful policy in complex facilities and/or across multiple sites. f. Skill in providing clinical and administrative oversight [and supervision of multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs in complex facilities and/or across multiple sites. g. Ability to collaborate with strategic planning committees at local, VISN or national levels for new ventures addressing patient care delivery systems, facilities management, and system reorganizations. Assignment. [The supervisory OT, service care line manager or service chief is responsible for the supervision, administrative management, and direction of an occupational therapy program or equivalent service-level department which typically consists of a multi-discipline staff and/or multiple facilities that may be separated geographically. The incumbent provides supervision of clinical and training programs, including the overall technical oversight of the OT practitioners whom they supervise. They are responsible for the development and implementation of policies and procedures that address focused clinical needs and the overall services provided within the section or service. They provide a Veteran/client centered environment while enhancing staff engagement. OTs at this level demonstrate a great deal of autonomy in performing responsibilities that include, but are not limited to, assigning work to employees, monitoring workload and clinical volume, reviewing work of employees to assure accuracy and validity of submissions, assuring adequate clinical staffing, imposing disciplinary measures, and monitoring clinical privileges. The OT supervisor, service care line manager or service chief serves as an advocate and resource consultant to the therapy staff and facility-at- large through communication with other departments, physicians, and external agencies. They select and monitor quality and performance measures for process improvement and patient satisfaction; obtain data from national and local databases; review and analyze various reports and complex data, complete trend analysis relating to quality improvement to ensure desired outcomes; monitors clinical service's compliance with the standards of external bodies and accrediting agencies; and recommends and assures remedial action. This level of assignment is typically located at VA medical centers or healthcare systems that are complex in nature and are affiliated with local colleges and universities. Preferred Experience: Minimum of 5 years of experience in leadership, management, coordination and/or supervision and professional knowledge of current rehabilitation practices of a multiple disciplinary team (to include but not limited to: PT, KT, OT, Recreation Therapy, Creative Arts, Physiatry, Speech, etc.) with progressive leadership experience. Experience promoting, coordinating and/or performing evaluations for patients with acute and/or chronic injuries, to include preventive mental health and physical health for age ranging from 18 to older. Experience and/or knowledge in patient care through telerehabilitation technology advancements. Experience and expertise to work with OEF/OIF service members and/or veterans and families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated mental, emotional, behavioral, physical, psychosocial, and environmental problems; providing advice and counseling; resolving complaints and enhancing customer satisfaction. Experience serving on committees, work groups, and task forces; preparing program reports, presenting briefings, findings and recommendations; setting priorities, assigning tasks, coordinating operations, meeting deadlines; reviewing policies and developing procedures. Experience in understanding and implementation of data systems to track service activities including visits, referrals, patient demographics, equipment utilization, budget, resources needs, patient satisfaction, clinical guidelines, protocols and monitoring performance and outcome measures. Experience providing guidance to staff, and knowledge in planning and directing recruitment, orientation, competencies, assessing training needs, assignment of work; performance evaluations; selection of staff; recommendation of awards, advancements, and disciplinary actions. 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-14.