Physical Therapist

Description:

The Physical Therapist evaluates the patients' present functional levels and disabilities. Ages of patients served at this facility range from the young adult age 20-30, middle aged patients age 30-40, to the elderly or geriatric patient age 60 and older.
There is great variance in the functional needs of patients. Every effort will be made to modify treatment so that optimal care can be provided for each patient referred for physical medicine and rehabilitation services.

Requirements:

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: 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 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• Education and/or Experience-Transcripts Supplied - The individual must meet at least one of the following 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.

PLEASE NOTE : Individuals must be a graduate of a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited college or university.

Foreign Graduates - Graduates of foreign physical therapy programs meet the requirements if they have a current, full, active, and unrestricted license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.

• State Licensure . Candidates must possess a full, current, and unrestricted state license to practice physical therapy in a state, territory or Commonwealth of the United States (i.e. Puerto Rico), or in the District of Columbia.
  • EXCEPTION : Non-licensed physical therapists (PT's), who otherwise meet the Basic Requirements, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate PT at the GS-11 grade level for a period not-to-exceed two years.
• 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

GRADE REQUIREMENTS - In addition to the Basic Requirements provided in the Physical Therapist Qualification Standard GS-0633 Veterans Health Administration - February 7, 2018 , the following are the grade requirements.

Grade Determinations for Physical Therapist GS-11 :

• GS-11 Experience, Education, or Licensure: No post-educational experience, education, or licensure is required at the GS-11 level 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 a non-licensed staff. PT's that are not licensed must practice under the close supervision of a licensed PT.

Grade Determinations for Physical Therapist GS-12 :

• GS-12 Experience, Education, AND Licensure (Submitted) : In addition to the Basic Requirements, a Physical Therapist at the full performance GS-12 level MUST be licensed AND possess at least one (1) year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level directly related to the position being filled.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs ) . In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs:
  • 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. See the referenced Qualification Standard for additional information.

Preferred Experience: New Graduate and/or PT with Experience

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/OHRM/QualificationStandards/HT38/0633-PhysicalTherapist.pdf

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-11 to GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45 pounds or over); light carrying (under 15 pounds); straight pushing (.5 hours); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking (.5 hours); standing (.5 hours); crawling (.5 hours); kneeling (.5 hours); repeated bending (1 hour); climbing, legs only (.5 hours); climbing, use of legs and arms; operation of crane, truck, tractor or motor vehicle; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; specific visual requirement (corrective lenses okay); both eyes required; ability to distinguish basic colors; hearing (aid may be permitted); mental and emotional stability.