Recreation Therapist

Summary

This Recreation Therapist position is in Sensory and Physical Rehabilitation Services (SPRS) at the VA Maine Healthcare Systems, located at the Augusta, ME location.

Duties

• The Recreation Therapist (RT) provides evaluation and treatment that promotes the prevention, remediation, and rehabilitation of acute and chronic physical and psychosocial dysfunction. The RT administers and monitors therapeutic interventions based on goals developed in the evaluation of the patient. The duties and responsibilities of this position are carried out within the medical center and the community including various clinical, administrative, and patient care areas associated with SPRS. Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Administers, scores, or interprets a variety of creative and motor skills tests. Evaluates the assigned veteran's mental, emotional, social, and physical capabilities to determine their needs in recreation therapy. Administers mental and physical tests for those with severe or multiple diagnoses. Maintains professional competencies in testing procedures and practices and introduces new methods as appropriate. Guides recreation therapy assistants in observational skills as they informally assess and reassess Veteran's in their care. Uses effective interviewing techniques to obtain objective and information pertaining to the Veteran's individual interests and aptitudes. Observes the Veteran during trial assignments to confirm initial assessment. Coordinates the overall treatment plan with the treatment team and Veteran's family/caregiver to provide a program that focuses on treatment goals. Serves as a member of a multi-disciplinary treatment team recommending treatment objectives. Plans various activities directed towards achieving such therapeutic objectives. Provides the equipment, materials, instruction, encouragement, or counseling necessary to promote a positive and therapeutic activity. Coordinates a wide range of activities with other services in the development of appropriate treatment programs. Documents the treatment rendered and the Veteran's progress and response to treatment in the medical record. Work Schedule: Full-Time; Monday - Friday: 8:00am-4:30pm with occasional weekend/holidays. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: PDF04465, PDF04466, and PDF03110 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure: Not Required Notifications: This position is in the Excepted Service. This position is not a Bargaining Unit position. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

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: Citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English, as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Education: The following education requirements apply to the recreation therapist, creative arts therapist (art), creative arts therapist (dance/movement), creative arts therapist (drama), and creative arts therapist (music): Recreation Therapist: A bachelor's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, with a major in therapeutic recreation or recreation/leisure, with an option and/or emphasis in therapeutic recreation. The degree must be approved by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC); OR, A bachelor's degree or higher in any field from an accredited college or university and must be a certified therapeutic recreation specialist (CTRS). The degree must be approved by the NCTRC. If hired under this education, the certification cannot be waived. Certification: Recreation Therapist: Applicants must be certified in recreation therapy as a CTRS by the NCTRC. If hired under using a degree other than recreation, certification cannot be waived. Exception: Non-registered and/or non-certified applicants, who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for registration and/or certification, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate recreation or creative arts therapist, under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B), 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-07 and GS-09 level. For grade levels at or above the full performance level, the candidate must be registered and/or certified. Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a recreation or creative arts therapist, on the effective date of this qualification standard (07/19/2019), are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, including positive education, and registration and/or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. ***See Education for more information. Grade Requirements: Creditable Experience Knowledge of Current Professional Recreation Therapy or Creative Arts Therapy Practices: To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities (also referred to as "clinical competencies") associated with current professional recreation or creative arts therapy practices. Evidence of such experience includes private practice, U.S. military services, local/state/federal government organizations, for profit/non-profit organizations, health care, or educational facilities. Quality of Experience: Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to the next lower grade level. Experience satisfying this requirement must be active professional practice, which may be paid or non-paid employment as a recreation or creative arts therapist. Grade Determinations: Recreation Therapist, GS-07: Experience/Education: None beyond the basic requirements. Recreation Therapist, GS-09: Experience/Education: At least one year of creditable experience at the next lower grade level, or a master's degree in recreation therapy may be substituted for the required one year of professional recreation therapist experience. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of assessment tools and treatment for the diagnosis or disability of the patient…

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/. Failure to Obtain Registration/Certification: In all cases, recreation and creative arts therapists must actively pursue meeting registration and/or certification requirements, starting from the date of appointment. 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, and may result in termination of employment. 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: All persons employed in VHA as a recreation or creative arts therapist, on the effective date of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, including positive education, and registration and/or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic r…