Occupational Therapist - HUDVASH

Summary

The Occupational Therapist promotes outpatient Veterans' maximum level of independence and safety in the performance of everyday activities at home and in the community to support their transition from homeless to housed. The incumbent works in collaboration with members of the Housing and Urban Development-Department of Veterans Affairs Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) Program.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major duties include but are not limited to: Provide expert, evidence-based occupational therapy (OT) services to Veterans who are imminently housed or housed through HUD-VASH/HCHV, adapting interventions to complex medical, social, mental health, substance-use, and functional needs in home and community settings. Independently evaluate Veterans' occupational performance, primarily in the home and community and occasionally in VA clinics, using medical records, interviews, caregiver/team input, observation, and standardized or nonstandardized assessments. Assess the full range of occupational performance, including ADLs and IADLs; education, employment, leisure, play, and social participation; motor, process, and communication skills; habits, routines, and roles; client factors; activity demands; and cultural, environmental, social, personal, spiritual, temporal, and military contexts. Develop collaborative, measurable, and time-limited intervention plans with Veterans, families, caregivers, and the HUD-VASH multidisciplinary team, incorporating Veteran goals, environmental factors, activity demands, evidence-based practice, and appropriate OT theories and methodologies. Deliver and oversee individualized or group interventions to improve ADLs, IADLs, medication and appointment management, meal preparation, budgeting, time management, emotional regulation, communication, social participation, community integration, employment or volunteer activities, parenting, leisure, and stress-management skills. Evaluate, prescribe, fit, and train Veterans in durable medical equipment (DME), seating, wheeled mobility, and basic adaptive equipment, including caregiver education in safe handling, body mechanics, equipment use, and strategies that maximize independence and reduce injury risk. Identify and address home and community safety needs by recommending home modifications, improving access and living-space organization, identifying architectural barriers, addressing environmental risks, and coordinating equipment, vendors, non-VA agencies, and other services as permitted by program regulations. Provide specialized therapeutic and preventive services, including strengthening, range-of-motion and fine-motor activities, cognitive exercises, splinting screens and simple static splints, skin-protection strategies, positioning, wound-risk identification, and appropriate use of therapeutic modalities within professional training and credentialing. Other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized to highly qualified candidates. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VAInsurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Ad Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change o…

Qualifications

30 Day Hiring Model (Continued) HR may arrange interviews and will request references within 3-5 days after being referred to the hiring manager. Streamlined Pre-Employment Requirements: Following a tentative offer, applicants should be prepared to complete required steps, such as fingerprinting and background check, credentialing, and medical examination within 3 days of the offer. Clear and Timely Communication: Applicants will receive clear communication at key milestones, including referral, tentative offer, and onboarding instructions. After meeting pre-employment requirements, candidates will receive a final job offer and start date. Onboarding tasks may continue after starting, with HR ensuring timely completion for a smooth transition into VA service. If selected, applicants should be prepared to come onboard within 30 days of the announcement closing. 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. 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 (2) 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). Foreign Graduates: Graduates of foreign occupational therapy programs meet the requirements of subparagraph [3b(2)] if they have a current, full, active and unrestricted license referred to in subparagraph 3e of this appendix. 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. English Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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: Education, Experience, and Licensure: Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at the GS-11 grade level and directly related to the position being filled. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to: provide direct occupational therapy interventions and procedures with routine complexity to enhance safety, wellness, performance in activities of daily living (ADL); and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), education, work, play, leisure, and social participation. Occupational therapists require guidance with higher complexity conditions. Demonstrated KSAs: In addition the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of occupational therapy principles and techniques consistent with current clinic…

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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/.