Chief Occupational Therapist

The Chief, OT is responsible for the supervision, administrative management, and direction of the occupational therapy program in a rehabilitation service or equivalent service-level department which consists of three or more OTs or other multi-discipline staff. The incumbent provides supervision of key clinical and training programs, including the overall technical oversight of the OTs whom they administratively supervise.

Qualifications:

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 Proficienc y:

Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Education:

(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). 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. (c)

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. (d)

Certification:

Candidates must possess a current NBCOT certification as an OT (e) 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).

Grade Determinations :

In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. 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 [t 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.

Preferred Experience:

8-10

Years of Experience 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-15. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-14.

Physical Requirements:

This work requires some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as manuals, record boxes, equipment or assisting patients.

See https:

//dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OCHCO/SitePages/D5019.aspx VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.