SUMMARY

The position requires professional/clinical skills to perform occupational therapy procedures/treatments as requested by physicians for veterans in all states of health and illness with specialization in the areas of acute care, extended care, acute and chronic psychiatry, gero-psychiatry. Regular Travel is required. Employee will be expected to travel to Home Based Primary Care (HBPC), home visits, and outpatient and inpatient Community Living Center (CLC) at the Fort Meade VA facility.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

United States Citizenship: Citizen of the United States.

Education and/or Experience: The individual must meet at least one of the following requirements below(TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).

• 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

• 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

• 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.
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.

(1) EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, OR LICENSURE.

(a) Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level and directly related to the position being filled;
or
(b) Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree in occupational therapy or a directly related field;
or
(c) Doctorate in occupational therapy.
(2) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of occupational therapy practice.
(b) Ability to administer/interpret evaluation findings to develop and coordinate intervention plans, including goals and methods of treatment.
(c) Ability to implement intervention plans directly or in collaboration with others.
(d) Skill in monitoring an individual’s response to interventions and modify treatment plans and reevaluating as indicated.
(e) Ability to communicate and or collaborate with patients, family members, caregivers, interdisciplinary professionals and/or other individuals verbally and in writing.
(f) Knowledge of health and safety regulations to minimize risk in the provision of patient care and the environment of care.
(g) Knowledge of applicable regulations governing documentation, reimbursement and workload entry in accordance with established professional practice.

EDUCATION

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.
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/.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. YOUR APPLICATION, RESUME, C.V., AND/OR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION WILL BE VERIFIED. PLEASE FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. ERRORS OR OMISSIONS MAY AFFECT CONSIDERATION FOR EMPLOYMENT.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate’s abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

DUTIES

Major duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Evaluates the veterans Occupational Profile providing an understanding of the client occupational history, experiences, patterns of daily living, interests, values, and needs, motor and process skills and communication/interaction skills. The veteran’s problems and concerns about performing occupations and daily life activities are identified and priorities are determined. Targeted outcomes are also identified. Initial OT evaluation will follow established guidelines.
• Develops an intervention plan based on evaluation findings, OT theory and evidence based practice. This plan is to be developed in collaboration with the veteran and care partners as appropriate. The plan will consider potential discharge needs. The plan will include objective and measurable goals with an established timeframe.
• Demonstrates knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy across some areas of practice as appropriate as an developing level practitioner
• Documents the veteran’s response to treatment, therapists’ interventions and the progress toward reaching the desired targeted outcomes as per VA regulations and section guidelines.
• Reevaluates the plan; modify the plan as needed to achieve targeted outcomes.
• Determines the need for continuation, discontinuation or referral.
• Develops and coordinate educational materials for the caregiver of the disabled veteran to prevent premature institutionalization and promote safety in the home environment.
• Oversees treatment provided by staff occupational therapy assistants (COTA) if one exists
• Monitors currently used assessments/treatment methods and revise as necessary to reflect current methodology and Joint Commission, AOTA, State licensure, CMS and other appropriate regulating bodies’ standards.
• Demonstrates ability to facilitate safe patient assisted transfers to and from chair, bed, toilet, and car.
• Collaborates with staff throughout the medical center to create an environment that will maximize the veteran’s functional abilities and their quality of life.
• Works effectively with treatment team and other health care providers in coordinating the patient’s total care. Serves as full team member on assigned wards.
• Serves as active participant in quality improvement programs. Contribute to interdisciplinary assessments (i.e., FIM, MDS, etc.) and care plans. Assists with the Performance Improvement efforts for the occupational therapy section, following activities that detect and remedy deficiencies in process and outcome of OT services.
• Demonstrates autonomy in performing responsibilities that include, but are not limited to, monitoring their own workload and clinical volume.
• Assists OT supervisor in utilization and management of available space for current, additional or expanding therapy programs.
• Demonstrates the ability to set priorities, delegate tasks to volunteers and work study students, and solve problems in order to meet multiple deadlines.
• Assists the OT Supervisor in utilization review activities, quality improvement, and other administrative reporting as necessary.
• Assists the OT Supervisor, Coordinator of PM&RS and service Chief in preparations for Joint Commission, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), and any other accreditation programs or inspections.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm
Telework: Ad-hoc only, per Supervisor’s discretion
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50’s (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Highly Recommended Write to the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) on a separate document - KSAs are found under qualification/grade requirements in the announcement.
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcrip

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/10/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12792807.

• To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
• Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package