Occupational Therapist - Clinical Specialist Certified Hand Therapist (CHT)

Description:

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until 02/10/2027. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 02/23/2026, with subsequent cut-off dates on the 1st of each month.

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: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

Education: The individual must meet at least one of the following requirements below:

• 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.

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.

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).

Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA [in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification/registration [that are part of the basic requirements of this occupation. Employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

• They may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
• If an OT who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee will lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
• OTs initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
• OTs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.

Grade Determinations :
GS-13: Education, Experience, and Licensure. Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level and directly related to the position being filled and one of the following:

• A minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice directly in the advanced practice area. This time must be within the past five years;
• Certification in an area recognized by the AOTA;
• Completion of a fellowship/residency or advanced degree program in the advanced practice area; or
• An additional advanced degree in a related field.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy across multiple areas of practice.
• Ability to provide clinical guidance in the advanced practice area to other OT practitioners.
• Knowledge of advanced specialized evaluation, interventions and services to independently develop treatment strategies for area of specialization.
• Skill in developing protocols and procedures for intervention programs based on current occupational therapy theory, recent research, and practice.
• Ability to provide consultation to other health care practitioners and outside groups about occupational therapy scope of practice for area of specialization.
• Ability to implement, revise/update evidence based occupational therapy services and programming in area of specialization.

Preferred Experience:

• Active CHT Credentials
• Experience in providing clinical guidance and mentorship to OT practitioners in the Acute Care (Inpatient and Outpatient) areas.
• Incumbent has advanced skills to perform and interpret specialized evaluation procedures and tests as a Certified Hand Therapist. Experience in the Rehabilitation of the upper limb, which includes the hand, wrist, and shoulder girdle.
• Minimum of at least 2 years clinical practice as a Hand Therapist
• Past or current experience collaborating with surgical services.
• Orthotic fabrication for post-op surgical protection/immobilization, correction of injury or deformity and conservative management of common upper extremity syndromes.

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-13.

Physical Requirements: A pre-placement examination will be required to be able to determine if the incumbent is able to safely operate a Government Vehicle

• Should have the ability to perform physical activities: typing, walking, standing, bending, kneeling, reaching, moderate to heavy lifting, carrying; and to be on feet most of the day.
• Should have the ability to perform repetitive physical activities: Up to 4-6 hours of the following: sitting, walking, standing, twisting, bending, stooping, reaching, reaching overhead, grasping and pinching with hands and fine manipulation, such as typing/keyboarding. Up to 1-2 hours of the following: straight pulling, puling hand over hand, pushing, climbing and kneeling.
• Required lifting light to moderate (up to 44 pounds)
• Carrying light to moderate (up to 44 pounds)
• Required functional hearing with/without hearing aids
• Near vision correctable at 13-16"
• Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other
• Ability to use both eyes
• Depth Perception
• Ability to distinguish basic colors
• Ability to distinguish shades of colors
• Use of fingers, both hands and use of both legs.
• Sitting is required for meetings, administrative work and occasionally driving motor vehicle most of the day. The ability to drive is required.
• The position demands significant physical stress and strain such as transferring patients, crouching and crawling on mats, and occasionally defending self against combative patients assigned to the incumbent.
• Work may require good physical health, normal use of arms and legs and good visual and auditory acuity, to evaluate and treat patients, and to use computer, keyboard, monitor, phone, etc.
• Work is performed in the clinics, wards, exercise areas, office and conference rooms, occasionally in the home. May be exposed to infectious diseases, medical and psychiatric emergencies.