Physical Therapist

Description:

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

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.
• English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• Licensure: Individuals hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Copy of licensure required with application package

• Education and Experience: The individual must meet at least one of the requirements below (copy of transcripts required with application package):

• Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy AND five (5) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.
• Master's degree in Physical Therapy AND two (2) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.
• Doctorate degree in physical therapy.
  • NOTE: Prior to 1995 the terminal degree for PT's was either a bachelors or master's degree. In 1995 CAPTE accredited all baccalaureate, master's, and Doctor of Physical Therapy terminal degree programs. Effective 2002, CAPTE changed its scope of accrediting activities of PT education programs to include only those programs that culminate in post-baccalaureate degrees(eliminating the baccalaureate degree). Effective 2015, professional physical therapy education programs have only offered the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree to all new students.
  • NOTE: Individuals must be a graduate of a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited college or university. The CAPTE is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit entry-level physical therapy programs. Verification of accredited programs may be obtained from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) at www.apta.org.
  • Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign physical therapy programs meet the requirements in subparagraph 3b if they have a full unrestricted and current license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. The Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) is a non-profit organization created to assist the United States (U.S.) Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly INS) and U.S. state licensing authorities by evaluating the credentials of Foreign Educated Physical Therapists (FEPTs) who wish to immigrate and work in the U.S. Although the licensing of physical therapists in the U.S. is a right and responsibility of each jurisdiction, foreign educated individuals must undergo an educational credentials assessment for substantial equivalency to the first professional degree in the US. The Credentials Evaluation Standards were developed with input from the physical therapy credentialing agencies that are licensed to use FSBPT's Coursework Tool.

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).

GS-12 Grade Determinations:

GS11 Assignment - PTs at this level are responsible for providing assessment and treatment intervention. PTs plan and modify treatment based on a patient's response to intervention and/or change in medical condition. PTs at this level may be given general assignments in an physical therapy program area where advanced specialized knowledge is not required or may serve as the sole PT such as in an outpatient clinic. Licensed PTs may provide oversight and delegate patient care responsibilities to a Physical Therapy Assistant, and/or delegate non-patient care duties to non-licensed staff. PTs that are not licensed must practice under the close supervision of a licensed PT.

Education, Experience, and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, hold a valid unrestricted state license and demonstrate all the KSAs identified below.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to make autonomous clinical decisions in a Direct Access environment. This includes ability to independently evaluate and treat patients who seek physical therapy services.
• Skill in performing examinations and evaluations of individuals who have or may develop impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions related to conditions of the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and/or integumentary systems while considering the effects attributable to unique psychosocial and environmental factors.
• Ability to interpret findings from examination and evaluation, select appropriate test and measures, and integrate findings into the physical therapy plan of care for the full range of patient populations.
• Ability to establish a diagnosis within the scope of physical therapy and identify the appropriate rehabilitation intervention, including referral to another provider for further consultation as clinically indicated.
• Ability to determine physical therapy prognosis by incorporating examination finding with the patient's preferences in order to set clinically appropriate treatment goals, optimize outcomes, and maximize functional independence.
• Ability to independently provide clinical oversight of Physical Therapy Assistants as well as students on clinical affiliations who are in Doctoral PT Programs or PTA Programs.

Preferred Experience: Two years of clinical experience working in an outpatient setting; experience with providing telehealth.

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-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Occasional lifting, 20-50 pounds, moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds, straight pulling, pulling hand over hand, reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, walking, standing, repeated bending, both legs required, ability to distinguish basic colors, hearing (aid permitted), far vision correctable in one eye to 20/50 and to 20/100 in the other.Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination.