- Position Title
- Occupational Therapist
- Agency
- Veterans Health Administration
- Announcement Number
- CBTA-12693802-25-TC Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Thursday, March 20, 2025 to Monday, March 31, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1.
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. Are you proficient in basic written and spoken English?
2.
Do you claim Veterans’ Preference?
If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) or if the position requires a college education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application.
In order to receive appropriate consideration, you should submit proper documentation if you are claiming eligibility for Veterans' Preference, which includes a copy of your DD-214 (member copy 4 or earlier version that shows character of service). Applicant's claiming 10-Point preference should also submit an SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference along with the required documentation listed on the form (such as verification of service-connected disability percentage).
3.
Are you currently employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
4.
Are you a current/past/upcoming VHA Health Professions Trainee (HPT) Graduate?
An HPT may be VA-paid, Without Compensation (WOC), or a participant of the VA Health Professional Scholarship Program that has been appointed to a temporary position in one or more VHA medical facilities performing clinical or research training experience to satisfy program or degree requirements.
To verify your standing as a current/past/upcoming HPT graduate, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), the FL-294 (or a WOC appointment letter).
An HPT may be VA-paid, Without Compensation (WOC), or a participant of the VA Health Professional Scholarship Program that has been appointed to a temporary position in one or more VHA medical facilities performing clinical or research training experience to satisfy program or degree requirements.
To verify your standing as a current/past/upcoming HPT graduate, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), the FL-294 (or a WOC appointment letter).
5.
Are you a current permanent Federal employee from an agency other than Department of Veterans Affairs?
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form.
Preferences
1.
Which of the following items describes your current or recent (within the last five years) political appointee service?
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
Your resume must be submitted in English and include the following information for each job listed:
- Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
- Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
- Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
- Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
By submitting your application, you are certifying, to the best of your knowledge and belief, all the information submitted by you with your application for employment is true, complete, and made in good faith, and that you have truthfully and accurately represented your work experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education (degrees, accomplishments, etc.). The information you provide as part of your application may be investigated. You are also certifying, and acknowledging, that misrepresenting your experience or education, or providing false or fraudulent information in, or with your application, may affect your eligibility for appointment and/or continued employment. False or fraudulent statements may be punishable by fine or imprisonment (18 U.S.C. 1001).
Assessment 1
Thank you for your interest in the Occupational Therapist, GS-0631-09/11/12, position with the Department of Veterans Affairs. To qualify for this position, you must meet the Basic Requirements as well as any additional grade-level qualification requirements. Select the appropriate answer to each of the following questions based on your current level of education and/or experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. When answering the questionnaire, remember that your experience and education are subject to verification by investigation. You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation of experience or education as proof to support your answers, or you may be required to verify a response by a practical demonstration of your claimed ability to perform a task.
Basic Requirements: To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:
1.
Education/Experience Requirement: Please select the answer below that reflects how you meet the education/experience requirements to qualify for this position.
NOTE: 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 if they have a current, full, active and unrestricted license referred to in subparagraph [3e] of this appendix.
NOTE: 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 if they have a current, full, active and unrestricted license referred to in subparagraph [3e] of this appendix.
1a.
Please provide the following information regarding the academic institution from which you received your degree.
Name of Institution
City and State
Degree
Major/Program
Month and Year conferred
Name of Institution
City and State
Degree
Major/Program
Month and Year conferred
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
2.
Certification Requirement: Candidates must possess a current National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification as an Occupational Therapist.
Do you hold a current National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification as an Occupational Therapist?
Do you hold a current National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification as an Occupational Therapist?
3.
State Licensure Requirement: Individuals must hold a full, current, and unrestricted 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.
Do you 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?
Do you 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?
3a.
Provide the following information regarding your Occupational Therapy licensure.
Name on License
Issuing state or territory
Complete license number
Expiration date
Name on License
Issuing state or territory
Complete license number
Expiration date
Grade Level Requirements: Please select the appropriate answer to each of the following questions based on your background and experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. When answering the questionnaire, remember that your experience and education are subject to verification by investigation.
NOTE: Ensure that your resume appropriately reflects that you meet these experience requirements, or you may be found not qualified for the position.
FAILURE TO RESPOND TO THESE QUESTIONS WILL RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING. YOUR RESUME MUST SUPPORT THE RESPONSES YOU SELECT.
NOTE: Ensure that your resume appropriately reflects that you meet these experience requirements, or you may be found not qualified for the position.
FAILURE TO RESPOND TO THESE QUESTIONS WILL RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING. YOUR RESUME MUST SUPPORT THE RESPONSES YOU SELECT.
GS-09 Occupational Therapist (Entry Level) Education, Experience, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
4.
GS-11 Occupational Therapist Education, Experience, or Licensure Requirement - In addition to the basic requirements do you possess one of the following:
- Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level and directly related to the position being filled.
- Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree in occupational therapy or a directly related field;
- Possess a Doctorate in occupational therapy?
5.
GS-11 Occupational Therapist Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Requirement: In addition to meeting the education, experience, or licensure requirement for the GS-11 level, do you possess the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Knowledge of occupational therapy practice.
- Ability to administer/interpret evaluation findings to develop and coordinate intervention plans, including goals and methods of treatment.
- Ability to implement intervention plans directly or in collaboration with others.
- Skill in monitoring an individual's response to interventions and modify treatment plans and reevaluating as indicated.
- Ability to communicate and or collaborate with patients, family members, caregivers, interdisciplinary professionals and/or other individuals verbally and in writing.
- Knowledge of health and safety regulations to minimize risk in the provision of patient care and the environment of care.
- Knowledge of applicable regulations governing documentation, reimbursement and workload entry in accordance with established professional practice.
6.
GS-12 Occupational Therapist Education, Experience, and Licensure Requirement: In addition to meeting the requirements at the GS-11 grade level, do you possess at least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level and directly related to the position being filled?
7.
GS-12 Occupational Therapist Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: In addition to meeting the education, experience, and licensure requirement for the GS-12 level, do you possess the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Knowledge of occupational therapy principles and techniques consistent with current clinical standards based on OT theory and evidence based practice. Knowledge is inclusive of physical, occupational, cognitive, and psychosocial functional deficits.
- Ability to collaborate and communicate orally and in writing with all internal and external stakeholders.
- Ability to use critical analysis, clinical reasoning, and creativity to independently solve complex problems related to adapting and modifying assessments, treatment plans, activities and procedures to meet the needs of patients.
- Skill in procuring, fabricating, adjusting, adapting, and modifying orthoses, splints, and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living (inclusive of durable medical equipment).
- Ability to conduct OT related in-service and clinical training