Summary 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. Duties The Occupational Therapist is a health care professional working as part o the rehabilitation care team in a variety of settings. This Occupational Therapist is assigned to the Physical Medical and Rehabilitation Service (PMR). The Occupational Therapist provides assessment and treatment interventions on an independent basis across the continuum of care and services provided by the service. The incumbent will be expected to carry out general duty assignments but additionally serve as a subject matter expert in their assigned clinical area.
The Occupational Therapist will provide occupational therapy program for patients with physical disabilities limiting independence in self-care and living skills. The incumbent will independently plan, develop and implement occupational therapy services including patient care, staff in-servicing and clinical education. The Occupational Therapist evaluates and treats patients with multiple medical problems involving physical, psychosocial, and cognitive disabilities.
Duties include but not limited to:
- Provides direct patient care as assigned delivering Occupational Therapy services according to program requirements
- Screens patients for Occupational Therapy services for appropriateness, types of services and rehabilitation potential
- Independently develops and implements Occupational Therapy treatment using judgement to modify the treatment as a result of changing medical conditions
- Assists multidisciplinary medical team in coordination or patient's treatment and discharge planning
- Communicates with patients, families, treatment team members, and other Medical Center personnel and associates in the community to provide comprehensive services
- Utilizes aides, students, and volunteers to implement Occupational Therapy Services
- Works collaboratively with the leadership to design and implement programs within PMRs Service
- Maintains and submits in a timely manner statistics and other required reports
- Works independently. Responsible for the program and clinics assigned and confers with supervisor at periodic intervals for the purpose of keeping them informed of problem cases, workload and progress reports
- Acts as clinical supervisor for professional or technical level students or participates in equivalent educational activities as assigned
- Educates other health professionals and their trainees on the role of Occupational Therapy services
- Other duties as assigned
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday ; 7:30AM - 4:00PM PST
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Qualifications
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, AND
- Education [and/or Experience]:
- [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
- (c) 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
- Certification: Candidates must possess a current National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification as an OT.
- English Proficiency. [Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).]
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). All licensed OTs employed in the VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all the qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure that are part of the basic requirements for this occupation.
Grade Determinations:
GS-9 Occupational Therapist: None beyond the above basic requirements
GS-11 Occupational Therapist: In additional to the basic requirements,
- Education, Experience, or Licensure:
- Candidates must possess one year of experience to at least the GS-9 grade level and directly related to the position being filled, OR
- Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree in occupational therapy or a directly related field, OR
- Doctorate in Occupational Therapy
AND, demonstrate all KSAs below:
- (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.
GS-12 Occupational Therapist: In addition to the basic requirements:
- Education, Experience, and Licensure:
- Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level
AND, demonstrate all the KSAs below:
- (a) 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.
- (b) Ability to collaborate and communicate orally and in writing with all internal and external stakeholders.
- (c) 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.
- (d) Skill in procuring, fabricating, adjusting, adapting, and modifying orthoses, splints, and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living (inclusive of durable medical equipment).
- (e) Ability to conduct OT related in-service and clinical training.
Preferred Experience: at least 1 year of experience in the inpatient setting.
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 in the range of GS-9 to GS-12.
Education 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/.Requirements
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
- Subject to background/security investigation.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
- Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.How you will be evaluated 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.How to apply 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 11/23/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13072887.
- 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.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. Other information Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
