Summary The Referral Coordination Program Coordinator Physical Therapist is responsible for assisting the Section Chief in administrative management of Rehabilitation Services. The physical therapist serves as a subject matter expert in physical therapy and will independently review consults, complete thorough chart reviews, use sound professional judgment based on current work experience, and have knowledge of current evidence informed therapy practice and financial stewardship. Responsibilities The Physical Therapist will: Demonstrate sound interpersonal communication skills, excellent problem solving, and consult resolution skills. Follow established policies, procedures, and consult management directives to ensure timely completion of consults. Use professional knowledge effectively and must possess initiative, tact, resourcefulness, and good judgment in exercising authority. Be responsible for the clinical care and treatment of patients referred to the Physical Therapy Section of Rehabilitation Services. Be assigned approximately 50% administrative duty for Program Coordinator tasks and up to 50% clinical provision of outpatient physical therapy services. Be familiar with a variety of medical conditions and serve as a consultant and subject matter expert in the evaluation and treatment of older adults and their complex needs, as well as routine to complicated musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions. Maintain advanced and contemporary knowledge of current professional physical therapy practices and skills based on national licensing expectations. Be familiar with current clinical practice guidelines and best evidence for the treatment of routine to complex musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions. Leadership/Administrative Responsibilities. Serve as a mentor to staff PT' s and serve as a liaison between staff and Supervisor. Participate in interviews and selection of candidates for Rehabilitation Services positions. Assist Section Chief plan and develop treatment programs to meet patient needs. Actively support and promote all programs. Provide information to Supervisor for completion of Performance Appraisals. Serve as backup for the Section Chief, Rehab Services during periods of absence. Assist in orientation of new employees. Triage and Workload Distribution. Triage referrals in referrals management in the most expeditious manner based upon acuity of need. Review and triage referrals and documentation from outside providers to determine if they meet medical justification for new or continued services. Communicate with outside health care providers via email, fax, or phone to coordinate rehabilitation or prosthetic needs in the community. Resolve problems that interfere with delivery of Rehabilitation Services. Provide input and assist with coverage during periods of employee leave based on patient care needs. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI). Assist in chart review coordination/completion related to patient care documentation and (CQI) data collection as specified by the Section Chief, Rehabilitation Services. Assist in maintaining employee competencies. Review and make recommendations on supply and equipment acquisition. Treatmen t. Examine and treat patients referred for physical therapy. Establish and document goals and a progressive treatment plan for each patient. Resolve problems that interfere with delivery of physical therapy care. Demonstrate teaching skills required to provide education to patients, family members, caregivers, employees, students, and coworkers. Communicate effectively with other internal and external health care providers. Modify the treatment plan and interventions based on the changing needs, goals, and performance of the patient. Modify the treatment plan when either the established goals or timeframes for achievement of those goals has been attained. Complete discharge summaries when necessary. Education. Act as Clinical Instructor when assigned for affiliating schools for physical therapy. Identify continuing education needs based on performance of Rehabilitation Services staff. Educate other facility personnel in the scope of Rehabilitation Services and programs involving a variety of health care specialties. Continually seek to improve knowledge and skill by review of current literature, participation in in-service training, and attendance at continuing education programs especially in their area of expertise. Continuing education and training will be focused on maintaining and improving competency in all general clinical functions but will also include coursework directed toward the development and improvement of clinical programs, data collections and reporting techniques, and utilization and reporting of outcome measures. Safety and Environment. Demonstrate awareness of safety hazards and takes appropriate corrective action. Assist in the establishment of clinic and practice safety guidelines impacting all Rehabilitation Services patients and programs. Adhere to infection control programs. Assure the cleanliness, maintenance, repairs, and successful operation of all Rehab equipment, treatment areas, and operational supplies. Work Schedule: Mon - Fri, 7:00am to 3:30 pm. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. BASIC REQUIREMENTS.The basic requirements for employment as a VHA physical therapist are prescribed by Public Law 96-151 codified in 38 U.S.C. § 7402. To qualify for appointment, all applicants for the position of physical therapist in VHA must meet the following: Citizenship. Candidates must be a citizen of the United States. After a determination is made that it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens, necessary personnel may be appointed on a temporary basis under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 without regard to the citizenship requirements of 38 U.S.C. 7402 or any other law prohibiting the employment of or payment of compensation to a person who is not a citizen of the United States. Candidates must meet all other requirements for the grade and position concerned. Education and experience. The individual must meet at least one of the requirements below: (1) Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy AND five (5) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist. OR (2) Master's degree in Physical Therapy AND two (2) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist. OR (3) 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. 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. Non-licensed PTs, who otherwise meet the basic requirements in this standard, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate PT at the GS-11 grade level under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 (a)(1)(D) for a period not-to-exceed two years from the date of employment on the condition that such PT provide care only under the supervision of a PT who is licensed. Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. NOTE. Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetency or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the state for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment. This requirement does not apply to licensed physical therapists on VA rolls as of November 30, 1999, provided the individual maintains a continuous appointment and is not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification. Loss of Credential. A PT who fails to maintain the required license must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation, if qualified, and if a placement opportunity exists. GRADE REQUIREMENTS. Creditable Experience: (1) Knowledge of Contemporary Professional Physical Therapy Practice. To be creditable, a candidate must have demonstrated possession of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the scope of physical therapy practice. The candidate's experience may be evidenced by one or more of the following: Active professional practice. Active professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a professional PT as defined by APTA or the appropriate licensing board. Experience gained after graduation but prior to licensure is creditable provided the candidate was utilized as a graduate PT and subsequently passed the licensure examination. Completion of a post-graduate fellowship or a post-graduate residency program may be substituted for creditable experience on a year for year basis. (2) Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it was post degree experience as a professional PT and is directly related to the duties to be performed. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to or exceeding the professional PT experience at the next lower grade level. Grade Determination: In addition to the basic requirements for appointment, the following criteria must be used when determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. GS-13 Physical Therapist (Program Coordinator). Experience. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the all following KSAs. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 1. Ability to apply advanced knowledge of contemporary physical therapy within specialty area to provide clinical guidance, training or education for internal and external stakeholders. 2. Ability to serve as a consultant within the assigned program area for intra-agency and interagency planning and to provide service coordination to optimize program continuity, efficiency and effectiveness. 3. Knowledge of and skill in management, administration and/or education methodologies. This includes the ability to monitor and track data, utilize available resources effectively, evaluate program quality, and generate reports for local, and/or VISN and/or VACO leadership. 4. Ability to develop and coordinate treatment and/or educational programs within a concentrated field or specialty area, such as, but not limited to, amputee, spinal cord injury, chronic pain, student clinical education/residency programming, polytrauma/traumatic brain injury. 5. Ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships within department and with other departments or affiliated programs. 6. Ability to guide the work of a multi-disciplinary team. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Day to day work involves heavy lifting and carrying (over 45 pounds); straight pulling; pulling hand over hand; pushing; reaching above the shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking; standing; repeated bending; both legs required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; visual acuity far 20/50: 20/100; and hearing (aid may be permitted). Work may be outside or inside and working around machinery with moving parts. The therapist must be able to work alone and closely with others. Education IMPORTANT: This position has a positive education or training requirement. An unofficial copy of college transcripts showing completion of the required degree or program is required and must include the name of the school, your name, date conferred or completed, and degree or certificate type. 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/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.