Physical Therapist (Supervisory)

The Physical Therapist (Supervisory) is responsible for the care and treatment of patients referred to the Physical Therapy Section of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS) within the Minneapolis VA Healthcare System. The incumbent provides supervision of staff and program oversight. This position includes clinical duties up to 75% of the time.

**Qualifications:**
Basic Requirements: (a) United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. (b) Education and Experience: The individual must meet at least one of the requirements below: 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. (c) 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. (d) 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. (e) English Language Proficiency. Individuals appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA must be proficient in written and spoken English. See Chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Grade Determinations: GS-13 Supervisory Physical Therapist Experience. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level, which is defined as: Making autonomous clinical decisions in a Direct Access environment. This includes ability to independently evaluate and treat patients who seek physical therapy services; 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; Interpreting 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; Establishing 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; Determining physical therapy prognosis by incorporating examination findings with the patient's preferences in order to set clinically appropriate treatment goals, optimize outcomes and maximize functional independence; Independently providing clinical oversight of Physical Therapy Assistants as well as students on clinical affiliations who are in Doctoral PT Programs or PTA Programs. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs. 1. Knowledge of contemporary physical therapy across multiple areas of practice, and the demonstrated ability to apply this knowledge to provide clinical guidance to Staff PTs within the department. 2. Knowledge of human resources administration, including such functions as the ability to interview and select qualified applicants, monitor and evaluate performance, and maintain effective labor management relations within scope of responsibility. 3. Ability to effectively supervise, direct, and manage a diverse physical therapy staff. 4. Skill in forging positive interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution. 5. Ability to analyze clinically appropriate data effectively to optimize quality, performance, and productivity within the section. 6. Ability to set priorities, delegate tasks, and solve problems in order to meet multiple deadlines and identify/address organizational problems. 7. Ability to manage advocacy roles and planning activities within the VA and the greater rehabilitation community. All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience in your resume may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA in your application package. Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Supervisory PTs are responsible for the supervision, administrative management, and direction of the physical therapy program in a rehabilitation service or equivalent service-level department which consists of three or more PTs or other multi-discipline staff. The incumbent provides supervision of key clinical and training programs, including the overall technical oversight of the staff that He/she administratively supervise. Supervisors are responsible for the development and implementation of policies and procedures to address focused clinical needs and the overall services delivered and provided within the section. He/she demonstrates autonomy in performing supervisory responsibilities that include, but are not limited to, assigning work to employees, monitoring workload and clinical volume, reviewing work of employees to assure accuracy and validity of submissions, assuring adequate clinical staffing, imposing disciplinary measures, and monitoring clinical privileges. He/she is required to provide overall clinical supervision that assures the proper coordination and delivery of care within the section and the facility. 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS 13. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.