Physical Therapist (Supervisor, Service Care Line Manager or Service Chief)

The PM&RS Therapy Chief incumbent serves as an active tertiary care medical center that is part of the Veteran's Affairs (VA) VISN 10. The PM&R service is comprised of 9 distinct therapy programs (Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), Recreation and Creative Arts Therapy, Yoga, Tai Chi, Fitness Center and Polytrauma/TBI, the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit and Pain University and any new additional services as directed by the immediate supervisor.

**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. 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. 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. 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. 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). 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: (a) 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. (b) 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 Determinations: GS-14 Physical Therapist (Supervisor, Service Care Line Manager or Service Chief) Experience. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. This experience may include, but is not limited to: 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. 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. 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. Required to provide overall clinical supervision that assures the proper coordination and delivery of care within the section and the facility. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the all following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Advanced knowledge of evidence-based practices and clinical practice guidelines in multiple professional areas. Skill in managing interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution in dealing with a diverse range of employees, discipline lead(s), and administrators. Ability to translate extensive rehabilitation knowledge into local policy development. Ability to effectively supervise staff by providing clinical and administrative oversight. This includes ability to manage resources, evaluate employees and assign work. Ability to collaborate with strategic planning committees at local, VISN or national levels for new ventures addressing patient care delivery systems, facilities management, system reorganizations, etc. Preferred Experience: Minimum 2-5 years as Supervisor of Inpatient and Outpatient Rehab Medicine Service. 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-14. Physical Requirements: Pre-placement and periodic physical examinations are required for hybrid occupations to ensure workers are placed in positions where they can perform the essential functions of their job considering their physical, mental and emotional capacities, without endangering their health or the health of their co-workers. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing, or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant for appointment. The loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation may also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position. Reasonable accommodation may include but is not limited to the use of assistive devices, job modification or restructuring, provision of readers and interpreters, or adjusted work schedules. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.