TRAVEL REQUIRED:

Not required

RELOCATION AUTHORIZED:
Relocation expenses reimbursed No

KEY REQUIREMENTS:
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You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job

Designated and/or random drug testing may be required

Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

You may be required to serve a probationary period

Subject to a background/security investigation

Must be proficient in written and spoken English

Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/28/2019.
Basic Requirements:

Citizenship. Citizen of the United States.
Education. Successful completion of an associate's degree from an accredited community college, junior college, college, or university in a physical therapy assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).Grandfathering Provision: The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all Title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Some of these provisions may not apply to this occupation. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/ registration requirements that apply to this occupation. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, provisions apply:

• Employees in an occupation that does not require a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted, or demoted within the occupation.
• Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
• Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher-grade levels.
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
• Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

GRADE REQUIREMENTS
Creditable Experience: Experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAs), also referred to as core competencies, associated with the scope of PTA practice.
Part-Time Experience: Part-time experience as a PTA is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a PTA would receive 1 week of full-time credit for each two 2 weeks of half-time work.
Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-7: In addition to the basic requirements, 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs):

• Ability to organize data, format that data into a presentation, and present information pertinent to patient care in formal or informal settings. Examples may include providing in-service training to staff or formal presentations to the treatment team.
• Knowledge of contemporary physical therapy practice. This may be demonstrated through continuing education courses, in-service training, or journal article reviews.Ability to independently implement selected components of interventions identified in the plan of care established by the physical therapist.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/15 MARCH 17, 2006, PART II, APPENDIX G23, PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSISTANT QUALIFICATION STANDARD

The full performance level of this vacancy is 07. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-7.

Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over, use of fingers, both hands required, reaching above shoulder, walking (8 hours), standing (8 hours), both legs required (1 prosthetic), far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, ability to distinguish basic colors, ability to distinguish shades of colors, hearing (aid permitted), and mental and emotional stability.

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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.

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.

If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will review the selected candidate's education and experience and recommend the grade and salary at which the candidate will be placed. For internal selectees eligible for promotion, the board will determine grade and HR will determine step in accordance with policy.

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.

Read more Security clearance Other

Drug test required No