The Battle Creek VA Medical Center is recruiting for two Therapy Assistants. The Therapy Assistants will function in Social Worker Service, Recreation Therapy. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/01/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: work as an assistant to one of the specialized therapies such as occupational, physical, manual arts, corrective, or educational therapy; or experience gained as an assistant or aid in patient care, social work, or psychology where the duties involved actual participation in physical medicine and activities of a hospital or clinic. OR, You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Planning and Evaluating Self Management Technical Competence Veteran and Customer Focus 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: In many assignments, the work involves regular and recurring physical exertion, such as prolonged walking or standing, bending, moderately heavy lifting or moving of equipment, pushing wheelchairs, positioning severely disabled patients, transferring from bed to wheelchair and assisting patients in ambulation. The work requires specific common physical characteristics and abilities, such as above average agility and dexterity. The position requires physical fitness and swimming skills necessary to maintain certification as a Lifeguard. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. ["This position will serve under the Chief of Social Work Service. The incumbent will serve as the therapy assistant (TA) for the assigned patient care area/program(s). The position will include evening, weekend, and holiday tours to meet Veteran and programmatic needs. The Battle Creek VA Healthcare Delivery System has a large and diverse need for Recreation Therapy Services. Therapy Assistants (TA) work in a variety of programs throughout the system, including but not limited to Inpatient Mental Health, Outpatient Mental Health, Community Living Center, Residential Rehabilitation Programs, Blind Rehabilitation, Medical Foster Home and a variety of other areas of care. PLANNING THERAPEUTIC RECREATION ACTIVITIES- 20 percent Under the general direction of the Supervisor, therapeutic recreation, recreation therapist, and/or designee, the incumbent completes a preliminary review of specific patients being served, assists in compiling patient information and data, determining patient needs, and collaborates in the development, planning, and coordination of clinical therapeutic recreation programming for Veterans receiving services at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center. CLINICAL PROGRAMMING IMPLEMENTION AND ADMINISTRATION- 60 percent The Incumbent works as an integral member of the Therapeutic Recreation (TR) Section staff of Social Work Service, providing patient care bases on practical knowledge of the modalities used in therapeutic recreation. TA is responsible for assisting in the development of specific activities and routines to maintain or improve patient's general state of physical and/or mental health based on the therapeutic recreation assessment completed by the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). MONITORING AND RECORDING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RECREATION THERAPY INTERVENTIONS- 20 percent Completes medical record documentation, specific to clinical programming, according to VHA, Joint Commission Accreditation Healthcare Organizations, CARF and Recreation Therapy guidelines. Continuously evaluates the effectiveness of ongoing recreational activities in assigned program area from the standpoint of participant response, resources, unforeseen developments and program objectives. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, 9:30am-6:00pm. Friday, 11:30am-8:00pm Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Rehabilitation Therapy Assistant/PD91645A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
