Therapy Assistant

Summary This position is located in Community Living Center of the Inpatient Geriatric Services Department of the Nursing Services Directorate. In cooperation with and under the direction and guidance of the assigned Recreation Therapist, plans and implements a variety of Recreation Therapy modalities, making frequent and comprehensive changes in procedures and modalities to assist the patient in overcoming social/emotional and physical disabilities. Learn more about this agency Duties Duties include and are not limited to: Cooperation with and under the direction and guidance of the assigned Recreation Therapist, plans and implements a variety of Recreation Therapy modalities; working together in planning and coordinating activities and community outings for their veterans. The Recreation Therapist will provide direction and guidance to the Assistant concerning the best ways to implement these programs. One of the primary duties of Recreation Therapy Assistant is to help the Recreation Therapist in providing quality patient care on the units they are assigned. The Recreation Therapist maintains overall responsibility for the programs and services delivered by Recreation Therapy Assistants. Provides routine and complex procedures to facilitate the achievement of individual goals for patients. Works with different diagnostic categories to include Dementia, Psychiatric Disorders, Stroke, Amputations, and a wide range of neurological disorders including paralysis. Works with orthopedic patients, cancer patients, Alzheimer patients, general medical and surgical patients, substance abuse patients, and other classes of patients found in the extended care wards. Also, Utilizes a wide range of treatment modalities; including: music therapy, leisure counseling and education, adapted sports and games, movement therapy, and art therapy. Provides exposure to a variety of cultural, artistic, and educational events, both on and off-station. Provides data to the team on the patient's response and progress. Participates in clinical conferences, staff meetings, team meetings, and other multidisciplinary meetings. Assists the therapist to provide technical instructions and supervision to students, temporary employees, and volunteers on the proper methods of delivering clinical services Prepares reports, statistical summaries, patient attendance rosters, patient schedules (i.e. individual and wall calendars) and other required written summaries. Responsible for routine duties such as ordering/purchasing of supplies, stocking of storage and kitchen areas, and keeping these areas well organized, clean, and inventoried. Ensures that patients are safe and that the immediate environment does not present a health risk in any way to the patient, including patient transportation on and off - station to and from activities. Maintains and monitors recreation activity rooms, kitchens, and outdoor facilities. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: HR Specialist Total Rewards Work Schedule: Sunday-Thursday 9:00-5:30, one shift being PM 10-6:30 p.m. With rotating holidays Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Therapy Assistant/PD02656A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/29/2026. 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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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. Rehabilitation Therapy Assistant Series 0636 Individual Occupational Requirements Experience Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Examples of qualifying specialized experience include 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 Education and Training: For GS-3: Successful completion of l year of study. For GS-4: Successful completion of 2 years of study in a program directly related to the specialized field of therapy. 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: The work is physically active and requires walking, standing, lifting, pushing, and driving of vehicles. Moderate lifting (15-44 pounds), Moderate carrying (15-44 pounds), Straight pulling (1.5 hours), Pulling handover hand (2.5 hours), Pushing (2.5 hours), Reaching abo e shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking (2.5 hours), Standing (4 hours), Crawling (0.75 hours), Kneeling (0.75 hours), Repeated bending (3.5 hours), Climbing legs only (0.5 hour), Both legs required, Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously. 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/. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional information 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.