Supervisory Physical Therapist

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.
• 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.
  • (2) Master's degree in Physical Therapy AND two (2) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.
  • (3) 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.

• 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.
• 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.

NOTE. Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetency or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the state for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment. This requirement does not apply to licensed physical therapists on VA rolls as of November 30, 1999, provided the individual maintains a continuous appointment and is not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification.

Grade Determinations

GS-13:
Experience in addition to meeting the basic requirements, one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs.

• 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.
• 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.
• Ability to effectively supervise, direct, and manage a diverse physical therapy staff.
• Skill in forging positive interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution.
• Ability to analyze clinically appropriate data effectively to optimize quality, performance, and productivity within the section.
• Ability to set priorities, delegate tasks, and solve problems in order to meet multiple deadlines and identify/address organizational problems.
• Ability to manage advocacy roles and planning activities within the VA and the greater rehabilitation community.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G13, "Physical Therapist Qualification Standard"

Physical Requirements: Therapies for SCI/D (including Physical, Occupation, Kinesio, and Recreation) are vocations that require "medium" strength according to the Department of Labor. Medium Work entails
exerting 20 - 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Physical Demand requirements are in excess of those for Light Work. (i.e.: more than exerting of to 20 points of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.) Examples of the medium strength required by SCI/D Physical Therapist Clinical Specialist are as follows:

1. Standing, walking, squatting, bending, and sitting, and changing from one position to the other frequently throughout the day.
2. Sitting at a desk and using upper extremities to reach, grasp and place papers, charts and binders.
3. Reaching, lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling: 1 - 10 pounds constantly, 10 - 25 frequently, and 20 - 50 pounds occasionally. Specific examples include:
   1. Picking up, carrying and placing folders, charts, books and binders.
   2. Setting up equipment for patients such as weights or durable medical equipment.
   3. Lifting and carrying adaptive equipment ranging in weight from negligible to 50 pounds.
   4. Pushing and rolling equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs and supply carts.
   5. Assisting patients in mobility such as ambulation and transfers, from minimal assistance to dependent transfers, which may be up to 50 pounds.
   6. Performing passive range of motion exercises that require the movement of patients' extremities in all planes of motion.
   7. The Physical Therapist Clinical Specialist must also demonstrate good manual dexterity to manipulate tools and equipment with examples as follows:
      1. Operating all aspects of a computer, including use of a keyboard, mouse, and control buttons.
      2. Demonstrating the use of all aspects of adaptive equipment for patient teaching.
      3. Assembling equipment with the use of hand tools such as screwdrivers and pliers as necessary. Fabricating splints or adaptive equipment requiring the use of Exacto knife, scissors and ability to mold plastic, foam or plaster as necessary.