SUPERVISORY PHYSICAL THERAPIST

Health Professions Trainee (HPT) upcoming graduates 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. HPT includes interns, residents, fellows, VA advanced fellows, and pre- and post-doctoral fellows who spend all or part of their clinical training experiences at VA facilities.

COVERAGE. The following standard lists the requirements for appointment as a Physical Therapist (PT) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The requirements will apply to all VHA PTs employed in the GS-0633 series that provide clinical services to address a vast array of problems that impact the health and function of a wide range of diverse patients.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS. To qualify for appointment, all applicants for the position of physical therapist in VHA must meet the following:

a. Citizenship. Candidates must be a citizen of the United States.

b. 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.

c. 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.

d. Loss of Credential. A PT who fails to maintain the required license must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation, if qualified, and if a placement opportunity exists.

e. 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.

Grade Determination. In addition to the basic requirements for appointment listed above, the following criteria must be used when determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.

GS- 13 Physical Therapist (Supervisory)

(a) 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.

(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Knowledge of contemporary physical therapy across multiple areas of practice, and thedemonstrated ability to apply this knowledge to provide clinical guidance to Staff PTs within the department.

2. 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.

3. Ability to effectively supervise, direct, and manage a diverse physical therapy staff.

4. Skill in forging positive interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution.

5. Ability to analyze clinically appropriate data effectively to optimize quality, performance, andproductivity within the section.

6. Ability to set priorities, delegate tasks, and solve problems in order to meet multiple deadlines and identify/address organizational problems.

7. Ability to manage advocacy roles and planning activities within the VA and the greater rehabilitation community.

(c) Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties mustconsist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Supervisory PTs are responsible for the 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. The incumbent 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. He/she 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. He/she is required to provide overall clinical supervision that assures the proper coordination and delivery of care within the section and the facility.

Reference: VA Handbook 5005/99, Part II, Appendix G12 dated February 7, 2018

Preferred Experience: Outpatient Physical Therapy, Supervision of an Interdisciplinary team.

Definitions:

(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.