Department: Department of Veterans Affairs
Location(s): Tacoma, Washington
Salary Range: $68686 - $108029 Per Year
Job Summary: Acupuncturists practice Acupuncture Medicine, which includes the use of the technique of acupuncture along with other treatment approaches. Acupuncture medicine includes traditional and modern acupuncture and biomedical (Western) concepts, diagnosis, and treatment approaches for the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. BASIC REQUIREMENTS. a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. After a determination is made that it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens, necessary personnel may be appointed on a temporary basis under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 without regard to the citizenship requirements of 38 U.S.C. 7402 or any other law prohibiting the employment of or payment of compensation to a person who is not a citizen of the United States. Candidates must meet all other requirements for the grade and position concerned. b. Education. Individual must meet one of the requirements below: (1) Master's degree in acupuncture or oriental medicine from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). OR, (2) Advanced level degree in acupuncture or oriental medicine from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). c. Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign acupuncture programs meet the requirements in subparagraph 3b if they have a full unrestricted and current license to practice acupuncture in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. d. Certification. Acupuncturists hired in the VHA must be board certified through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). The board certification must be current and the acupuncturist must abide by the certifying body's requirements for continuing education. e. Loss of Certification. An acupuncturist who fails to maintain the required certificate 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. f. Licensure. Current, full, active, and unrestricted license to practice acupuncture in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e. Puerto Rico) of the United States, or District of Columbia. g. Loss of licensure. An acupuncturist 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. H. English Language Proficiency. Candidates will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who are not proficient in written and spoken English. GRADE REQUIREMENTS. a. Creditable Experience. (1) Knowledge of Acupuncture Practices. To be creditable, the experience must demonstrate possession of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) associated with current professional acupuncture practice. The experience must be post-master's degree or above. (2) Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is obtained following graduation with a certificate, masters or doctoral degree in Acupuncture or Oriental Medicine from an accredited training program. Creditable experience must include work as a professional licensed acupuncturist. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to acupuncture experience at the next lower grade level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significantly larger scope, administrative independence, difficulty and range of variety and described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. b. Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Acupuncturist, GS-9 (Entry Level). (a) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. (b) Assignments. Individuals at this grade level are considered to be entry level and are closely supervised. The employee works under the direction of a journey level or higher acupuncturist or other health care providers licensed to perform acupuncture. The acupuncturist provides professional services in accordance with the established treatment plan. Deviations from regular procedures, unanticipated problems, and unfamiliar situations are referred to more experienced staff for a decision or assistance. Acupuncturist, GS-11 (Full Performance Level). (a) Experience or Education: Individual must meet at least one of the requirements below: 1. Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level, which is directly related to the position to be filled. OR, 2. Education. Doctoral degree or equivalent degree from an accredited college or university in an acupuncture or oriental medicine. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1. Ability to screen referrals and direct veterans to other services as appropriate. 2. Ability to formulate an appropriate differential diagnosis. 3. Ability to formulate an acupuncture treatment plan independently or with other health care professionals. 4. Ability to educate patients on health lifestyle changes including nutrition, exercise, sleeping habits, stress management, mind body techniques and other matters related to acupuncture care. This includes the ability to communicate with individuals of varying backgrounds. 5. Skill in the selection and use of the appropriate acupuncture tools and supplies based on needs of the patient. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11. Physical Requirements. This position requires light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds); use of fingers; both hands required; walking (less than 1 hour); standing (up to 1 hour); repeated bending (less than 1 hour); the ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one to to 20/20 and 29/4 in the other; both eyes required; depth perception; the ability to distinguish basic colors; and hearing (aid may be permitted). There may be exposure to dust and you must be able to work alone and closely with others.
How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 12/02/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12832250. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
Application Deadline: 2025-12-02