Occupational Therapist (Clinical Specialist)

Occupational Therapist (Clinical Specialist)

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Columbia, South Carolina

Salary Range: $106437 - $138370 Per Year

Job Summary: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Major Duties:

• Incumbent is a licensed occupational therapist who is responsible for administering occupational therapy programs to adult and geriatric patients referred from all areas of the medical center or CBOC, but will spend at least 25% of his/her time working in the specialty area providing lymphedema treatment. Duties include, but not limited to: Incumbent plans and carries out the full range of treatment using the skills and techniques for the lymphedema patient population who have varying degrees of complex occupational problems. The individual serves as the subject matter expert for occupational therapy for patients with Lymphedema. conditions and TBI. The incumbent has the ability to use professional knowledge effectively and must possess initiative, tact, resourcefulness, and good judgement in exercising authority. Incumbent will demonstrate advanced clinical knowledge and certification in lymphedema therapy {CLT) and the demonstrated ability to apply this advanced knowledge to provide clinical guidance to staff OTS within the department. Incumbent will develop protocols and procedures for lymphedema rehabilitation based on current occupational therapy theory, recent research and practice. Incumbent will possess ability to provide consultation to other health care practitioners and outside groups regarding occupational therapy scope of practice in Lymphedema rehabilitation. Incumbent will screen potential clients as needed and evaluate referred patients to determine current level of functioning using standardized or specialized tests, interviews, observations, medical record review, and consultation with other professional staff. Incumbent will develop, implement and communicate the occupational therapy intervention plan based on the evaluation, patient goals, current best evidence and clinical reasoning while considering the patient's capacities, the activities, and the environments in which these activities occur. Incumbent with re-evaluate patients on a regular basis and adjust treatment plan appropriately. Incumbent will follow defined protocols when standardized assessments are used. Recommending additional consultations or resources when the needs of the client can best be served by the expertise of other professional or services. Incumbent will evaluate needs for adaptive equipment in accordance with medical center policies and education the patient & family about safe & correct use. Incumbent will modify the treatment plan, therapeutic activities and interventions based on the changing needs, goals and performance of the patient. Incumbent will recommend, modify and /or fabricate adaptive equipment, aids or supplies as indicated. Recognized and reported any needed equipment repairs or unsafe conditions. Incumbent functions as a mentor in the area of complicated medical conditions and provides specific instruction and training to patient and family in these areas as appropriate to their roles and level of understanding. Incumbent exercises the highest degree of independence and professional judgment in planning and carrying out treatment programs to meet complex treatment objectives for this population. Incumbent exercises originality in solving problems not covered by these guides, making innovative adaptations and modifications of treatment plans and procedures in order to meet the complex and highly varying needs or patients, and advises all other health care team members and students in this regard for patients with orthopedic conditions. Incumbent will serve as a Clinical Instructor, to include planning, scheduling, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating the student's clinical affiliation. Incumbent is responsible for student orientation, instruction, and counseling. Incumbent reviews the objective and goals of the student's affiliation and plans learning experiences accordingly. Incumbent evaluates the student's performance and participates in school-medical center conferences regarding student's or curriculum and may advise other clinical instructors and their students regarding complex medical problems. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Work Schedule is subject to change based on agency need. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 55768F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Qualifications: 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. English Proficiency: [Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).] Education [and/or Experience:] (1) The individual must meet at least one of the following requirements below: (a) Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) years of experience as an occupational therapist; NOTE: The baccalaureate degree must be from an approved program prior to the AOTA January 1, 2005 decision that the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) would only accredit master or doctoral degree programs in occupational therapy. OR, (b) Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and two (2) full years of graduate education in a related field; NOTE: The baccalaureate degree must be from an approved program prior to the AOTA January 1, 2005 decision that ACOTE would only accredit master or doctoral degree programs in occupational therapy. OR, (c) Master's Degree or higher in occupational therapy. (2) Individuals must be a graduate of] a degree program in occupational therapy approved by the ACOTE or predecessor organizations. This is inclusive of an internship (supervised fieldwork experience required by the educational institution). ACOTE is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Degree programs may be verified by contacting the American Occupational Therapy Association website or at their office address: American Occupational Therapy Association, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. Foreign Graduates: Graduates of foreign occupational therapy programs meet the requirements of subparagraph [3b(2)] if they have a current, full, active and unrestricted license referred to in subparagraph [3e] of this appendix. Certification: Candidates must possess a current NBCOT certification as an OT. State Licensure: Candidates must possess] a full, current, and unrestricted state license, to practice occupational therapy in a state, territory or Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or in the District of Columbia. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Occupational Therapist [(Clinical Specialist)], GS-13 Education, Experience, and Licensure. Completion of one year of experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level and directly related to the position being filled [and one of the following: (a) A minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice directly in the advanced practice area. This time must be within the past five years; (b) Certification in an area recognized by the AOTA; (c) Completion of a fellowship/residency or advanced degree program in the advanced practice area; OR, (d) An additional advanced degree in a related field. Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy across multiple areas of practice. (b) [Ability to provide clinical guidance in the advanced practice area to other OT practitioners. (c) Knowledge of advanced specialized evaluation, interventions and services to independently develop treatment strategies for area of specialization. (d) Skill in developing protocols and procedures for intervention programs based on current occupational therapy theory, recent research, and practice (e) Ability to provide consultation to other health care practitioners and outside groups about occupational therapy scope of practice for area of specialization. (f) Ability to implement, revise/update evidence based occupational therapy services and programming in area of specialization. Preferred Experience: Certification in Lymphedema from accredited source. 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-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: This work requires some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as manuals, record boxes, equipment or assisting patients. See https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OCHCO/SitePages/D5019.aspx VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

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 04/30/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12936392. 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: 2026-04-30