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Summary The Occupational Therapist - Clinical Specialist position is located in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, and provides direct services, evaluation and treatment to inpatient and outpatient veterans. Responsibilities The advanced practice Occupational Therapist (OT) serves a dual role as both Clinical Education Coordinator and Clinical Resource Therapist at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. The incumbent integrates expert clinical care, education leadership, regulatory compliance, mentorship, and program development to ensure delivery of high-quality, evidence-based occupational therapy services across a variety of settings, including acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient clinics, and long-term care. - Provides advanced-level assessment and treatment for veterans with complex physical, psychological, and cognitive conditions. - Demonstrates high-level clinical reasoning and autonomy in modifying care plans. - Maintains strong partnerships with affiliated universities and establishes new contracts with academic institutions. - Facilitates onboarding, orientation, and structured learning experiences for OT, OTA, and associated health trainees. - Mediates student-instructor issues and supports additional educational opportunities such as surgical observations or interdisciplinary shadowing. - Serves on university curriculum committees and influences academic program development. - Serves as the primary compliance liaison for OT, ensuring all documentation meets standards set by Medicare, Joint Commission, CARF, and VA guidelines. - Conducts chart audits and documentation training to promote accurate coding, workload capture, and alignment with regulatory expectations. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorize Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a trial period. 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Qualifications Basic Requirements: The following are the basic requirements and qualifications for appointment as an Occupational Therapist. United States Citizenship - Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. Education and Experience Requirement - You 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. The program must be approved by the ACOTE or predecessor organizations. Certification: Candidates must possess a current NBCOT certification as an occupational therapist. 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, Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia In addition to the basic requirements as stated above, the following criteria must be met to qualify for the Occupational Therapist - Clinical Specialist position at the GS-13 grade level. GS-13 Grade Level - Education, Experience, Licensure: Completion of one (1) year of experience equivalent to 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. D. An additional advanced degree in a related field. In addition to the experience requirement, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs. Knowledge of contemporary occupational therapy across multiple areas of practice. Ability to provide clinical guidance in the advanced practice area to other OT practitioners. Knowledge of advanced specialized evaluations, interventions and services to independently develop treatment strategies for area of specialization. Skill in developing protocols and procedures for intervention programs based on current occupational therapy theory, recent research, and practice. Ability to provide consultation to other health care practitioners and outside groups about occupational therapy scope of practice for area of specialization. Ability to implement, revise/update evidence based occupational therapy services and programming in area of specialization. References: VA Handbook 5005/127, Part II, Appendix G14, dated December 13,2019.Physical Requirements: May require medium strength according to the Department of Labor. Medium work entails: exerting 20-50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10-25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Examples of the medium strength required are as follows: Standing, walking, squatting, bending, and sitting; sitting at a desk and using upper extremities to reach, grasp and place papers, charts and binders; reaching, lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling: 1-10 pounds constantly, 1-25 pounds frequently, and 20-50 pounds occasionally. 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 During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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.