Supervisory Occupational Therapist

Veterans Health Administration • Houston, TX

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The CBOC Therapy Supervisor is a working supervisor with administrative and clinical responsibilities, accountable for the safety and effectiveness of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy services delivered to patients at multi-site Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). The supervisor plans work operations, sets priorities, delegates tasks, resolves operational problems, and monitors the quality, performance, timeliness, and productivity of both therapy programs. The role provides clinical guidance to physical and occupational therapists, assistants, and health technicians, and manages a diverse, multidisciplinary staff through supervision, consultation, negotiation, and conflict resolution. It also involves collaboration across care and service lines and with other clinicians and supervisors to coordinate effective therapy services.

The position develops, organizes, and administers Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy programs for adult and geriatric outpatients. The supervisor independently reviews referrals and medical records, conducts examinations and evaluations, interprets findings, establishes diagnoses within the scope of practice, determines prognosis, and develops individualized, patient-centered plans of care with measurable goals. Care addresses impairments and functional limitations involving musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and integumentary systems, as well as occupational performance and activities of daily living. Treatment plans are adapted as patients respond, and appropriate adaptive or assistive devices and modifications are recommended. The role recognizes adverse reactions or significant changes in patient status and reports them to the appropriate medical authority, while communicating with patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.

The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; holiday work may be required, and the schedule may change based on facility needs. Telework is available, but this is not a virtual position. Work is performed in an office or clinic setting. The full performance level is GS-13. The position is in the Excepted Service and requires a 1- or 2-year trial period.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Current NBCOT certification as an occupational therapist.
• A full, current, and unrestricted state, territory, commonwealth, or District of Columbia license to practice occupational therapy.
• Meet one of the education pathways: a qualifying bachelor's degree in occupational therapy plus two years of occupational therapist experience; a qualifying bachelor's degree plus two full years of graduate education in a related field; or a master's degree or higher in occupational therapy. The occupational therapy degree must be from an ACOTE- or predecessor-approved program and include required supervised fieldwork.
• For the GS-13 grade determination, one year of experience equivalent to at least GS-12 and directly related to the position.
• Demonstrated ability to balance responsibilities, prioritize, delegate, meet deadlines, analyze organizational problems, and implement effective solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and use data to manage workload, quality, performance, and productivity efficiently.
• Demonstrated skill in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers, including conflict resolution.
• Demonstrated ability to use evidence-based practices and clinical practice guidelines and guide staff in applying them.
• Complete required background/security investigation, pre-employment physical evaluation, onboarding, and application documentation; meet identification requirements and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Serve a 1- or 2-year trial period; continued employment is subject to written certification that it advances the public interest.
• Physical demands may include standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing; may require personal protective equipment and annual TB screening or testing.
• Work in an office/clinic environment and handle several tasks at once, sometimes in stressful situations.

Nice To Haves

• Recent outpatient supervisory experience managing a rehabilitation team that includes PT and OT staff, including workload distribution, performance management, staff development, and clinical oversight.
• Experience overseeing therapy services in a CBOC or comparable outpatient setting, including staffing, scheduling, resource allocation, timely access to care, and coordination with other clinical services.
• Experience planning and implementing clinic expansion projects, including space planning, equipment procurement, staffing plans, workflow development, and coordination with facilities and stakeholders.
• Experience establishing or expanding outpatient therapy services and using performance data and patient outcomes to guide program improvements.

Responsibilities

• Plan outpatient therapy program operations, set priorities, delegate tasks, resolve work-related problems, and ensure quality, performance, timeliness, and productivity.
• Provide clinical guidance to physical therapists, occupational therapists, therapy assistants, and health technicians.
• Analyze clinically appropriate data and monitor and report program status and progress; evaluate whether methods, deadlines, and quality and quantity standards are met.
• Manage and administer multidisciplinary therapy staff, including supervision, consultation, negotiation, conflict resolution, and coordination with leaders and other healthcare professionals.
• Facilitate initiatives and consensus-building among team members with varied expertise, backgrounds, interests, and perspectives.
• Develop, organize, and administer Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy programs for adult and geriatric outpatients referred by approved providers.
• Review referrals and medical records; conduct examinations and evaluations of impairments, activity limitations, participation restrictions, and occupational performance deficits.
• Interpret evaluation findings, select tests and measures, establish diagnoses within the scope of practice, identify rehabilitation interventions, and determine prognosis.
• Develop individualized, patient-centered treatment plans with measurable short- and long-term goals, including treatment scope and duration.
• Recommend adaptive or assistive devices and modify treatment techniques and plans in response to patient needs and reactions to treatment.
• Recognize adverse reactions or significant changes in physical or mental status and report them to the appropriate medical authority.
• Communicate with patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to support multidisciplinary treatment.
• Work as part of the therapy team and assist coworkers in providing timely and effective services.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package; eligibility depends on position type and other factors.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service experience, subject to request and approval and not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior