Summary The Recreation Therapist at the Bruce W. Carter Miami VA Healthcare System use independent judgment of clinical information to administer specialized, complex, and extensive recreation therapy treatment theories, techniques, and evaluation methodologies in the provision of care to a diverse patient population. Responsibilities The first vacancy is detailed specifically to the Inpatient Spinal Cord Injury/Disability (SCI/D) unit. The position requires a valid driver's license and driving government vehicles in the greater Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Driving in Monroe county may be required as needed. The therapist will be required to have a government issued phone. The therapist will be required to have specialized knowledge in SCI/D and Veteran populations and work with a highly skilled interdisciplinary team. The second vacancy is detailed specifically to the Broward HUD-VASH program. The therapist requires a valid driver's license and driving government vehicles in the greater Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Driving in Monroe county may be required as needed. The therapist will be required to have specialized knowledge in working with patients/Veterans who have serious mental illness, substance abuse, housing challenges and work with a highly skilled interdisciplinary team. The position is exclusive to working in the community: the therapist may not have an assigned workstation at a facility and will be required to have a government issued phone and laptop. The therapist may be assigned a specific government vehicle they will be responsible for maintaining. This position requires the therapist to enter Veteran residences, shelters, independent and assisted living facilities. The position is highly independent with no immediate supervisor or case manager typically physically present while in the community. Other duties and responsibilities include: Clinical: Evaluates, establishes goals based on evaluation findings, and develops treatment interventions. Implements and modifies as necessary treatment plan and goals as needed throughout course of treatment to ensure optimum outcomes. The Recreation Therapist is expected to perform documentation of patient care including assessments, progress notes, encounters, consultations, care plans, and other reports as needed. Uses Recreation Therapy expertise for direct service delivery to patients. Acts as a subject matter expert to staff, students, and other healthcare professionals. Serves as Recreation Therapy representative on interdisciplinary teams as assigned or needed. In consultation with patients, their families, and caregivers, Recreation Therapist shall educate as required regarding treatment interventions and goals, in addition to any consideration involving adaptations to better ensure optimal treatment outcomes. Demonstrates ability and competency in treating patients that range in age from young adult to geriatric who may experience complex medical or mental health issues. Administration: Adheres with Medical Center policies. Utilizes Automated Data Processing (ADP) system in accordance with established procedures. Adheres to Medical Center ADP Security policy. Participates in the evaluation of equipment and supplies, which affect their service delivery. Fosters and maintains a safe treatment area. Promotes effective communication with all patients, caregivers, treatment team members, Medical Center staff and community partners. Education: Maintains professional competence through participation in appropriate educational activities. Assists in teaching and providing learning experiences for Recreation Therapy clinical interns as required. Participates in staff orientation, successfully completes Medical Center assigned mandatory trainings, and in-service activities. Deliver treatment in compliance with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) accrediting agencies and VHA directives. Work Schedule: (First vacancy) 7:30am-4pm, Monday through Friday including federal and non-federal holidays as well as evenings and weekends as assigned. Compressed: (Second vacancy) 7am-5:30pm, Monday through Thursday or Tuesday through Friday including federal and non-federal holidays as well as evenings and weekends as assigned. Telework: Authorized, ad-hoc-situational Functional Statement #: 06365F Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. If you do not receive certification for continued employment, you should receive written notice prior to the end of your probationary period that your employment will be terminated and the effective date of such termination. Qualifications Applicants 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. 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 Language Proficiency. Recreation Therapist must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). Education-Documentation Submitted. A bachelor's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, with a major in therapeutic recreation or recreation/leisure, with an option and/or emphasis in therapeutic recreation. The degree must be approved by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC); OR A bachelor's degree or higher in any field from an accredited college or university and must be a certified therapeutic recreation specialist (CTRS). The degree must be approved by the NCTRC. If hired under this education, the certification cannot be waived. Certification-Documentation Submitted. Recreation Therapist. Applicants must be certified in recreation therapy as a CTRS by the NCTRC. If hired under paragraph 4b(1)(b), certification cannot be waived. Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a recreation or creative arts therapist, on the effective date of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, including positive education, and registration and/or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. Recreation Therapist, GS-12 Grade Determinations: Experience. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, completion of two years of progressively complex experience, which includes one year equivalent to the next lower grade directly related to the position being filled. -AND- Certification. Additional certification in a specialty treatment area in recreation therapy, such as, but not limited to: Physical Medicine/Rehabilitation, Geriatrics, Developmental Disabilities, Behavioral Health, Community Inclusion Services, Aquatic Exercise Therapy/Aquatic Therapy, Adapted Sports, Assisted Technology, Social Skills, etc., or in a directly related field such as, but not limited to: acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, dementia, dialectical behavioral therapy, gambling disorder, motivational interviewing, and/or wellness recovery action plan facilitator. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of best practice and evidence-based recreation therapy across multiple areas of practice. Ability to perform clinical services and balance organizational responsibilities while developing and implementing effective strategies with great autonomy, at a level compatible with the critical necessity for accuracy and completion. Ability to adapt assessment tools and treatment to the complexity of the diagnosis or disability and demonstrate the clinical reasoning necessary to identify the need for further in- depth specific assessment. Skill in developing, implementing, and modifying recreation therapy treatment plans in response to changing medical, physical, mental, psychological and/or psychosocial conditions, as well as comorbidities. Ability to provide clinical guidance using the advanced knowledge of best practice and evidence-based recreation therapy implementation across multiple areas of practice. Knowledge of how recreation therapy impacts revenue resource allocation, as it relates to complex diagnosis, treatment, and diagnostic coding. Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher- level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. At this level, recreation therapists use independent judgment of clinical information to administer specialized, complex, and extensive recreation therapy treatment theories, techniques, and evaluation methodologies in the provision of care to a diverse patient population with varying diagnoses, functional impairments, and cultural backgrounds. They also provide clinical practice guidance for other recreation therapy staff. Individuals in this assignment engage in a high level of decision- making for independent care. With great autonomy, they employ specialty recreation therapy treatment modalities requiring cutting edge, sophisticated and complex skills and apply clinical expertise to a full range of patient populations. They apply advanced clinical skills to address: sensory motor, including sensory integration; neuromuscular and motor cognitive integration and cognitive components; and psychosocial skills and psychological components. The individuals in this assignment serve as the sole recreation therapist member of a multidisciplinary or specialty care treatment team. They mentor therapists who are at the full performance level or below and may coordinate clinical training programs, to include student supervision, administration and oversight, assignments, and evaluations. They may evaluate current research and coordinate or support research projects to conduct evidence-based initiatives. They assist in quality assurance efforts and strategic planning for recreation therapy programs. 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-12. Physical Requirements: The position requires sedentary items to complete administrative duties. Walking, standing, some lifting, bending, stooping to assist disabled clients with mobilization, active involvement with clients in a variety of recreation therapy programs, driving motor vehicles (vans/car). This position requires the ability to provide quick action in an emergency situation. Crisis situations may involve intervention in potential suicide, assault, homicide, barricade, and hostage situations. 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 Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. 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.