Supervisory Occupational Therapist

Department of Veterans Affairs

The Occupational Therapist Supervisor is assigned to the Occupational Therapy section of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS) at the Durham VA Medical Center. The incumbent is responsible for planning and directing therapy staff assignments across multiple settings.

• Organizes section work, sets priorities, delegates tasks to meet multiple deadlines of the section, service, and facility Assists with the coordination of care among the various rehabilitation clinical areas including acute care, outpatient care, Polytrauma, Community Living Center (CLC), Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC), HUD/VASH, Home Based Primary Care (HBPC), Transitional Care (TLC), and Psychiatric Acute Recovery Center (PARC) Mentors staff through sharing advanced knowledge of contemporary therapy across multiple areas of practice Implements evidence-based, best-practice principles for the provision of high quality, safe patient care Develops and communicates standards for therapy interventions, frequencies and treatment plans based on current theory, recent research, and practice Liaisons with matrixed service leadership (i.e., program managers, section/service chiefs, etc.) to ensure assigned staff are meeting individual program expectations and providing optimal OT interventions/care Functions with a high level of autonomy in carrying out patient treatment, education, and applying advanced therapy procedures in accordance with laws or regulations and AOTA documents across the areas under his/her supervisory control Provides guidance to home care staff for the clinical education of trainees (students, fellows or residents); provides direct supervision to trainees as needed Provides education to other clinical areas regarding home care practice, coordination of care and services available through the PM&RS section Serves as an advocate and resource consultant to the facility at large through communication with other departments, physicians, external agencies and other groups regarding home-based rehabilitation programs and operation of the OT section Identifies continuing education and training needs and investigates resources and methods to implement evidence-based treatment programs Serves as an instructor for facility- and service-level training Responsible for conducting performance evaluations, recommendations for appointment, awards, promotions and disciplinary actions of assigned staff therapists and assistants with input from C/OT and C/PT as indicated Works with assigned therapy staff to ensure designated productivity standards are being met/barriers to meeting standards are being addressed Mentors and supports assigned staff in performance and personnel issues, including facilitating and supporting C/OT and C/PT in facilitating conflict resolution, handling staff conflicts and promotions in an unbiased and professional manner Assists with development of section policies and competencies related to delegation of specific aspects of the screening, evaluation, or re-evaluation process to an Occupational or Physical Therapy Assistant (OTA or PTA) Administers time and leave Ensures assigned programs staffing levels are adequate for patient care needs and arranges for cross coverage as indicated; assists with recruitment, interviewing and hiring of new staff Ensures that the maintenance of the clinical areas and equipment are performed in accordance with facility and Joint Commission standards Assists with development and/or revision of consult screens/processes to ensure that requests for rehab services identify appropriate candidates and contain sufficient clinical information Reviews documentation by staff to ensure that documentation is accurate, concise, timely and in accordance with standards established by the PM&RS department and the Durham VA Medical center and other regulatory bodies Provides other administrative responsibilities as needed for continuity of rehab services in the absence of other members of PM&RS leadership Work Schedule: Monday - Friday Compressed/Flexible: Possibly Available Telework: Ad-hoc Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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