Physical Therapy Assistant

Summary

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About the Position: This position falls under Defense Health Agency at McDonald Army Health Center, Directorate of Surgery and requires one year of specialized experience which includes implementing physical therapy treatment plans; and instructing on physical therapy programs or providing status reports.

This is a Direct Hire Solicitation

Learn more about this agency

This job is open to

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### The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

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• Performs a wide range of complex PTA duties requiring an advanced practical knowledge of physical therapy, evidence\-based medicine and data collection to perform specific aspects of evaluations and interventions.
• Under the direction of the PT, plans, coordinates, and administers diverse physical therapy for wounded, ill and injured patients, as well as other beneficiaries, with a wide range of physical and behavioral health diagnoses and disabilities.
• Provides updated status in patient progress reports, as well as other administrative reports.
• Initiates, implements, plans, and recommends progressive treatment plan with consideration of patient’s neurological, surgical, sensory, respiratory, cardiac status, gait ability, posture, age and general health, under the supervision of the PT.
• Provides instruction to patients, family members and/or other health workers to perform selected treatment procedures and functional training activities.
• Tracks procedure’s effects on patients, long\-and short\-term effects of different types of therapy, and appropriateness of a specific therapy, noting overall trends in efficacy, reporting problems to supervisor.
• Participates in instructional programs, as directed by the PT, to include teaching other personnel in sound, proper methods of physical therapy treatment.
• Assists in planning and coordinating in\-service training for professional and non\-professional personnel.
• Completes administrative duties as required, including but not limited to checking in patients, scheduling, and template management.
• Masters new techniques and modality proficiency by studying current literature and conducting required research. Researches new therapy equipment and makes recommendations for purchase.

Requirements

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### Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Must possess and maintain current licensure in a state, territory, or the District of Columbia.
• Position requires the ability to lift 45 lbs. A pre\-placement medical examination is required.
• This position has a Temporary duty (TDY) or business travel requirement of 5% of the time.
• Selectees will be required to sign a statement (Condition of Employment) consenting to seasonal influenza vaccinations or must provide a recognized exemption.
• This position is a Testing Designated Position subject to pre\-employment screening and random drug testing. Selectees will be required to consent to participation in random drug urinalysis testing.
• Immunization screening is required. Hepatitis B immunization is required for all positions with direct patient contact. Applicants may be required to show proof of other immunizations depending on the type of position.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the American Red Cross or American Heart Association. Advanced certification (e.g., ALS) does not supersede BLS.
• Applicants must be able to fulfill non\-privileged professional credential requirements.
• A Personnel Security Investigation is required.
• This position has been designated “Mission Essential” with physical duty. In the event of severe weather conditions or other such emergency type situations the incumbent may be required to report to work or remain at work as scheduled.

### Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and /or experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirement:

Specialized experience: One year of specialized experience which includes implementing physical therapy treatment plans; and instructing on physical therapy programs or providing status reports. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS\-05\).

OR

Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field directly related to the work of the position, such as Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Kinesiotherapy, Sports Medicine, Exercise Science, or Kinesiology

OR

Combination of Experience and Education: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12\. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18\. Add the two percentages.

### Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition\-of\-foreign\-qualifications/.

### Additional information

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must complete a Pre\-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• One year trial/probationary period may be required.
• Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• Recruitment, relocation, student loan repayment, advanced in\-hire. advanced leave accrual incentives
MAY be authorized for highly qualified candidates.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
• Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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Review our benefits

How you will be evaluated

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You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.

Required Documents

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The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1\. Your resume:

• Your resume must be
two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
• For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.
• Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.

2\. Other supporting documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
• This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses.
• License/Certification: This position requires a job\-related license or certification. You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses.

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un\-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

### If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

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To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/29/2026to receive consideration.*

• To begin, click
Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12969716).
• Follow the prompts to
select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section.
• You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and
click to continue with the application process.
• You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re\-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete.
• It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
• Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how\-to/application/status.

### Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk

Website

https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr\_public?id\=app\_inq

Address

JT\-DD83CQ ATLANTIC DHN \- MCDONALD

DO NOT MAIL

Fort Eustis, VA 23604

US### Next steps

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.

Overview

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Posted today · Apply by 05/29/26

Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on May 29, 2026

Location

Fort Eustis, VA

No matching locations found.

Work site options

Telework eligible

No

Remote job

No

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.

Salary

$46,084 \- $59,908 per year

Pay scale \& grade

GS 6

Learn more about pay scale and grade

Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.

Work schedule

Full\-time

Travel Required

Occasional travel \- You may be expected to travel for this position.

Appointment type

Permanent

Occupations and job series

• 0636 Rehabilitation Therapy Assistant

Supervisory status

No

Federal service type

This job is in the Competitive Service

Represented by a union

Yes

Drug test

Yes

Security clearance

Not Required

Position sensitivity and risk

Non\-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.

Background check type

• Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure required

No

Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.

Announcement number

HSJT\-26\-12969716\-DHA

Control number

870381000