This position is located in the Audiology & Speech Pathology Section of the Sensory & Rehabilitation Service at the Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center. The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the medical center including clinical and other patient care areas involved with the service. 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. Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Licensure. Individuals must hold a full, current and unrestricted license to practice audiology at the doctoral level in a United States state, territory, commonwealth or the District of Columbia. Education: Doctor of Audiology (AuD) from an audiology program recognized by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The CAA is the only accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit entry-level audiology programs. HR office staff and management officials may verify the program accredited from CAA at www.caa.asha.org. OR Other doctoral degree in hearing science or a directly related field from an institution accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the USDE. NOTE: Effective January 1, 2007, the CAA in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of ASHA accredits only doctoral degree or AuD programs in audiology. Licensure. Individuals must hold a full, current and unrestricted license to practice audiology at the doctoral level in a United States state, territory, commonwealth or the District of Columbia. Non-licensed audiologists who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate audiologist at the GS-11 grade under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2) for a period not to exceed two years from the date of employment on the condition that these audiologists provide care only under the supervision of fully licensed audiologists. Individuals appointed as graduate audiologists may not be promoted to the GS-12 level without being fully licensed. The Under Secretary of Health, or designee, in VHA Central Office may waive the requirement for licensure under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a candidate who will be assigned to a research, academic or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. In such instances, HR office staff can only appoint these candidates in exceptional circumstances where their credentials demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area. All audiologists who perform compensation and pension examinations perform direct patient care duties and must possess a full, current and unrestricted license to practice audiology and must meet the experience requirements under Section 2. D. See 38 C.F.R. 4.85. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements of this standard but previously met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Audiologists may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level or changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Audiologists who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation. Audiologists who are appointed temporarily prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they meet the basic requirements of the standard. Audiologists initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for appointments at grade levels specified. GS-11: Education. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of principles and techniques in the assessment and treatment of auditory and balance disorders. Ability to perform functions associated with contemporary audiology scope of practice as defined by the American Academy of Audiology or the ASHA. Ability to interact with patients, families and other health care professionals. GS-12: Experience. In addition to the requirements at the GS-11 level, completion of one year of professional experience comparable to the next lower grade level. Example of experience but not limited to; perform audiology assessment and treatment intervention, exercise clinical judgment, adapt clinical procedures and techniques and document in the medical record appropriate information related to patient care. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the KSAs required at the full performance level, the following KSAs are required: Skill in determining nature, type and severity of hearing/communication /vestibular disorders. Skill in counseling patients and family members regarding management of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional audiology to other health care professionals. Ability to independently apply professional contemporary audiologic treatments to the full range of patient populations. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-29 Audiologist Qualification Standards The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-12. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the position would require frequent sitting, walking short distances, standing and bending. It requires fine motor skills and dexterity for working with hearing aids and equipment. Requires the ability to see fine detail with best corrected vision. ["General Description: This position is located in the Audiology & Speech Pathology Section of the Sensory & Rehabilitation Service at the Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center. The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the medical center including clinical and other patient care areas involved with the service. The audiologist, at this level, conducts all aspects of audiological assessment, determine a patient's need for amplification, predict effectiveness of amplification, determine the need for and type of aural rehabilitation and counseling of the hearing-impaired Veteran and his/her family, determine appropriate referrals for vestibular test battery. Functions: The incumbent identifies and evaluates individuals with hearing disorders in the reception and perception of speech, language and other acoustic signals. Incumbent will work practicing as a licensed audiologist. Administers the full range of tests including (but not limited to); diagnostic hearing assessment, evaluates the type and degree of hearing loss for patients who are normally unable to provide consistent and reliable reaction to diagnostic testing, referring for testing of vestibular function, appropriate referrals and/or completing testing of Auditory Brainstem Response, appropriate referrals and/or completing testing for Central Auditory Processing Disorder. The incumbent is responsible for direct services of a remedial and sometimes preventative nature. They evaluate individual hearing resources to include testing and hearing evaluation for patients with multiple handicaps that hamper diagnosis such as brain damage or mentally ill patients. The audiologist performs employee health evaluations and provides recommendations for the facility. The incumbent will perform special audiological procedures in coordination with an experienced audiologist and assist the otologists in differential diagnosis of auditory disorders and coordinate with Ear Nose & Throat (ENT) or other health professionals in multidisciplinary teams. The incumbent is also responsible for consulting related specialty services when the care of the veteran is more extensive than their expertise. The incumbent is responsible for planning, delivering, and monitoring the effectiveness and clinical outcomes of patient-centered treatment and rehabilitative services. The audiologist is responsible for independent direct services of a remedial and sometimes preventative nature described below. The services encompass the following: Use of hearing aids. The selection of monaural, binaural or cross hearing aids. Recommendations for special ear molds made necessary because of allergic reactions, severe hearing loss or other reasons. Uses evidence based practice for hearing aid prescriptive fitting including but not limited to use of Verification by Real Ear measures. Recommendations for procurement of special instruments such as desk amplifiers, telephone amplifiers, radio or TV magnetic induction devices for special communication problems. Provides TeleAudiology services in accordance with VA Office of Telehealth Services, TeleAudiology Clinical Specialist Supplement and TeleAudiology Competencies. Routine hearing aid inspection and repair where indicated. Develops treatment plans for most difficult and complex cases in coordination. Recommends aural rehabilitation programs for patients with significant physical and psychological complicating conditions. Designs training plans to assist patients and caregivers in utilizing available hearing resources. Provides strategies for Tinnitus Management and provide or make appropriate referrals for higher level tinnitus management rehabilitation. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 07:30am - 4:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 91102-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required"]
The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,298 health care facilities, including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
