This position is in the Audiology Section of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Services (PM&RS) of the Veterans Administration Montana Health Care System (VA MT HCS)serving Montana's Veteran population. The incumbent is a Staff Audiologist, who conducts a full range of evaluations to determine the type and degree of hearing loss, determines patients' need for amplification, predicts and measures the effectiveness of amplification, and determines need for additional specialty referrals. 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. Education. Doctor of Audiology (AUD) from an audiology program recognized by the Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE) or Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). HR office staff and management officials may verify a program's accreditation from ACAE at acaeaccred.org and CAA at 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 U.S. Department of Education. 2 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. The Under Secretary of Health, or designee, may appoint a candidate without a license 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. (4) Exception for Non-Licensed Audiologist. Non-Licensed applicants 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). Non-Licensed individuals shall only provide care under the supervision of a fully licensed audiologists at or above the full performance level. Non-Licensed individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted to the GS-12 grade level until licensure is obtained. Temporary appointments of non-Licensed audiologists may not be extended beyond two years or be converted to a new temporary appointment. Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and licensure, where applicable. For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment specific requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or be changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis 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 fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who 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. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional licensure that meets all the basic or assignment specific qualification requirements of this standard must maintain the required credential as a condition of employment in the occupation. NOTE: This grandfathering provision is not intended to regularize appointments/ placements. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. 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). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for appointments at grade levels specified. Audiologist, 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. Audiologist, 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. 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. 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-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: This position requires frequent bending and lifting, and the ability to assist patients with a variety of therapeutic activities. Incumbent must be able to lift 50 pounds to the chest height and maintain good body mechanics. ["Duties and skills needed to be successful in this position include, but are not limited to This is the full performance level for staff audiologists. A Staff audiologist in this assignment must perform a full range of services associated with contemporary audiology practice to include the assessment of auditory and vestibular disorders. Clinical duties and responsibilities include direct patient care involving a full range of audiology and balance evaluation and treatment services, including the diagnosis of hearing disorders, selection and fitting processes of hearing aids and other amplification systems and devices, aural (auditory) rehabilitation, counseling of hearing-impaired veterans and their family, vestibular assessments and counseling on tinnitus management strategies. The incumbent is responsible for planning, delivering, and monitoring the effectiveness of patient-centered treatment strategies and rehabilitative services for patients with hearing and vestibular disorders. They will be responsible for but not limited to, the selection and fitting of all types of hearing aids, devise programming; issuance of hearing protection for the purpose of sustaining healthy hearing and selection and fitting of alternative assistive listening devices (e.g. personal FM amplifiers, amplified telephones, t.v. amplifiers, etc.) and inspection, modification, and repair of amplification devices and their respective ear molds. Incumbent plans, conducts, and coordinates auditory (aural) rehabilitation, tinnitus and/or vestibular rehabilitation programs for patients; designs patient-centered treatment plans to assist patient and caregivers to maximize and restore to the greatest extent possible physical and social functioning. The incumbent serves as a consultant to other facility personnel and is a recognized subject matter expert on matters related to hearing, tinnitus, and balance disorders. The incumbent will complete all documentation in accordance with facility policy. The incumbent will remain current with new developments in audiology and will maintain professional competency by reading professional journals and engaging in continuing education activities and professional learning experiences and by communicating with other professionals in the profession and related professions. Communication is required by this position and the incumbent will be expected to attend regularly scheduled staff meetings and inter-disciplinary health care team meeting as appropriate. Incumbent will review policies and procedures as required and attend or provide in-service trainings when scheduled. May perform ancillary assignments, including duties related to program management, consults, schedules, equipment, and traineeships on an occasional basis, where the complexity and amount of the work is not substantial. May provide orientation/training of clinical staff. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 0800-1630 Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 436B-51501-A, 436B-51502-A"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
