Summary

This position is in the Audiology Service of Diagnostics & Specialty Care at VA Butler Health Care System. The incumbent is responsible to the assigned rating and approving Diagnostics & Specialty Care Nurse Manager and is accountable to the Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for Diagnostics & Specialty Care.

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
• Education: (1) 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 - (2) 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
• 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 NOTE: Effective January 1 - 2007 - the CAA in Audiology and Speech- Language Pathology of ASHA accredits only doctoral degree or AUD programs in audiology
• License: 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
• (1) 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
• (2) 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
• Exception for Non-Licensed Audiologist: (a) 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)
• (b) Non-Licensed individuals shall only provide care under the supervision of a fully licensed audiologists at or above the full performance level
• (c) 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
• (d) Temporary appointments of non-Licensed audiologists may not be extended beyond two years or be converted to a new temporary appointment English Language Proficiency
• Audiologists must be proficient in spoken and written English 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 Assignment
• Employees at this grade level serve in audiologist entry-level developmental positions
• Audiologists 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
• Audiologist - GS-12
• Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements - completion of one year of professional experience comparable to the next lower grade - GS-11 - is required
• 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
• Assignment
• This is the full performance level for staff audiologists
• At this level - audiologists are licensed to practice independently in the provision of audiologic services - consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate
• Audiologists serve as consultants to other health care professionals and are recognized subject matter experts (SME) on matters related to hearing - tinnitus - and balance disorders
• The supervisor may assign staff audiologists to any VHA program and setting - such as inpatient or outpatient medicine - primary care - surgery - hearing health - neurology - rehabilitation medicine - geriatrics - compensation - and pension
• Audiologists diagnose audiologic disorders - conduct audiologic - or neuro-audiologic assessments
• treat auditory disorders through various modalities
• and provide adjunctive interventions for the treatment of medical disorders
• Audiologists consult with medical center staff on various patient care issues
• Staff audiologists may be involved in program evaluation - teaching - training - and research activities
• Among the modalities provided are individual - family - and group audiologic rehabilitation
• 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 GS-11 to GS-12
• Physical Requirements: VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service.

Duties

• Butler County is the fastest-growing county in Western Pennsylvania Butler VA Health Care System is located in the heart of Butler County and convenient to community support services for Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio-area Veterans
• At Butler VA Health Care System - we are Making Lives Better© for America's Veterans every day in every way
• Duties include - but are not limited to: Identifies and evaluates hearing disorders in the reception and perception of speech - language and other acoustic signals to a full range of patient complexity
• Performing audiology assessment and treatment intervention - functions associated with contemporary audiology scope of practice
• Interacts with patients - families - and other health care professionals - and working knowledge of anatomy - physiology - acoustics - applied acoustics - communication - psychoacoustics - and auditory/vestibular pathophysiology
• Responsible for planning - delivering - and monitoring the effectiveness and clinical outcomes of patient centered treatment and rehabilitative services for patients with significant physical and/or psychological complicating conditions
• Selects and fits of all types of hearing aids
• Programming of digital hearing aids
• Issues hearing protection devices for prevention of acoustic trauma for those individuals working in a noisy environment
• Selects and fits assistive devices and assistive listening devices such as personal and FM amplifiers - telephone amplifiers - radio or TV magnetic induction devices for special communication problems
• Inspection - modification and repair of amplification devices and ear molds
• Counsel veterans and family members on lifestyle strategies to conserve hearing resources
• Serves as a consultant to other facility personnel involving the most difficult and complex cases and is a recognized subject matter expert on matters related to hearing - tinnitus - and balance disorders
• Responsible for supervising - evaluating - mentoring - and precepting student trainees in audiology and serve as a liaison with affiliated colleges and/or universities
• providing feedback on performance and progress
• Complete all documentation in accordance with facility policy
• Incumbent will attend regular staff meetings and disciplinary health care meetings as appropriate
• review policies - procedures - and attend in-service training(s)
• This position requires flexibility in assignment and schedule for the incumbent to perform duties as assigned within Diagnostics & Specialty Care
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 7:30am to 4:00pm Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: PD03713F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized