This position is located in the Audiology department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service at North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System.
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: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). English Language Proficiency. Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Education-Transcripts Submitted. (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. 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-Documentation Submitted. 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. 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. 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. 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: 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: (a) Knowledge of principles and techniques in the assessment and treatment of auditory and balance disorders. (b) Ability to perform functions associated with contemporary audiology scope of practice as defined by the American Academy of Audiology or the ASHA. (c) 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 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: (a) Skill in determining nature, type, and severity of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders. (b) Skill in counseling patients and family members regarding management of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders. (c) Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional audiology to other health care professionals. (d) 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. Preferred Experience: Should have completed AuD. Experience in hearing evaluation, hearing aid evaluation. Hearing aid fitting and dispensing, cochlear implant evaluation and treatment. 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: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.
The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the medical center including all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology department. The audiologist at this level conducts a full range of audiological evaluations to determine the type and degree of hearing loss, determines patient' need for amplification, predicts, and measures the effectiveness of amplification, and determines need for and type of aural rehabilitation and counseling of veterans with hearing loss and their families. Duties Include: Identifies and evaluates individuals with hearing disorders in the reception and perception of speech, language, and other acoustic signals. Responsible for direct services of a remedial and preventative nature. The services encompass the following: selection, evaluation and fitting of hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and accessories; issuance of hearing protection. Counsel patients family and other health care providers on hearing loss, hearing loss management and provides patient educational resources. Serves as consultant to other health care professionals and are recognized subject matter experts (SME) on matters related to hearing, tinnitus, and balance disorders. Applies clinical skills in such areas as hearing conservation, electrophysiological assessment and interpretation, central auditory function assessment and treatment, counseling for coping with tim1itus, and analysis and fitting of advanced amplification technology. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am to 4pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 51899F, 51898F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized