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Summary This position is located in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PRMS) Service, Audiology section of the North Florida/South Georgia VHS. The duties and responsibilities are carried out in all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology service. The health technician supports the function of the clinical programs in Audiology. Responsibilities Primary responsibility is for patient care, supporting diagnostic and treatment procedures, patient charting, and patient education, which do not require a full professional audiology education or knowledge and skills represented by audiology licensure. Support functions include both direct patient care and administrative duties. In addition, the incumbent must be able to mentor and train new health technicians (Audiology}. Direct patient care duties may include, but not limited to the following: Triaging patients to an Audiologist based on complexity of the procedures being completed Patient set up for procedures (e.g., vestibular, neuro-diagnostic procedures) Patient instruction and counseling on hearing loss or hearing aids either on an individual basis or in a group setting Conducting hearing pass/fail screenings without interpretation, non-diagnostic otoscopy, cerumen management, taking earmold impressions, hearing aid troubleshooting and repair Provide basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers Performs listening checks on hearing aids Electroacoustic analysis of devices Pairs hearing aids and accessories via Bluetooth technology Programs previously stored settings into hearing aids Activates remote controls Ensures timely and accurate documentation of all interactions in the medical records and that all encounters are correctly documented using electronic medical record and computerized tracking and ordering functions via ROES Administrative duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Tracks loaner stock hearing aid inventory Electronic ordering Verifies orders upon arrival to ensure components are present and working correctly Schedules appointments Packages and mails hearing aids and accessories Processes ROES transactions (e.g. certifying and issuing hearing aids, entering orders and repairs) Responds to routine inquiries from patients, including determining nature of hearing aid inquiry and responding to administrative questions Assists patients, visitors, and others requesting information Management of infection control, patient safety, and clinical supplies for the audiology clinic Reprocessing reusable medical equipment based on facility policy according to Medical Center infection control procedures and reusable medical equipment policies. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement#: 55469F Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). 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. English Language Proficiency. HTA candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f). Experience and Education. Experience. Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. OR Education. Successful completion of two academic years above high school leading to an associate degree or a bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the position. OR Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. An example of a combination of experience/education is three months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled and one year above high school with a minimum of 6 semester hours related to the health care industry. Certification. Certification by the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) as a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist (COHC) is accepted however, it is not required for HTAs at the GS-7 level. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation. (Only applicable to current Veterans Health Administration employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria.) GRADE DETERMINATIONS: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. HTA, GS-07 Experience: Candidates must have completed one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06) directly related to the position being filled. The knowledge, skills, and abilities at the GS-06 grade level are: Knowledge of normal and abnormal ear anatomy. Knowledge of hearing physiology and function to educate patients and families. Knowledge of hearing aids, hearing assistive technology, hearing aid manufacturers and manufacturer software. Ability to solve problems or make decisions regarding hearing aid, hearing assistive technology and patient care, consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care under the supervision of an audiologist. Ability to prepare patients for testing procedures. Ability to document and code patient procedures. While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. These are the KSA's for this subject position: Ability to mentor and train new HTAs. Ability to prepare patients for advanced testing procedures performed by the audiologist, such as evoked potentials. Ability to develop and implement the technician role for a program in a focused area of audiology. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Preferred Experience: Audiology experience. Physical Requirements: Light lifting, under 15 pounds; Light carrying, under 15 pounds; Walking (6 hours); Standing (6 hours); Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; both eyes required; depth perception; Hearing (aid permitted); Use of fingers; Both hands required. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.