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Summary This position is located in the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service at the Durham VA Healthcare System/Garner VA Clinic. The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the medical center and its satellite clinics including all clinical and patient care areas involved with the service , as necessary. Incumbent is an audiologist, under direct supervision of the Supervisory Audiologist and ASPS Service Chief with special clinic program responsibilities. Responsibilities The duties include but, are not limited to: Engages in the differential diagnosis of the full range of hearing problems associated with (a) functional, (b) mixed, (c) conductive, (d) sensory, (e) neural, (f) sensorineural, and (g) central hearing loss. In diagnosing these problems, the incumbent conducts and interprets the complete range of specialized and refined audiologic test procedures currently available. Demonstrates competence in the operation and maintenance of diverse and specialized audiometric equipment, including computer facilities and adjunct components Evaluates patients to determine nature, type, and severity of hearing disorders and tinnitus complaints using a full range of diagnostic tests and techniques, past and current medical history, record review, and in consultation with family and other health care practitioners Plans, coordinates, and implements a full range of patient-focused treatment services designed to optimize function Adapts clinical procedures and techniques for, and is able to communicate professionally with, patients who present with multiple physical handicaps, inconsistent behavior, varying cognitive abilities and unique requirements Demonstrates competence in the operation and maintenance of diverse specialized audiometric equipment, computers, software, and adjunct components Analyzes treatment outcomes and implements follow-up changes as necessary to assure the appropriateness of treatment Consults with physicians and other health care practitioners related to diagnostic evaluation and treatment Documents in the medical record: evaluations, diagnoses, and clinical opinions, treatment plans, outcomes of treatment, changes in functional status, and patient/family education Mentors and supervises Au.D. students and audiology technicians in the provision of contemporary Audiology practice Interprets and summarizes test battery, and medical referrals are made as appropriate Provides support to staff by being available to troubleshoot software problems and ensures software updates are complete Uses knowledge in the focused area of tinnitus, a contemporary audiology practice, by serving as the subject matter expert for tinnitus for the Audiology & Speech Pathology Service (ASPS) and dedicates no less than 25% of clinical time to the program Develops and maintains a library of materials for patient education on the theory and treatment of tinnitus for clinic use Collaborates with current tinnitus specialists to create a cohesive tinnitus management program Coordinate initiatives and build consensus among interdisciplinary team members to include psychologists Provides Advanced Tinnitus Management via telehealth to other sites Creation and implementation of a progressive tinnitus management program Conduct one on one counseling appointments with use of whole health principles Work Schedule: 7:00am-3:30pm Mon-Fri Compressed/Flexible: Compressed/Flexible Tours Available Telework: Not eligible for Telework Functional Statement #: 000000 Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. 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. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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: a. 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). b. 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. NOTE: Effective January 1, 2007, the CAA in Audiology and 3 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. (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. Loss of Credential. Management officials, in collaboration with HR Office staff must immediately relieve employees who fail to maintain the required 4 licensure of the duties and responsibilities associated with this occupation which may also result in separation from employment. 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. f. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. g. English Language Proficiency. Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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-13 Experience. At least two years of experience as a professional audiologist, with at least one year comparable to the next lower grade level. For GS-12 Some duties include, but are not limited to: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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the KSAs required at the full performance level, the following KSAs are required: (a) Advanced knowledge in a focused area of contemporary audiology practice to provide oversight of a specialty program. (b) Skill to evaluate the specialty program to ensure deadlines and goals are met. (c) Skill to coordinate initiatives and build consensus among interdisciplinary team members. (d) Ability to monitor and report on work progress in the specialty program to adjust workload and processes. (e) Ability to serve as the SME and provide education relating to the specialty program 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). Preferred Experience: KSA GS-13 Audiologist 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-13. 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.