Summary GS-13 Audiologist (Clinical Specialist) This position is located in the Audiology Service at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System in Minneapolis, MN. The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology service. The Audiologist has special clinical program responsibilities to include cochlear implant duties and Tele-Cochlear Program responsibilities. Responsibilities The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Duties include, but are not limited to: The Tele-Cochlear Audiologist provides leadership and directs oversight in the design, development, implementation, planning and management of the Tele-Cochlear program. Serves as a coach or facilitator for an interdisciplinary team and is responsible for training all support staff and trainees as it relates to the specialty program. This individual serves as the SME (subject matter expert) in matters regarding the specialty program. Exercises independent clinical judgment and adapts clinical procedures and techniques to accommodate age-specific and unique patient conditions, needs, and expectations. Plans, coordinates, and implements a full range of patient-focused treatment services designed to optimize function. Evaluates patients to determine nature, type, and severity of hearing and balance disorders using a full range of diagnostic tests and techniques, past, family, and social history, record review, and consultation with family and other health care practitioners. Provides hearing aid evaluations, assessments, selection, fitting, orientation, training, and follow-up services. Conducts verification measurements to determine function of hearing. Performs compensation and pension examinations, medical opinions, tinnitus evaluations, special auditory and vestibular tests. Demonstrates advanced knowledge in a focused area of contemporary audiology practice to provide oversight of the Tele-Cochlear Program. Evaluates the specialty program to ensure deadlines and goals are met. Coordinates initiatives and builds consensus among interdisciplinary team members: - Attends interdisciplinary team meetings; participates with other health care practitioners to address the global needs of the patient, advises on diagnosis and treatment. - Consults with physicians and other health care practitioners related to diagnostic evaluation and treatment. - Monitors and reports on work progress in the specialty program to adjust workload and processes. Serves as the SME and provide education relating to the Tele-Cochlear Program: Applies advanced theories and techniques to special patient populations, provide professional advice and counseling, and provide consultation in specialized areas of Tele-Cochlear. In addition to clinical duties of a Tele-Cochlear Audiologist, incumbent has special clinical program responsibilities. Coordinate with audiologists and professionals throughout VISN 23 regarding patient care and the inter-facility consult process for implants. - Conducts telemedicine for cochlear implants with eligible program sites as well as VA Video Connect (VVC) and remote programming appointments for qualifying hearing aid patients. - Communicate with future and current implant recipients and non-VA providers to collaborate patient care. - Train and educate staff, residents, and audiologists within VISN 23 to further the ongoing development of the Hearing Implant Program. - Evaluate candidacy for cochlear implantation by conducting initial audiological evaluation, tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions, and auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing (if appropriate). Candidacy determination is also to include-- verification of current hearing aids, aided evaluation with speech perception abilities, evaluation of audiologic and otologic history, assessment of cognitive and emotional factors, and discussion of realistic expectations, benefits/limitations of implant, and surgical/follow-up procedures. - Perform device selection, provide pre-and post-surgical assessment, counseling, and all aspects of audiologic treatment including auditory training, rehabilitation, initial device activation, implant programming (mapping), NRT/NRI intraoperative measures, and ongoing maintenance of the cochlear implant speech processing system. Work Schedule: Full-time; Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:30 Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications All requirements must be met by the close date of this announcement, 02/12/2025 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). 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. NOTE: Effective January 1, 2007, the CAA in Audiology and Speech- Language Pathology of ASHA accredits only doctoral degree or AUD programs in audiology. 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. 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. English Language Proficiency. Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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: GS-13 Audiologist (Clinical Specialist)Experience: At least two years of experience as a professional audiologist, with at least one year comparable to the next lower grade level, GS-12. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the KSAs required at the full performance level 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.), the following KSAs are required: Advanced knowledge in a focused area of contemporary audiology practice to provide oversight of a specialty program. Skill to evaluate the specialty program to ensure deadlines and goals are met. Skill to coordinate initiatives and build consensus among interdisciplinary team members. Ability to monitor and report on work progress in the specialty program to adjust workload and processes. Ability to serve as the SME and provide education relating to the specialty program. 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. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. 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: (1) 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. (2) 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. (3) 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 reentry to the occupation. (4) 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. (5) NOTE: This grandfathering provision is not intended to regularize appointments/ placements. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application. 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 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.