Speech-Language Pathologist (Clinical Specialist) The incumbent serves as a professional member of the clinical staff of the Speech Pathology Section within the Rehabilitation and Extended Care (REC) at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Duties

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: a. Possesses advanced clinical knowledge in a focused area of contemporary speech pathology practice for a contemporary and evidence-based practice in differential diagnosis and treatment. b. Skill in interpreting advanced specialized clinical management programs in focused areas of contemporary speech-language pathology practice. c. Ability to provide consultation and continuing education in a specific SLP disorder area. d. Applies advanced theories and techniques to patients with physical, cognitive and communication impairments, provides professional advice and counseling, and provides consultation in the assessment and treatment of individuals with disorders of communication, swallowing and cognition resulting from acquired brain injury; e. Manages complex and challenging patients with multiple physical, sensory, motor, cognitive, or other issues that complicate communication or swallowing status, and involve multiple clinical management options, difficult clinical decision making, complex data, and high risk of complications, morbidity, or mortality; f. Exercises independent clinical judgment and adapts clinical procedures and techniques to accommodate age-specific and unique patient conditions, needs, and expectations; g. Evaluates patients to determine nature, type, and severity of speech, language, voice, cognitive, and swallowing 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; h. Plans, coordinates, and implements a full range of patient-focused treatment services designed to optimize function; i. Consults with physicians and other health care practitioners related to diagnostic evaluation and treatment; j. Documents in medical record: evaluations, diagnosis and clinical opinion, treatment plans, patient-reported and instrument-specific outcomes of treatment, changes in functional status, interdisciplinary care and patient/family education; k. Attends interdisciplinary team meetings; participates with other health care practitioners to address the global needs of the patient, advises on diagnosis and treatment; l. Follows procedures for cleaning, transporting, and storing reusable medical equipment (RME); m. Adheres to infection control practices while using equipment and providing patient care; n. Serves as an subject matter expert for a clinical area, adding knowledge to the profession by providing expert consultation, continuing education and mentoring to colleagues, clinical fellows and students. Education a. Provides education to patients and their families regarding the nature and consequences of cognitive communication difficulties, communication impairments and swallowing difficulties, as well as counseling and instruction to families on how they may support their family member in returning to home and community. b. Provides training and supervision to trainees and graduate students in speech pathology assigned to the hospital, covering methods of testing and evaluation, diagnosis, treatment planning and techniques, and preparation of reports c. Maintains current knowledge in the evaluation and treatment of cognitive disorders, communication disorders, and dysphagia by reading current literature, and attending advanced-level continuing education units (CEUs) and conferences. The incumbent may also provide ongoing education to treatment teams and the community through the presentation of in-services and lectures. Work Schedule: Full-time; Administrative days and on-call Telework: If approved, will be on an ad-hoc basis Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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 and Experience: (1) A master's degree, or its equivalent, in speech-language pathology, communication disorders or a directly related field from an accredited college or university and one year of creditable experience. OR (2) A doctoral degree in speech-language pathology, communication disorders and sciences or a related field, from an accredited college or university. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Licensure: Individuals must hold a full, current and unrestricted license in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth or the District of Columbia. English Language Proficiency: SLP candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 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: Speech-Language Pathologist (Clinical Specialist), GS-13 Experience/Education: In addition to the basic requirements at the GS-12 level, completion of one year of professional experience comparable to the next lower level, GS-12, and completion of one or more of the following: (a) Board certification such as BRS-S Disorders or BC-ANCDS; or (b) Completion of a residency or fellowship post-graduate degree; or (c) College credits (three or more courses) above the graduate degree in the areas relevant to the advance practice. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience requirements, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Advanced knowledge in a focused area of contemporary speech pathology practice for contemporary and evidence-based practice in differential diagnosis and treatment. (b) Skill in interpreting advanced specialized clinical management programs in focused areas of contemporary speech-language pathology practice. (c) Ability to provide consultation and continuing education in a specific SLP disorder area. References: VA Handbook 5005/153 Part II Appendix G30 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. All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) SLPs may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level or changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (2) If SLPs who are retained under this provision leave the occupation, they will lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation. (3) SLPs initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment. (4) SLPs 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.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Minneapolis VA Medical Center One Veterans Drive Minneapolis, MN 55417 US
• Name: Adam Abbott
• Phone: 612-629-7067
• Email: [email protected]