The Primary Purpose of the Position is: The Chief provides supervision and guidance of both professional areas in excess of 30% of the on duty time in a unified Audiology and Speech Pathology Service (ASPS). The incumbent is responsible for the supervision of ASPS staff to optimize the delivery of consistent and high quality care to veterans including but not limited to hearing, balance, speech, language, voice, fluency, cognition, and swallowing disorders.

Duties

Interdisciplinary Position: This position is being announced under multiple disciplines. This one position may be filled by either a Speech-Language Pathologist or an Audiologist under the following announcements: Supervisory Speech-Language Pathologist: CAZM-12182804-24-KR Supervisory Audiologist: CAZM-12182803-24-KR The Chief of the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service (ASPS) is the primary supervisor and administrator of all the Audiology and Speech Pathology services performed within the VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS). The ASPS includes Audiologists, Speech Language Pathologists, Administrative Officer, Audiology Health Technicians, and Program Support Assistants. Staff are stationed at four locations within the VANTHCS which includes the Dallas campus, Fort Worth Outpatient Clinic, Tyler Outpatient Clinic, and the Bonham campus. The ASPS has in excess of 38,000 visits per year. The VANTHCS is affiliated with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas and also has interns in Audiology and Speech Pathology from affiliate universities. Duties Include but not limited to: -The Chief independently analyzes large volumes of data to ensure that good effective and efficient care is met. -Manages and supervises staff and interns from various groups such as age and ethnicity and must exercise sensitive and skilled management techniques on a daily basis to achieve maximum performance from each staff member and to address personal and professional problems. -As a clinician, the Chief must deal professionally and sensitively with the full range of patients from cooperative young and elderly adults to patients with complex needs in order to communicate the extent of their disorder and the proposed plan of treatment. -Develops and communicates the results of performance plans to employees and is the rating official of employee performance and signs all disciplinary actions. -Makes decisions regarding the initiation, termination or curtailment of administration programs as well as the commitment of resources, people, equipment, space and supplies for these programs. -Develops specific and measurable long- and short-range plans consistent with the mission of the Medical Center and the projected needs of the veteran population. -Reviews the organizational structure and determines the need for specific changes to that structure which affects the delivery of services. Interacts with the community and Veteran's service organizations to ensure that clinical services are meeting the needs of veterans as perceived by these organizations. -Responsible for making budget requests to the Executive Staff and also charged with proper management of the funds. -Reevaluates operations to determine if operating costs related to personnel, space and equipment can be reduced without compromising the overall operation. -Responsible for recruitment, selection and assessment of all personnel. -Responsible for the overall utilization review management of the service to ensure appropriate utilization of center resources. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm 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 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: Citizenship: Be a Citizen of the United States. (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 Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The CAA is the only accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit entry-level audiology programs. HR office staff and management officials may verify the program accredited from CAA at www.caa.asha.org. OR Other doctoral degree in hearing science or a directly related field from an institution accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the USDE. 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: Hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently 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 14 Experience. At least three years of experience as a professional audiologist, with at least one year comparable to the next lower grade level, must fully meet the KSAs at that 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 promoting collaboration to accomplish goals. (b) Skill in translating management goals and objectives into efficient service operations. (c) Skill in balancing operational resources to ensure appropriate delivery of service operations. (d). Ability to supervise a diverse staff. (e). Ability to effectively interact and collaborate with local, VISN and/or national leadership (f). Ability to establish and monitor productivity standards, production and performance priorities to achieve management goals and objectives. Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Audiologist service chiefs at this level typically manage programs in Complexity Level 1 (high complexity) facilities. The service or organizational entity is a major component of the medical center and the services or programs supervised are highly professional, technical and complex. They are responsible for all professional, management and administrative aspects of the service or organizational entity. They have broad and overall responsibility for a service-level organizational unit and have full responsibility for clinical practice, program management, education, human resource management and supervision for the service. They autonomously manage substantive parts of specialized, complex, professional services that significantly impact Veterans' care. They provide leadership with objective, independent assessments and recommendations for policy, operational and administrative issues and initiatives requiring decision and action. They monitor work performance to ensure that requirements are satisfied; interpret and process a wide variety of data related to program planning and specialized needs of the Veterans, the service and the medical center; and ensure policies or issues have been fully coordinated, vetted and staffed. Audiologist service chiefs advise executive leadership on implications, key issues and relationships to interest groups (both internal and external) and recommend courses of action. They coordinate and negotiate resolutions to complex problems. They assure compliance with accrediting agencies and regulatory requirements and corrective action is initiated as needed. They are responsible for professional and administrative management of an assigned area, including budget execution. They maintain interdepartmental relationships with other services to accomplish medical center goals. They may prepare special reports and responses, Congressional responses, briefing papers, issue briefs and decision papers for the medical center leadership, which may be highly sensitive, confidential and of a complex nature. They develop policies and procedures and may develop performance standards, position descriptions and functional statements. They monitor the clinical performance of staff, conduct performance appraisals and perform other clinical and administrative responsibilities to ensure that the mission of the service and the medical center has been satisfied. They may set training objectives for staff and delegate responsibilities to subordinate sections. Preferred Experience: Supervisory Experience Experience working in Audiology & Speech Pathology Services Establishing and monitoring productivity standards and production and performance priorities Providing health prevention activities including education and shared decision-making Accommodates to new and changing work conditions and contingencies, and staffing Translating management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations. References: VA Handbook 5005/152 Part II Appendix G29 September 22, 2022 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. Physical Requirements: Light lifting and carrying under 15 pounds; Use of fingers; Walking and standing (1 hour)

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Accreditation Information: Doctor of Audiology (AuD) from an audiology program recognized by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The CAA is the only accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit entry-level audiology programs. HR office staff and management officials may verify the program accredited from CAA at www.caa.asha.org.

NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in 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 Dallas VA Medical Center 4500 South Lancaster Road Dallas, TX 75216 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]