Incumbent is a staff Health Technician (Audiology) under the supervision of a GS-12 Staff Audiologist or above. This position is located in the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville Campus. The duties and responsibilities are to be carried out in all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service. The incumbent supports the function of the clinical programs in Audiology.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Triaging patients to an audiologist based on complexity of the procedures being completed Scheduling appointments Patient instruction and counseling on hearing loss or hearing aids either on an individual basis or in a group setting Providing basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers Greeting and escorting patients Packaging and mailing hearing aids and accessories Process ROES transactions (e.g. certifying and issuing hearing aids, entering orders and repairs) Maintenance of clean, disinfected instrumentation, equipment, and work surfaces in the audiology clinic Responding to routine inquiries from patients to include determining nature of hearing aid inquiry and responding to administrative questions Electronic ordering, verifying orders upon arrival to ensure components are present and working correctly Train and mentor new Health Technicians Patient set up for procedures (e.g., telehealth, Automated Method for Testing Auditory Sensitivity (AMTAS)) Performing listening checks on hearing aids Performing other duties assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30AM-4:00PM Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 70307-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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, HTSLP or HTASLP candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f). Experience and Education: (1) 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, (2) 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, (3) 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. 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-07 Health Technician Audiology: In addition to the basic requirements for this occupation you must meet the experience and all of the KSA's below to be found qualified at the GS-07 level. Experience: Completion of one full year ( 52 weeks ) of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-06 directly related to the position being filled. Specialized experience includes completing adjustments to hearing aid settings as outlined in the audiologist's plan of care, preparing patients for advanced diagnostic procedures such as evoked potentials and collaborating with audiology team to develop training programs for patients and staff. AND, Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Ability to mentor and train new HTAs. (b) Ability to prepare patients for and perform Automated Method for Testing Auditory Sensitivity (AMTAS) (c) Ability to develop and implement the technician role for a program in a focused area of audiology. Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. The HTA at this level works under supervision and direction of a licensed audiologist. Assignments associated with this position include, but are not limited to: completing adjustments to hearing aid settings as outlined in the audiologist's plan of care, preparing patients for advanced diagnostic procedures such as evoked potentials and collaborating with audiology team to develop training programs for patients and staff. References: VA Handbook 5005/143, Part II Appendix G70, Health Technician (Audiology), Health Technician (Speech-Language Pathology) and Health Technician (Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology), Qualification Standard dated May 13, 2021.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. Physical Requirements: Light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds); use of fingers and both hands required; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Mental and Emotional Stability; works outside and inside; works closely with others; ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aid permitted).

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

Contacts

• Address Tennessee Valley HCS - Nashville 1310 24th Avenue South Nashville, TN 37212 US
• Name: Vickie Sarmento
• Phone: 423-926-1171 X5723
• Email: [email protected]