The Audiology Telehealth Clinical Specialist provides clinical service to veterans and other beneficiaries in VHA medical centers, clinics, domiciliaries, Community Living Centers, community care settings, and Community-Based Outpatient Clinics and by telehealth. Audiologists at this grade demonstrate professional knowledge of, and skill in applying a wide range of theories, principles, and methodologies of the practice of audiology to a full range of complex patient populations.

Duties

Duties: -Applies advanced theories and techniques to telehealth patient populations, provides professional advice and counseling, and provides consultation in the telehealth specialty area of audiology. - Provides leadership and direct oversight in the design, development, implementation, planning and management of the telehealth specialty program. - Evaluates the telehealth program to ensure deadlines and goals are met. - Monitors and reports on work progress in the telehealth program to adjust workload and processes. - Provides education relating to the telehealth audiology specialty program. - Coordinates initiatives and builds consensus among interdisciplinary team members. - Serves as a coach or facilitator for an interdisciplinary team. - Trains all support staff and trainees as it relates to the telehealth audiology specialty. - Is the subject matter expert in matters regarding the telehealth audiology specialty program. - Identifies, evaluates, diagnoses, manages, and treats disorders of human hearing, balance, tinnitus, and other disorders associated with the practice of audiology. - Performs otoscopic examinations and external ear canal management for removal of cerumen. - Conducts and interprets behavioral, electroacoustic, or electrophysiologic tests used to evaluate disorders associated with the practice of audiology. - Determines the appropriateness of amplification devices and systems such as hearing aids, sensory aids, hearing assistive devices, alerting and telecommunication systems, and captioning devices. For veterans with hearing impairment, takes into consideration physical, acoustic, cosmetic, situational, and contextual factors. - Selects, evaluates, fits and programs amplification devices and systems customized to the individual needs of veterans. Verifies the effectiveness of such devices or systems. Counsels and trains veterans in the use of amplification devices and systems and determines the benefit of amplification devices and systems. - Evaluates and provides treatment and management for veterans with tinnitus using techniques that include, but are not limited to educational counseling, biofeedback, masking, sound therapy, hearing aids, directed counseling, and combined methods. - Participates in education and administration of audiology graduate and professional education programs including education, mentoring, and supervision of associated heath trainees. - Measures functional outcomes, consumer satisfaction, effectiveness, efficiency, and cost-benefit of practices and programs to maintain and improve the quality of audiology services.- Trains, supervises, and manages health technicians and other support personnel. - Determines candidacy based on hearing and communication information for auditory implants (e.g., cochlear implants, middle ear implantable hearing aids, fully implantable hearing aids, bone-anchored and implantable hearing aids, and all other amplification/signal processing devices) and provides pre- and post-surgical assessment, counseling, and all aspects of audiologic treatment including auditory training, rehabilitation, implant programming, and maintenance of implant hardware and software. - Provides auditory rehabilitation and counseling for psychosocial adjustment to hearing loss for persons with hearing loss and their families/caregivers to optimize residual hearing and to mitigate the effects of hearing impairment on activity, participation, and quality of life. - Consults with physicians and other health care practitioners related to diagnostic evaluation and treatment.- Is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting, consults and documentation required by the medical center.- Schedules veterans and ensures coverage of assigned clinics by periodic review of clinic schedule. - Attends and actively participates in staff meetings and training.- Completes annual professional and mandatory training by required dates. - Participates in the development of professional and technical standards.- Maintains equipment in assigned area including software updates. - Responsible for cleanliness and order in assigned area. Work Schedule: 0730-1600, Monday - Friday Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Compressed/Flexible:Not Available Telework: As determined by the agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 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: 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). 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). [ ] 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. 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. 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). English Language Proficiency. Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations: Experience. At least two years of experience as a professional audiologist, with at least one year comparable to the next lower grade level. 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. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/167 PART II APPENDIX G29

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Boise VA Medical Center 500 West Fort Street Boise, ID 83702 US
• Name: Yolanda Gallegos
• Phone: (208) 422-1000 X7394
• Email: [email protected]