The Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) will be assigned to the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System, Geriatrics & Extended Care (GEC) Service. The incumbent will function as a highly independent practitioner of Speech Language Pathology within the Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) setting which includes the Medical Foster Home (MFH) setting.

Requirements

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) Education: A master's degree or its equivalent in audiology or hearing science from an accredited college or university; or, a master's degree, or its equivalent, in speech-language pathology, communication sciences and disorders, or a related field, from an accredited college or university. "Accredited" means a college or university [recognized] by a regional accreditation organization and an audiology or speech-language pathology program [recognized] by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Licensure: For those grades that require licensure (GS-12 and above), [ ] the incumbent must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license in both [disciplines] in a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia. (1) The A/S-LP must maintain full, current, and unrestricted licensure/registration. (2) An A/S-LP who has, or has ever had, his/her audiology and/or speech pathology license revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in Chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16 of this part. [(3)] Loss of Credential. An employee in this occupation who fails to obtain licensure/certification/ registration within the required time frame, or who fails to maintain the required licensure/certification/ registration must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. [(4)] The requirement for licensure may be waived by the Under Secretary for Health or designee in VHA Central Office for individuals engaged in research or academic assignments involving no direct patient care duties, in accordance with current activities. Grandfathering Provision: [ ] All [A/S-LPs] employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. 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)] Such employees [ ] may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or [changed to lower grade] demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or 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 initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. [(4)] If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency: A/S-LPs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. GRADE REQUIREMENTS Creditable Experience [(1)] Knowledge of Contemporary Professional Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics associated with contemporary professional audiology and speech-language pathology practice. This knowledge may be evidenced by one or more of the following: [(a)]. At least 1 year of active professional practice or its equivalent. Active professional practice means paid or non-paid employment as a professional audiologist and speech-language pathologist engaged in the practice of audiology and speech-language pathology as defined by the appropriate licensing boards. [(b)]. Academic course work leading to a doctoral degree in audiology, speech-language pathology, or directly related fields. [(2)] Quality of Experience. Experience is creditable if it is both of the following: [(a)]. Work as a professional audiologist and speech-language pathologist related to the position to be filled; and [(b)]. The work is at a level comparable to audiology and speech-language pathology experience at the next lower grade level. [(3)] Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a professional A/S-LP is credited according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, an A/S-LP employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time work week of credit for each 2 weeks of service. b. Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining grades. GS-12 Licensure: Must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license in both areas in a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia. (b) Education and Experience. Completion of 1 year of professional experience comparable to the next lower level and possession of a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice both audiology and speech-language pathology. For positions involved in research audiology/speech-language pathology assignments involving no direct patient care, completion of a doctoral degree in audiology, speech-language pathology, communication, hearing science, or a related field is fully qualifying. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the [KSAs identified for the assignment]. (c) Assignments. A/S-LPs at this grade level are considered to be at the full performance level and may be appointed to one of the following assignments: Staff Audiologist/Speech-Language Pathologist: Staff A/S-LPs at this grade level must demonstrate professional knowledge of, and skill in applying, a wide range of theories, principles, and methodology of the practices of both audiology and speech-language pathology to a wide range of populations. [Individuals may perform ancillary assignments, including program management duties on an occasional basis, where the complexity and amount of work is not substantial (less than 25% of the time). The following KSAs are required: a. Ability to develop coherent treatment strategies; b. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures sufficiently to perform clinical services independently; c. Ability to conduct assessments, provide treatment interventions; and provide consultation to other health care professionals; d. Knowledge of contemporary audiology and speech-language pathology practices; and e. Ability to perform functions associated with contemporary audiology and speech-language pathology scope of practice.

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 VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System 975 Kirman Avenue Reno, NV 89502 US
• Name: Omar Smith
• Phone: 9155647517
• Email: omar.smith2@va.gov