Audiologist

Summary

This position is located in the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service at the Washington DC VA Medical Center - a tertiary care facility with 158 acute beds - 13 intermediate beds - and a 120 Nursing Home Care Unit - six Community Based Outpatient Clinics - and a Level II Polytrauma Center. The audiologist at this level plans - conducts - and coordinates all aspects of diagnostic evaluation and treatment of hearing impairment and/or balance disorders.

• 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)
  • English Language Proficiency
  • Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
  • 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  and CAA a.org
  • OR 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
  • NOTE:
    
    Effective January 1 - 2007 - the CAA in Audiology and Speech
    - Language Pathology of ASHA accredits only doctoral degree or AUD programs in audiology
  • Foreign Education
  • To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials
  • Such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs
  • 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
  • The Under Secretary of Health - or designee - may appoint a candidate without a license who will be assigned to a research - academic - or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities
  • In such instances - HR office staff can only appoint these candidates in exceptional circumstances where their credentials demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area
  • All audiologists who perform compensation and pension examinations perform direct patient care duties and must possess a full - current - and unrestricted license to practice audiology and must meet the experience requirements under Section 2
  • D
  • See 38 C.F.R
  • § 4.85
  • Exception for Non-Licensed Audiologist
  • Non-Licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure - may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate audiologist at the GS-11 grade under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)
  • Non-Licensed individuals shall only provide care under the supervision of a fully licensed audiologists at or above the full performance level
  • Non-Licensed individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted to the GS-12 grade level until licensure is obtained
  • Temporary appointments of non-Licensed audiologists may not be extended beyond two years or be converted to a new temporary appointment
  • Failure to Obtain Licensure
  • In all cases - the graduate audiologists must actively pursue obtaining the required licensure from the date of their appointment
  • HR office staff will provide unlicensed audiologists with written requirements to obtain licensure - the date by which the license must be acquired and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline
  • Written notices must be provided prior to the entrance on duty date
  • Failure to obtain the required credentials by the prescribed date will result in termination of employment
  • Loss of Credential
  • Management officials - in collaboration with HR Office staff must immediately relieve employees who fail to maintain the required Licensure of the duties and responsibilities associated with this occupation which may also result in separation from employment
  • GRADE DETERMINATION - Audiologist - GS-11
  • Edu…