Summary

The Audiology Health Technician is within the PM&R service and involves evaluating patients and developing functional rehabilitation plans using various assessments and tools. Primary focus is direct patient care. Responsibilities cover all clinical areas (inpatient - outpatient - CLC - and other areas as assigned) within the medical center associated with PM&R services.

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
• 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)
• 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 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 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
• 4
• 3 c
• Certification
• Certification by the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) as a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist (COHC) is required for the HTA - GS-08 assignment only
• Loss of Credential
• An employee in this occupation who fails to maintain the required certification identified for the HTA - GS-08 position must be removed from the assignment - which may also result in termination of employment
• Grandfathering Provision
• All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/trademark/registration/certification
• 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) They may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level - or changed to lower grade within the occupation - but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• (2) If an HTA - HTSLP or HTASLP who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation - the employee will lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation
• (3) HTAs - HTSLPs or HTASLPs 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
• (4) 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
• Foreign Education
• To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs
• g
• English Language Proficiency
• HTA - HTSLP or HTASLP candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized 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-7 (1) Experience
• Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled
• (2) 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 advanced testing procedures performed by the audiologist - such as evoked potentials
• (c) Ability to develop and implement the technician role for a program in a focused area of audiology
• (3) 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 12 collaborating with audiology team to develop training programs for patients and staff Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-7 Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Duties

• Major duties may include but are not limited to: Responsible for patient care - supporting diagnostic and treatment procedures - patient charting and patient education - which do not require a full professional audiology education or knowledge and skills represented by audiology licensure
• Supports functions include both direct patient care and administrative duties
• Greeting and escorting patients
• Triaging patients to an audiologist based on complexity of the procedures being completed
• Patient set up for procedures (e.g. - vestibular - neurodiagnostic procedures)
• Conducting hearing pass/fail screenings without interpretation
• Hearing aid troubleshooting and repair
• Providing basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers
• Performing listening checks on hearing aids
• Pairing hearing aids and accessories via Bluetooth technology
• Programming previously stored settings into hearing aids
• Activating remote controls
• Work Schedule: M-F - Varies based on service needs
• Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 09211F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized