Summary Audiology and Speech Pathology Service is located at the Palo Alto VA Health Care System. Duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the medical center including all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Service. The speech-language pathologist at this level plans, conducts, and coordinates all aspects of diagnostic assessments and evaluations and therapeutic and rehabilitative services for speech, language, voice, fluency, cognitive, and swallowing disorders. Responsibilities Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 640-0374F (GS-11) and 640-3562F (GS-12) Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required The major duties and responsibilities GS-11 Level: Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) at this entry developmental grade level, assess and treat patients with routine speech, language, voice, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders. Responsible for planning, conducting, coordinating, and monitoring the effectiveness and clinical outcomes of patient-centered treatment and rehabilitative services to maximize and restore to the greatest extent possible physical and social functioning. Follows the principles of evidence-based practice and perform clinical procedures with respect to age-specific, unique patient conditions and needs. Assessing and treating patients with complex or rare speech, language, voice, cognitive communication and swallowing disorders, SLPs may require consultation with an SLP at the full performance or higher level. Develops an effective and comprehensive plan of care for swallowing disorders in collaboration with other health care practitioners; establishes and maintains an effective therapy relationship with the patient, family and caregivers; and adjusts treatment plans to patient response and indicators of progress. The major duties and responsibilities GS-12 Level: At this level, SLPs independently provide evidence-based assessment and treatment interventions to individuals with a wide range of speech, language, voice, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders. Administer and interpret standardized and non-standardized assessment measures. Integrate assessment findings into a patient-centered treatment plan of care and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions by collecting and documenting treatment outcomes. Assigned to work in a specific clinical area such as traumatic brain injury, head and neck cancer, movement disorders or spinal cord injury. Provide clinical training experiences for trainees and students and participate in research activities. Knowledgeable with appropriate instrument evaluations (e.g. videofluroscopy, stroboscopy, FEES, nasometry, electroglottography, etc.) consistent with privileges, and evaluation of patients for augmentative communication systems (e.g., Tobii Dynavox systems, iPad tablet applications, etc.). Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). 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. Licensure. For GS-12 and above, the incumbent must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license in a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia. Education. (1) A master's degree, or its equivalent, in speech-language pathology, communication disorders or a directly related field from an accredited college or university and one year of creditable experience (see paragraph 2.g.). or (2) A doctoral degree in speech-language pathology, communication disorder. Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure. 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) SLPs may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level or changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (2) If SLPs who are retained under this provision leave the occupation, they 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) SLPs initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment. (4) SLPs 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. 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: SLP candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Creditable Experience: To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills and abilities associated with the assessing, diagnosing, treating and preventing communication and swallowing disorders with contemporary professional speech-language pathology practice. This knowledge may be evidenced by one 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 SLP engaged in the practice of speech-language pathology as defined by the appropriate licensing board. (b) Academic course work leading to a doctoral degree in speech-language pathology, communication disorders and sciences, or a related field. Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is both of the following: (a). Work as a professional speech-language pathologist related to the position to be filled; and (b). The work is at a level comparable to speech-language pathology experience at the next lower grade level. Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a professional speech-language pathologist is credited according to its relationship to the full-time work week. For example, a speech-language pathologist employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service. In addition to the basic requirements, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Education and Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. GRADE REQUIREMENTS. In addition to the basic requirements, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. a. Speech-Language Pathologist, GS-11 (1) Education. None beyond the basic requirements. (2) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of principles and techniques in assessing and treating disorders of speech, language, cognitive-communication and swallowing. (b) Knowledge of instrumentation and technologies for assessing and treating communication and swallowing disorders. (c) Ability to adapt clinical procedures and techniques to accommodate unique patient conditions, needs and goals. Assignment. SLPs at this entry developmental grade level assess and treat patients with routine speech, language, voice, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders following the principles of evidence-based practice and perform clinical procedures with respect to age-specific, unique patient conditions and needs. When assessing and treating patients with complex or rare speech, language, voice, cognitive communication and swallowing disorders, SLPs may require consultation with an SLP at the full performance or higher level. Speech-Language Pathologist, GS-12. The incumbent must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license in a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia. 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 speech-language pathology. Assignment. This is the full performance level. At this level, SLPs independently provide evidence-based assessment and treatment interventions to individuals with a wide range of speech, language, voice, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders. Staff SLPs select, administer and interpret standardized and non-standardized assessment measures 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 speech-language pathology. Assignment. This is the full performance level. At this level, SLPs independently provide evidence-based assessment and treatment interventions to individuals with a wide range of speech, language, voice, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders. Staff SLPs select, administer and interpret standardized and non-standardized assessment measures. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is at the GS-11/12. VA HANDBOOK REFERENCE: Part II Appendix G30, Effective Date: September 22, 2022. Physical Requirements: Light lifting and carrying, up to 15 pounds. May be reaching above shoulders. Requires walking standing, hearing (aid permitted), and repetitive computer use. (See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.) 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/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
