Summary This position is located in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Service, Medicine Service Line at Tomah Veterans Administration Medical Center in Tomah, WI. The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the medical center including all clinical and patient care areas involved with the service. Responsibilities Major duties include but not limited to: Clinical - Evaluates via consultative referral, develops, and implements appropriate l therapy treatment to address assessment of swallowing capabilities, cognitive abilities/limitation, receptive/expressive language difficulties, and/or speech intelligibility challenges. Frequency, duration and discharge planning will be addressed. - Administers and interprets recognized tests and measurements to determine baseline level of functioning and treatment applications which will enable patients to achieve valued functional outcomes. - Documents results per Speech-Language Pathologist professional standards, facility guidelines and makes recommendations accordingly. - Independently plans, coordinates, and carries out treatment program and reevaluates and adjusts treatment as appropriate. - Has knowledge of principles and techniques used in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. -Demonstrates a solid understanding and skill level diagnosing and treating voice disorders including a-laryngeal and tracheostomized/ventilator dependent Veteran to perform functions associated with contemporary speech-language scope of practice. - Provides speech language dysphagia cognitive treatments to appropriate Veterans. - Conducts and documents PMRS screening assessments in compliance with Joint Commission Standards making recommendations for treatment to meet a wide variety of complex rehabilitation needs and responds to requests/referrals for treatment. - Educates patient and appropriate family members in the proper application/installation/use for a specific device. - Independently develops, plans, coordinates, and initiates new programs, activities, and procedures to meet needs of patients with complex problems/disabilities as well as the specific needs of the general population of patients. - Ability to procure, fabricate, adjust, adapt and modify orthoses, splints and adaptive equipment for activities of daily living. Education - Attends in-service training programs, lectures to remain familiar with current occupational therapy practices. - Attends mandatory training (CPR, Fire & Safety, Infection Control, etc.) as required by the facility and meets annual educational requirements. - Provides orientation/training of medical staff specific to speech language pathology services. - Assists in organizing occupational therapy student education program. - Develops and applies standards and criteria for newly identified areas of practice in specialty area. - Provides patient and family education. Administration - Participates in quality assurance review including chart reviews, peer reviews, patient care monitoring, and patient satisfaction surveys. - Compiles necessary statistics that assist in determining program effectiveness and appropriate productivity level of occupational therapy staff. - Maintains current patient records on attendance, progress and other pertinent information for preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual reports. - Maintains, compiles, and reports statistics required by Section/Service for monthly, quarterly, and annual reports. - Attends scheduled departmental meetings, multidisciplinary staff meetings, other meetings affecting patient care, and committee meetings as assigned. - Perform other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00am to 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: GS-11: 02890F / GS-12: 02889F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. 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 evaluation. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications 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. English Language Proficiency: SLP candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Education and Experience: 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. OR, A doctoral degree in speech-language pathology, communication disorders and sciences or a related field, from an accredited college or university. Licensure: Individuals must hold a full, current and unrestricted license in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth or the District of Columbia. Grade Determinations: GS-11 Speech-Language Pathologist: Education: None beyond the basic requirements. 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. GS-12 Speech-Language Pathologist: Experience: In addition to the basic requirements at the GS-11 level, completing one year of professional experience comparable to the next lower level and possessing a full, current and unrestricted license to practice speech-language pathology. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience requirements, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Skill in applying principles and techniques of diagnosis and treatment associated with contemporary speech-language pathology following evidence-based practice for adult patients exhibiting the full range of speech to the full range of patient populations. (b) Skill in administering and interpreting instrumental swallowing evaluations. (c) Ability to assess the effectiveness of clinical outcomes and adapt clinical procedures and techniques to accommodate unique patient conditions. 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-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. 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 for 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.
