Audiologist Recruitment-Relocation Incentive Authorized

This position will be located in the El Paso VA Health Care System Audiology Department.

The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the medical center including all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the service.

Duties outlined are at the full performance level Audiologist. The audiologist at this level conducts audiological assessment to determine a patient's need for amplification, predict effectiveness of amplification, determine need for and type of aural rehabilitation and counseling of the hearing-impaired veteran and their family, conducts and interprets behavioral, electroacoustic, or electrophysiological methods used to assess hearing, balance, tinnitus, and neural system function.

Assess the degree and nature of hearing loss, evaluates the vestibular/balance systems. Identifies and evaluates Individuals with hearing disorders in the reception and perception of speech, language, and other acoustic signals. Administers the full range of tests including the testing of vestibular nerve function; evaluates the type and degree of hearing loss of patients who are normally unable to provide consistent and reliable reaction to diagnostics.

Recommends remedial measures to mitigate hearing loss:
The audiologist is responsible for direct services of remedial and sometimes preventative nature.
The services encompass the following: use of hearing aids; the selection of monaural, binaural or cross hearing aids of particular type; the issuance of ear defenders for prevention of acoustic trauma for those individuals working in a noise environment; recommendations for special ear molds made necessary because of allergic reactions, severe hearing loss or other reasons; recommendations for procurement of special instruments such as desk amplifiers, telephone amplifiers, radio, or TV magnetic induction devices for special communication problems; routine hearing aid inspection and repair where indicated. Develops treatment plans for most difficult and complex cases.
Recommends aural rehabilitation programs for patients with significant physical and psychological complicating conditions. Designs training plans to assist patient and caregivers in utilizing available hearing resources. Sometimes makes a recommendation for change of job in those cases where hearing loss is progressing due to high noise level exposure.

In summary, the functions of an audiologist at the independent practice level encompass the following:

1. Promoting, designing, implementing, and coordinating wellness programs for prevention of hearing loss and protection of hearing function.
2. Identifying, evaluating, diagnosing, managing, and treating disorders of human hearing, balance, tinnitus, and other disorders associated with the practice of audiology.
3. Performing otoscopic examination and external ear canal management for removal of cerumen.
4. Conducting and interpreting behavioral, electroacoustic, or electrophysiologic tests used to evaluate disorder associated with the practice of audiology.
5. Administering and interpreting electrophysiologic measurements of neural function including, but not limited to, sensory and motor evoked potentials, tests of nerve conduction velocity, and electromyography. These measurements are used in differential diagnosis, pre- and postoperative evaluation of neural function, and neurophysiologic intraoperative monitoring of central nervous system, spinal cord, and cranial nerve function.
6. Evaluating and providing rehabilitation for central auditory processing disorders.
7. Determining the appropriateness of amplification devices and systems such as hearing aids, sensory aids, hearing assistive devices, alerting and telecommunication systems, and captioning devices; for Veterans with hearing impairment taking into consideration physical, acoustic, cosmetic, situational, and contextual factors.
8. Selecting, evaluating, fitting and programming amplification devices and systems customized to the individual needs of Veterans; verifying the effectiveness of such devices or systems; counseling and training Veterans in the use of amplification devices and systems, and determining the benefit of amplification devices and systems.
9. Determining candidacy based on hearing and communication information for auditory implants (e.g., cochlear implants, middle ear implantable hearing aids, fully implantable hearing aids, bone-anchored and post-surgical assessment, counseling, and all aspects of audiologic treatment including auditory training, rehabilitation, implant programming, and maintenance of implant hardware, etc.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am to 4:45pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for a Highly Qualified Individual.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

This vacancy will remain open until filled. The first cut-off date is 12/10/2025. Additional applications will be referred as needed.

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.
• Education.
  • (1) 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 at acaeaccred.org and CAA at caa.asha.org.
  • (2) 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.
• 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.
• English Language Proficiency. Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required 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).

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.

Grade Determinations:
Audiologist, GS-11
Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of principles and techniques in the assessment and treatment of auditory and balance disorders.
(b) Ability to perform functions associated with contemporary audiology scope of practice as defined by the American Academy of Audiology or the ASHA.
(c) Ability to interact with patients, families, and other health care professionals.

Audiologist, GS-12
Experience. In addition to the requirements at the GS-11 level, completion of one year of professional experience comparable to the next lower grade level.
In addition to the KSAs required at the full performance level, the following KSAs are required:
(a) Skill in determining nature, type, and severity of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders.
(b) Skill in counseling patients and family members regarding management of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders.
(c) Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional audiology to other health care professionals.
(d) Ability to independently apply professional contemporary audiologic treatments to the full range of patient populations.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in providing care to adults, 18 years of age and older and doctoral level audiologists (either Au.D. or PhD).
• Knowledge with contemporary audiology practice (basic audiology, being able to recognize psychogenic hearing loss/non organic hearing loss, etc.), as described in the American Academy of Audiology Scope of practice.
• Experienced with administrating vestibular studies and tinnitus evaluation.
• Experience with cochlear implants mapping.

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: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

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/.

Note: The Doctor of Audiology must be accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE) OR Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).Verification of accreditation may be made obtained from: https://acaeaccred.org/Verification of accreditation may be made obtained from: Council on Academic Accreditation (asha.org)

NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

NOTE: If your school was accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), but is no longer listed on the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

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.

• 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.
• 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.