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. In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the requirements below within 30 calendar days of the closing date listed on the announcement.

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: 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: Candidates must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia
• 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: 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
• 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
• They integrate assessment findings into a patient-centered treatment plan of care and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions by collecting and documenting treatment outcomes
• SLPs may be assigned to work in a specific clinical area such as traumatic brain injury, head and neck cancer, movement disorders or spinal cord injury
• They may provide clinical training experiences for trainees and students and participate in research activities
• 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
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.