Summary

This position is located in the Speech Language Pathology Service under Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Central Virginia Healthcare System in Richmond VA. The duties and responsibilities are carried out at Fredericksburg Health Care Center (FxHCC) in Fredericksburg - VA and throughout the medical center including all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the service.

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: 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)
• 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 (1) year of creditable experience (see paragraph 2.g.) OR - A doctoral degree in speech-language pathology - communication disorders and sciences or a related field - from an accredited college or university
• Foreign Education
• To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials
• Licensure: Individuals must hold a full - current and unrestricted license in a U.S. state - territory - commonwealth or the District of Columbia
• Non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for SLP licensure may be appointed to a temporary position as a graduate SLP under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (c)(2)
• Individuals appointed as graduate SLPs may not be promoted to the GS-12 level without being fully licensed 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)
• GS-12 - Speech-Language Pathologist - Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: 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: 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
• Skill in administering and interpreting instrumental swallowing evaluations
• 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 Preferred Experience: Preferably minimum of 3 years experience as a medical speech language pathologist
• experience with FEES and/or MBS
• experience working with a diverse population including head and neck cancer - stroke and Parkinson's disease
• 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: Work is primary sedentary
• All applicants mist be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the duties of the position.

Duties

• Duties include but are not limited to: Conduct - plan - and coordinate all clinical and administrative aspects of a full range of services associated with contemporary speech-language pathology practice
• Responsible for independent diagnostic assessment and evaluation of cases that are referred to Speech-Language Pathology without limitation as to difficulty or complexity
• Responsible to conduct interviews with the patients and appropriate family members and/or friends - selects - administers and interprets the diagnostic test necessary to detect and evaluate any type of speech - language - voice - fluency - cognitive - and/or 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
• Responsible for the administration of a full range tests of speech - language - voice - fluency - and cognition including modal level and variation of vocal pitch and loudness
• variability of the rate of vocal utterance
• frequency and complexity of speech disfluency
• consistency and adaptation of disfluency in sustained or repeated speaking and aural reading
• phonetic analysis of speech designed to identify and evaluate patterns of misarticulation - such as distortions and omissions of sounds - as well as phonemic substitutions - including patterns of variation and speech sound articulation
• and identification of phonetic and semantic factors related to this variation
• Serves as a consultant to other facility personnel involving the most difficult and complex cases and is a recognized subject matter expert on matters related to speech - language voice - fluency - cognitive - and swallowing disorders
• 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 plan to patient response and indicators of progress
• Responsible for supervising - mentoring - and precepting student trainees in speech language pathology and maintaining liaisons with affiliated colleges and universities
• He/she may also provide instruction to residents and interns who seek information relation to speech-language pathology practice
• May perform ancillary assignments - including program management duties on an occasional basis - where the complexity and amount of the work is not substantial
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.