****This vacancy is open to CURRENT PERMANENT employees of the United States Federal Government (Federal-wide) ONLY.****
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.
- English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.
- Certification. Certification by the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) as a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist (COHC) is required for the HTA, GS-08 assignment only.
- Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
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).
Grandfathering Provision. All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/trademark/registration/certification. 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) They may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
(2) If an HTA, HTSLP or HTASLP who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee 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) HTAs, HTSLPs or HTASLPs 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. (4) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
Grade Determinations: for
GS-8 grade level:
(1) Specialized Experience Required: At least 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
(GS-7) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
Examples of this specialized experience include, but are not limited to: Examples of qualifying experience include, but are not limited to: working within and organizing the flow of patients in the Audiology Clinic by performing a high degree of skill in working with audiology-related tools, prosthetic and other related materials; produce self-directed and independent work in cooperation with coworkers, doctors, nurses, administrators, students, volunteers and other members of the health care team; have an understanding of normal and disordered auditory anatomy, physiology and external ear tissue characteristics.
(2) Certification. CAOHC certification as a COHC is required for this assignment.
(3) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following
KSAs:
(a) Ability to conduct employee hearing conservation education and training.
(b) Knowledge of the hearing conservation program requirements to manage records and files.
(c) Ability to perform pure tone air conduction testing.
(d) Ability to provide audiologic technical support to the employee hearing conservation program.
(e) Ability to identify a threshold shift and make appropriate referrals for further testing when indicated.
Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. The health technician works under the direction of a licensed audiologist. Assignments associated with this position include, but are not limited to completing adjustments to hearing aid settings as outlined in the audiologist's plan of care, preparing patients for advanced diagnostic procedures such as evoked potentials and collaborating with team to develop training programs for patients and staff. The health technician may perform pure tone air conduction threshold testing for established patients and employees, without interpretation. The health technician may provide employee hearing conservation education and training, basic counselling of employees concerning test results and criteria for employee referral. This health technician collaborates with the Hearing Conservation Program Manager and manages records associated with the hearing conservation program.
References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-70.
The full performance level of this vacancy is
GS-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-8.