Health Technician (Audiology)

Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Area of consideration: all US citizens.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Responsible for routine repairs of all hearing aids that may be delivered or mailed to the Audiology clinic. During clinic hours, the incumbent meets with veterans on a one-to-one basis to solve hearing aid problems. In this capacity, the incumbent provides primary level troubleshooting and repair for veterans who are experiencing hearing aid problems. The ability to succeed in this role requires effective communication with patients who have communication disorders.
• Services commonly provided by the technician include evaluation of the hearing aid's function and fit, changing of batteries, process removal of stuck batteries, replacing battery doors, cleaning of electrical contacts, removal of impacted cerumen from the hearing aid, replacing ear mold tubing, inspecting and replacing cords, and counseling the veteran in optimal use and proper methods of care for the instruments.
• When it is necessary for a hearing aid to be returned to a VA contract manufacturer for repair, the incumbent prepares all the necessary paperwork and records, wraps the hearing aid, and ships it. The incumbent makes appropriate entries in the clinic's record tracking system in to order to insure that the hearing aid is properly tracked during the repair. When the hearing aid is returned, the technician checks to insure that it is operational. S/he then either mails the hearing aid to the veteran, or asks the clerk to schedule the veteran for an appointment, as appropriate.
• When the incumbent determines that the patient demonstrates skill or knowledge deficits, s/he provides specific training or patient education and documents as appropriate in the patient record.
• The incumbent is required to properly document all interactions in the medical record in the form of clinical progress notes.
• The management of stock and custom hearing aids, batteries, assistive listening devices and ear mold orders of on- and off-contract devices are the responsibility of this staff member. All hearing aids and assistive listening devices are accounted for by this employee with an inventory to be reviewed on a regularly determined schedule.
• When the hearing aids are delivered to the clinic the incumbent is responsible for certifying the hearing aids and for checking the hearing aids to ensure that all ordered components are present and that the hearing aids are operational and ready to be issued.
• As part of the hearing aid fitting the incumbent instructs the patient in the proper use and care, as well as the rights and responsibilities, and safety measures for safe and effective use of the hearing aid and any assistive listening devices that are issued.
• The incumbent assists in preparing patients for specialized procedures including auditory brainstem testing, to include skin preparation and electrode resistance testing.

Work Schedule: Intermittent, Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm
Compressed/Flexible:Not Authorized
Telework: Not Authorized.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 21W34-A

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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 identification 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.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

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).

Experience and Education.

• Experience. Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled.
• OR
• Education. Successful completion of two academic years above high school leading to an associate degree or a bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the position.
• OR
• Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. An example of a combination of experience/education is three months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled and one year above high school with a minimum of 6 semester hours related to the health care industry.

Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.

English Language Proficiency. HTA, HTSLP or HTASLP candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Health Technician (Audiology), GS-04

Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.

Assignment. This is an entry level developmental position. The HTA at this level works independently under the direction of a licensed audiologist. The assignment of this position includes but is not limited to assisting the audiologist with patient assessment and treatment. The health technician must adhere to the audiology clinic policy and standard operating procedures for infection control and cleaning, sterilization and disposition of reusable medical equipment (RME). The health technician maintains a comprehensive supply and equipment tracking system to include monitoring stock of RME and consumable items; ensuring proper inventory levels to complete the daily tasks; prioritizing the acquisition of all supplies and equipment with regard to date of expiration; maintaining proper levels of mailing/shipping supplies; preparing mailing and shipping requests for items including but not limited to hearing aid and hearing assistive technology repairs, ear mold orders and return for credit items; and maintaining loaner hearing aid inventory.

Health Technician (Audiology), GS-05

Experience. One year of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled.
OR
Education. Successful completion of four academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with at least 24 semester hours in courses related to the position or a bachelor's degree in a major field of study appropriate to the functions of the occupation.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, Abilities. In addition to meeting the experience or educational requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of anatomy of the head and neck.
• Ability to communicate clearly orally and in writing.
• Knowledge of basic hearing assistive technologies.
• Knowledge of basic infection control procedures and guidelines.
• Ability to maintain stock and supply level inventories.
• Skill in using basic computer software such as email, spreadsheet and word processing.

Assignment. This is a developmental position. The HTA at this level works independently under the direction of a licensed audiologist. Assignments associated with this position include, but are not limited to answering and screening calls from patients regarding audiology needs; assisting the audiologist with patient assessment and treatment; assisting with walk-in appointments; processing incoming devices from patients with concerns related to their hearing aids or hearing assistive technology; and preparing and charging (if required) hearing aids and assistive devices for delivery. The health technician must adhere to the audiology clinic policy and standard operating procedures for infection control and cleaning, sterilization and disposition of RME. The health technician maintains a comprehensive supply and equipment tracking system to include: monitoring stock of RME and consumable items; ensuring proper inventory levels to complete the daily tasks; prioritizing the acquisition of all supplies and equipment with regard to date of expiration; maintaining proper levels of mailing/shipping supplies; preparing mailing and shipping requests for items including but not limited to: hearing aid and hearing assistive technology repairs, ear mold orders and return for credit items; and maintaining loaner hearing aid inventory.

Health Technician (Audiology), GS-06

Experience. Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of normal and abnormal ear anatomy.
• Knowledge of hearing physiology and function to educate patients and families.
• Knowledge of hearing aids, hearing assistive technology, hearing aid manufacturers and manufacturer software.
• Ability to solve problems or make decisions regarding hearing aid, hearing assistive technology and patient care, consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care under the supervision of an audiologist.
• Ability to prepare patients for testing procedures.
• Ability to document and code patient procedures.

Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve as a full performance level HTA. The HTA at this level works independently under the direction of a licensed audiologist. Assignments associated with this position include, but are not limited to: completing visual and auditory checks of hearing aids and hearing assistive technology; repairing or returning hearing aids to the factory; restoring hearing aid or hearing assistive technology settings after repair or replacement; and ordering, registering, certifying, issuing and tracking prosthetic devices. The health technician assists in setting up and delivering face to face and telehealth visits by preparing the equipment for patient evaluation and other audiology procedures. The health technician provides clinical procedures consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care which may include non-diagnostic otoscopy, cerumen management, foreign body removal and ear mold impressions and without interpretation, immittance screening and hearing screening. The health technician educates patients, family and staff on topics including but not limited to hearing aid and hearing assistive technology care, maintenance, use and operation, hearing conservation and realistic expectations for hearing aid use. The health technician completes documentation for each episode of care and codes procedures as appropriate in the patient record in preparation for co-signature by the audiologist.

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-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-04 to GS-06.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• Transcript

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

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