Speech-Language Pathologist Job in Sioux Falls, SD

Vacancy No. CBSY-12814357-26-HMP Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $73,939.00 to $115,213.00 Grade 11 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/10/2025 Close Date 10/23/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Sioux Falls, SD


Summary

This position provides speech and language pathology services within the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Services department of the Sioux Falls VA Health Care System.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is limited to current permanent employees of the VA Sioux Falls Health Care System, current permanent VA Nationwide employees, and and past/current/upcoming VHA HPT Graduates. If you are not in any of these categories, you should apply under the external announcement number CBSY-12814358-26-HMP.

Duties

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Completes assessments and treatments in both outpatient face-to-face and virtual environments, and delivers care in acute care, community living centers, and hospice care units, supporting the facility's SLP team.
  • Collaborates with treatment team members, veterans, their families/significant others, and other health care providers to coordinate comprehensive care for veterans.
  • Communicates effectively using electronic medical records and other written/verbal sources to promote positive communication, collaboration, and teamwork.
  • Develops care plans based on evaluations to address speech, language, voice, cognitive, and swallowing disorders.
  • Establishes and maintains communication with patients, families, and caregivers as needed, and adjusts treatment plans in response to patients' progress.
  • Conducts modified barium swallow studies in accordance with VHA regulations regarding fluoroscopy safety and educates medical center staff about speech and language pathology.
  • Participates in department and facility-level quality improvement processes.
  • Manages consultations to ensure compliance with VHA regulations regarding consult management and scheduling.
  • Completes facility and VISN telehealth education to facilitate safe and compliant virtual care for rural veterans.
  • Interprets findings from examinations and evaluations, selects appropriate outcome tests and measures, and integrates findings into care plans for a diverse veteran population.
  • Determines prognosis by incorporating examination findings with veterans' preferences to set clinically appropriate treatment goals and optimize outcomes.
  • Develops and promotes new and existing treatment programs, incorporating clinical practice guidelines and evidence-based support, and stays knowledgeable about relevant research. When appropriate, refers veterans to other professionals or services.
  • Educates current and potential referral sources about the scope of speech pathology services and the process of initiating these services.
  • Utilizes appropriate screening tools, communicates screening results and recommendations to veterans and health care teams, and documents evaluation results, treatment plans, veterans' responses to treatment, and education provided, in accordance with facility guidelines, The Joint Commission requirements, Long-Term Care Institute requirements, and ASHA guidelines.
  • Informs veterans about the relative benefits and risks of interventions, re-evaluates during the intervention process, documents goal progress and outcomes, modifies interventions to reflect status changes and response to intervention, and discontinues services when goals are achieved, maximum benefits are reached, the veteran does not desire to continue, or there is a failure to demonstrate continued progress towards goals.
  • Prepares and implements discharge plans that address follow-up resources and identify outcome measures between initial evaluations and the discontinuance of services

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm
Telework: Telework, if approved, will be on an Ad-hoc basis.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • 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.

Qualifications

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: 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 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.
  • 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).

Grade Determinations:

Speech-Language Pathologist, GS-11:
Education: None beyond the basic requirements.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  1. Knowledge of principles and techniques in assessing and treating disorders of speech, language, cognitive-communication and swallowing.
  2. Knowledge of instrumentation and technologies for assessing and treating communication and swallowing disorders.
  3. Ability to adapt clinical procedures and techniques to accommodate unique patient conditions, needs and goals.

Speech-Language Pathologist, GS-12:
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:
  1. 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.
  2. Skill in administering and interpreting instrumental swallowing evaluations.
  3. Ability to assess the effectiveness of clinical outcomes and adapt clinical procedures and techniques to accommodate unique patient conditions.

Preferred Experience: Experience performing modified barium swallow, providing outpatient services and utilizing telehealth technology for outpatient care.

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: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Education

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/.

Additional information

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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.

Required Documents

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

  • Resume
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript


Special Note for Applications: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. 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.
  • Cover Letter
  • License
  • Clinical Resume (can be greater than 2 pages). See instructions above.
  • *Highly Recommended* Write to the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) on a separate document - KSAs are found under qualification/grade requirements in the announcement.
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript


Veterans' Preference: Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/23/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12814357.

  1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Agency contact information

Heather Peek
Address
Royal C Johnson Veterans Memorial Hospital
2501 West 22nd Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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