Duties
Duties will include oversight and direction of clinical protocols; developing, articulating, and communicating the PIRATE team's goals, objectives, and focused initiatives; and guiding team members with respect to VHA/VAPHS directives, policy, work methods, and best practices. The incumbent is responsible for providing didactic and case-based clinical instruction to clinical fellows, graduate students, medical residents, and ongoing training, education and mentorship to speech pathology colleagues and other healthcare providers throughout VAPHS and VHA. The duties of the position are conducted throughout both the University Drive and HJ Heinz Divisions of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. The incumbent possesses a high-level understanding of the care and management of patients with aphasia, as PIRATE is a novel, multidisciplinary service delivery model designed to increase access to and improve the rehabilitation outcomes of community dwelling stroke survivors with aphasia.
Work Schedule: 8 AM to 4:30 PM Monday to Friday
Telework: Not Available
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact VHAVISN04HREDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
General Clinical Responsibilities:
(1) Uses advanced knowledge of and skill in applying a wide range of theories, principles, and methodologies in the practice of speech pathology to diverse patient populations;
(2) Applies advanced theories and techniques to special patient populations, provides professional advice and counseling, and provides consultation in specialized areas of speech-language pathology;
(3) Manages complex and difficult patients with multiple physical, sensory, motor, cognitive, or other issues that complicate communication or swallowing status, and involve multiple clinical management options, difficult clinical decision making, complex data, and high risk of complications, morbidity, or mortality, e.g. fitting and management of tracheoesophageal voice prostheses and laryngectomy tubes, assessing and treating ventilator-dependent and tracheostomized patients with one-way valves, and evaluating and treating oropharyngeal dysphagia in patients with surgical airways;
(4) Exercises independent clinical judgment and adapts clinical procedures and techniques to accommodate age-specific and unique patient conditions, needs, and expectations;
(5) Evaluates patients to determine the nature, type, and severity of speech, language, voice, cognitive, and swallowing disorders using a full range of diagnostic tests and techniques,
medical record information, patient/family history, and consultation with other healthcare providers;
(6) Plans, coordinates, and implements a full range of patient-focused treatment services designed to optimize function;
(7) Consults with physicians and other health care practitioners related to diagnostic evaluation and treatment;
(8) Documents in the medical record evaluation results, diagnoses, clinical opinion, treatment
plans, outcomes of treatment, changes in functional status, and patient/family education;
(9) Attends interdisciplinary team meetings; participates with other health care practitioners to address the global needs of the patient, advises on diagnosis and treatment.
Clinical Specialist Responsibilities:
(1) Is involved with no less than 25% effort in the provision of clinical services to patients with aphasia, education, and administrative responsibilities of the PIRATE Team;
(2) Articulates and communicates goals, strategic objectives, and focused initiatives of the PIRATE Team and establishes methods, best practices, and the program's policy and procedures;
(3) Uses advanced knowledge and skills in the area of best practice evaluation and management of communication in patients with aphasia;
(4) Serves as a facilitator/negotiator in coordinating initiatives and consensus building among team members with widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view in support of VHA/VAPHS policy and best practice;
(5) Plans, coordinates and leads pre-PIRATE interdisciplinary assessment clinics to determine program candidacy of applicants
(6) participates with other healthcare providers in determining medical, physical/ADL,
cognitive, communicative, social and educational needs assessments of applicants/families;
(7) determines program enrollment for selected applicants based upon team findings/recommendations;
Supervisory Controls: Incumbent functions as an independent practitioner and is fully responsible for all clinical decisions under general direction of the Speech Pathology Supervisor, or person of equivalent organization rank. For special clinical program responsibilities, incumbent functions under the general direction of the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service Chief.
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.
- You may be required to serve a trial period.
- 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).
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: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
English Language Proficiency: Speech & Language Pathologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
Education: The educational requirements for this position included one of the following:
- (1) 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
- (2) 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.
- (1) 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.
- (2) The requirement for licensure may be waived by the Under Secretary for Health or designee in VHA Central Office for individuals engaged in research or academic assignments involving no direct patient care duties, in accordance with current activities.
- (3) An SLP who has, or ever has had their speech-language pathology license revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited or issued/placed on probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in Chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16 of this part.
Creditable Experience: To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills and abilities associated with the assessing, diagnosing, treating and preventing communication and swallowing disorders with contemporary professional speech-language pathology practice. This knowledge may be evidenced by one of the following:
- (1) At least one year of active professional practice or equivalent. Active professional practice means paid or non-paid employment as a professional SLP engaged in the practice of speech-language pathology as defined by the appropriate licensing board.
- (2) Academic course work leading to a doctoral degree in speech-language pathology, communication disorders and sciences or a related field.
Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is both of the following:
- (1) Work as a professional SLP related to the position to be filled; and
- (2) The work is at a level comparable to speech-language pathology experience at the next lower grade level.
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 (Clinical Specialist), GS-13.
- (1) Experience/Education. In addition to the basic requirements at the GS-12 level, completion of one year of professional experience comparable to the next lower level and completion of one or more of the following:
- (a) Board certification such as BRS-S Disorders or BC-ANCDS; or
- (b) Completion of a residency or fellowship post-graduate degree; or
- (c) College credits (three or more courses) above the graduate degree in the areas relevant to the advance practice.
- (2) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience requirements, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- (a) Advanced knowledge in a focused area of contemporary speech pathology practice for contemporary and evidence-based practice in differential diagnosis and treatment.
- (b) Skill in interpreting advanced specialized clinical management programs in focused areas of contemporary speech-language pathology practice.
- (c) Ability to provide consultation and continuing education in a specific SLP disorder area.
- (3) Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. SLP clinical specialists apply advanced knowledge of scientific principles and contemporary and evidence-based clinical practice in a specific disorder area. SLPs in this assignment use professional judgment to diagnose patients with the most complex disorders not typically seen in routine clinical practice; develop and implement evidence-based and individualized clinical management programs; and render professional opinions. These patients may present with multiple physical, sensory, motor, cognitive or other complicated communication or swallowing disorders that require advanced clinical decision-making skills using complex data. On a regional or national level, SLP clinical specialists serve as subject matter experts for a specific clinical area, adding knowledge to the profession by providing expert consultation, continuing education and mentoring to colleagues, clinical fellows and students.
- (4) Differentiating Full Performance Level from Clinical Specialist Level. This is done based on the differences between independent practice, which is required for all SLPs at the full performance level and a clinical specialist. An SLP practicing at the independent level has a generalized knowledge of practice, whereas the SLP clinical specialist has specialized knowledge of practice typically related to a particular diagnosis or patient population. The SLP clinical specialist can be further differentiated from the independent SLP by their ability to expand clinical knowledge in the profession, provide consultation and guidance to colleagues, role model effective speech-language pathology practice skills and teach or mentor less experienced SLPs. An SLP with advanced knowledge, clinical skills and personal qualifications that meet the standard for the SLP clinical specialist must be assigned to a position that requires use of the practice skills to be considered for the SLP grade.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
Title 38 Hybrid Occupation official qualification standards as stated in VA Handbook 5005/153, Part II, Appendix G30.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS13. Speech Pathologists at this grade level are independent licensed practitioners and are considered to be working above the full performance level.
Physical Requirements: Work is mostly sedentary, but requires walking, bending, stooping, and reaching for objects on shelves. On occasion, work may require assisting patients by tugging, lifting, pushing the patient and/or wheelchair to maneuver within the testing environment.
Education
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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/.
This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment.
Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.
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.
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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:
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
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Additional Document
- Performance Appraisal
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit
Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - 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 09/09/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12789020.
- 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.
- 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.
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.