Citizenship:
Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)
Education:
A master's degree or its equivalent in speech-language pathology, communication disorders, or a directly related field from an accredited college or university. "Accredited" means a college or university [recognized] by a regional accreditation organization and a speech-language pathology academic program [recognized] by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
c. Licensure. For those grades that require licensure (GS-12 and above), [ ] the incumbent must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license in a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
(1) The S-LP must maintain full, current, and unrestricted licensure/registration.
(2) Non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for S-LP licensure may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate S-LP under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (a) (1) (D). Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. This may result in termination of employment. [Individuals appointed as graduate S-LPs may not be promoted to the GS-12 level without being fully licensed.
(3) 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.
(4) A S-LP who has, or ever has had his/her speech-language pathology license revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed on a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in Chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16 of this part.
d. Loss of Credential. An employee in this occupation who fails to obtain licensure/certification/
registration within the required time frame, or who fails to maintain the required licensure/certification/
registration must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment.
[e.] Grandfathering Provision. All S-LPs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. 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) Such employees 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) Employees 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.
(3) 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.
(4) If an S-LP who was retained] under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
English Language Proficiency: Speech-language pathologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.
GS-13 Supervisory Speech-Language Pathologist or Section Chief: Supervisory S-LPs or section chiefs exercise supervision, administrative management, and [technical] direction of the speech-language pathology program in a [speech-language pathology unit or service]. They have responsibility for general or technical supervision of key clinical or training programs and overall technical and administrative oversight of S-LPs depending on grade level. [They may have responsibility for general supervision of key clinical or training programs and overall administrative oversight of audiologists in a unified audiology and speech-language pathology section-level, service-level, or equivalent department. Supervisory S-LPs or section chiefs] develop, organize, direct, manage, supervise, control, and implement policies and procedures in focused clinical programs and plan, assess, and evaluate programs to ensure proper coordination between care delivery within the section and the overall delivery of health care. They make decisions that affect staff and other resources [ ] with wide latitude of control and independent judgment. They exercise supervisory responsibilities such as planning and scheduling work; assigning work to employees; accepting, amending or rejecting completed work; ensuring that production and accuracy requirements are met; appraising performance and recommending performance standards and ratings; [but exercise less authority than service chiefs. The following KSAs are required:
a.] Ability to balance responsibilities and to work with great autonomy;
[b.] Ability to set priorities, delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze organizational problems, and develop and implement effective solutions;
[c.] Ability to analyze and use data effectively to manage workload, quality, performance, and productivity within the section;
[d.] Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers;
[e.] Knowledge of, and ability to utilize, evidence-based practices and clinical practice guidelines in a professional area, and to guide the section staff in applying these tools;
[f.] Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in efficient section operation;
[g.] Skill in problem solving and conflict resolution; and
[h.] Skill in the application and analysis of scientific and clinical literature in a professional area.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.