Speech Pathologist

This position is located in the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the medical center including all clinical and other patient care areas. The speech-language pathologist plans, conducts, and coordinates all aspects of diagnostic assessments and evaluations and therapeutic and rehabilitative services for speech, language, voice, fluency, cognitive, and swallowing disorders.

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.
• 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).
• Licensure: For GS 12 and above you must possess a full, current, and unrestricted speech-language pathology license in a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• English Language Proficiency: Speech-Language Pathologists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

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).

GS-12 Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above, the following qualification criteria must be met for the grade.

(a) Licensure. The incumbent must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license in a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
(b) Education and Experience. Completion of 1 year of professional experience comparable to the next lower level and possession of a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice speech-language pathology. For positions engaged in research S-LP assignments involving no direct patient care, completion of a doctoral degree in speech-language pathology, communication disorders, or a related field is fully qualifying. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the [KSAs identified for the assignment].
(c) Assignments. Speech-language pathologists at this grade level are considered to be at the full performance level.

Staff S-LPs at this grade level must demonstrate professional knowledge of, and skill in applying, a wide range of theories, principles, and methodologies of the practice of speech-language pathology to a wide range of populations.

The following KSAs are required:
[a.] Ability to develop coherent treatment strategies;
[b.] Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures sufficient to perform clinical services independently;
[c.] Ability to conduct assessments, provide treatment interventions, and provide consultation to other health care professionals;
[d.] Knowledge of instrumentation used in speech-language pathology;
[e.] Knowledge of principles and techniques used in alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) systems, diagnosis and treatment of dysphagia, and cognitive-communication disorders;
[f.] Knowledge of principles and techniques used in voice disorders including alaryngeal and trach/ventilator-dependent patients; and
[g.] Ability to perform functions associated with contemporary speech-language pathology practice.

Preferred Experience:

Must be proficient, certified, and/or have extensive experience in most of the following:

• Polytrauma/mTBI rehabilitation
• Acute care/ICU-Videofluoroscopic swallow studies
• SpeakOUT!
• LSVT LOUD
• Flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES)
• McNeil Dysphagia Therapy Program
• Videolaryngeal stroboscopy
• Head and neck cancer rehabilitation
• Aural Rehabilitation
• Videofluoroscopic swallow studies
• Tracheoesophageal prosthesis management

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-30.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary and may frequently involve numerous hours working a at computer work station and on the telephone conducting interviews and assessing subjects. The work is primarily performed in a typical office environment.

Salary : $0