Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. First area of consideration, current VHA employees of the VA Main Healthcare System. Second area of consideration, all other VHA employees.

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This position is in the Speech Pathology Service under the Sensory and Physical Rehabilitation Service Line. The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the medical center including all clinical and patient care areas involved with the service

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Uses a wide range of knowledge of, and skill in applying, a wide range theories, principles, and methodologies in the practice of speech-language pathology to a wide range of populations.
• Performs independent assessment and evaluation of cases that are referred for Speech Pathology Services without limitation as to difficulty or complexity.
• Develops plans for a course of therapy to resolve or minimize speech/language/cognitive-related communication conditions that present serious problems to social contacts, educational development or employment opportunities.
• Develops plans for course of therapy to resolve or minimize dysphagia-related conditions to ensure patient can tolerate safest, least restrictive diet.
• Incorporates new clinical procedures enough to perform clinical services independently.
• Conducts assessments, provides treatment interventions, and provides consultation to other health care professionals.
• Exercises independent clinical judgment and adapts clinical procedures and techniques to accommodate age-specific and unique patient conditions, needs, and expectations.
• Consults with physicians and other health care practitioners related to diagnostic evaluation and treatment.
• Documents in the medical record evaluates, diagnosis and clinical opinion, treatment plans outcomes of treatment, changes in functional status, and patient/family education.
• Attends interdisciplinary team meetings; participates with other health care practitioners to address the global needs of the patient, advises on diagnosis and treatment.
• Assists in the orientation, training and supervision of medical staff, new staff, students, trainees, and fellows, providing feedback on progress toward established educational goals.
• Participates in developing guidelines and protocols, new patient programs, and evaluation of existing programs.
• May be requested to service on service-level committees or task forces or to represent to service/section on medical center, network, or national committees.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Telework: Ad hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: F07640/F07641
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure: Not required

Notifications:

• This position is in the Excepted Service.
• This position is an AFGE Bargaining Unit position.
• Current Federal employees may submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.
• This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay.
• Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.
• The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA Maine Healthcare System campuses and CBOC's.
• Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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 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

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 in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• 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 and one year of creditable experience OR A doctoral degree in speech-language pathology, communication disorders and sciences or a 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: 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.

Failure to Obtain Licensure: In all cases, graduate SLP must actively pursue obtaining the required licensure from the date of their appointment. The Human Resource office staff will provide the unlicensed SLP written requirement to 3 obtain licensure, the date by which the license must be acquired and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. The written notice must be provided prior to the entrance on duty date. Failure to obtain the required credentials by the prescribed date may result in termination of employment.

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).

Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure. 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. SLPs may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level or changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. If SLPs who are retained under this provision leave the occupation, they will lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
3. SLPs initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment.
4. SLPs 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.

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:

• Knowledge of principles and techniques in assessing and treating disorders of speech, language, cognitive-communication and swallowing.
• Knowledge of instrumentation and technologies for assessing and treating communication and swallowing disorders.
• Ability to adapt clinical procedures and techniques to accommodate unique patient conditions, needs and goals.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:


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:

• 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.
• Skill in administering and interpreting instrumental swallowing evaluations.
• Ability to assess the effectiveness of clinical outcomes and adapt clinical procedures and techniques to accommodate unique patient conditions.

Reference: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G30 Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

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: The work requires frequent stooping, bending, walking, handling of wheelchairs and lifting in conjunction with treatment of patients. At times, there may be undue heavy lifting due to unforeseen circumstances such as preventing a patient from falling. Dexterity and skill in safe machinery techniques are required. The work involves regular and recurring exposure to moderate risks and discomforts which require special safety and health precautions, e.g., working exposure to contagious diseases, odors and/or flammable gases. The therapist is required to wear protective clothing such as gloves and a mask to prevent disease and the spread of infection.

How you will be evaluated

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

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:
1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA employees.

Note: Veterans' Preference is not applicable to VA employees or employees of other Federal agencies.


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.