Health Technician (Audiology)

Description:

The Health Technician - Audiology (HTA) FLOAT position is located in the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service at the Viera VA Clinic. The incumbent is assigned to a primary duty station but will routinely cover at other sites in accordance with facility policy. The health technician supports the function of clinical programs in Audiology. The incumbent is a staff health technician (Audiology float) under the supervision of a GS-12 audiologist or above.

Requirements:

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

• Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• English Language Proficiency. Health Technician (HIS) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Experience and Education.
  • Experience. Completion of the Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program for Hearing Aid Specialists; OR,
  • Education. Successful completion of two academic years above high school that includes coursework related to the field: hearing science, human anatomy and physiology, hearing instrument science, gerontology, psychology or other general healthcare areas.
    • Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs
• Certification. Certification by the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) as a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist (COHC) is required for this assignment.
  • Loss of Credential. An employee in this occupation who fails to maintain the required certification identified for the HTA, GS-08 position will be removed from the assignment, which may also result in termination of employment.

GRADE DETERMINATIONS

Health Technician (Audiology) - GS-8

• Experience. Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7) directly related to the position being filled.
• Certification. CAOHC certification as a COHC is required.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • Ability to conduct employee hearing conservation education and training.
  • Knowledge of the hearing conservation program requirements to manage records and files.
  • Ability to perform pure tone air conduction testing.
  • Ability to provide audiologic technical support to the employee hearing conservation program.
  • Ability to identify a threshold shift and make appropriate referrals for further testing when indicated.

Reference. For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ .

Physical Requirements. Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment. Work Environment. Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.