Health Technician (Hearing Instrument Sciences)

The incumbent for this position is considered a FLOAT Health Technician and will have a primary duty station of the main facility in Viera, Florida. The candidate must be willing to be placed, detailed or temporarily assigned to other locations, within the Corporate Orlando network of clinics, as necessary. Under supervision, he/she will be responsible for providing hearing aid related care, speech aid if applicable, assistance to staff and patient education.Qualifications:***APPLICANTS MUST HOLD A CURRENT NATIONAL BOARD FOR CERTIFICATION IN HEARING INSTRUMENT SCIENCES( NBC-HIS) CERTIFICATION TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS VACANCY.***
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. To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:
a. 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).
b. Experience and Education:
(1) Experience. Completion of the Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program for Hearing Aid Specialists;
OR
(2) 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.
NOTE: There is no combination of education and experience which can be substituted for the basic requirements.
c. Licensure or Registration. Individuals must hold a full, current and unrestricted license or registration to practice as a HIS in a state, territory, commonwealth or the District of Columbia.(
1) Loss of Licensure or Registration. A Health Technician (HIS) who fails to maintain the required licensure or registration must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment.
d. Board Certification. Individuals must hold active board certification from the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC-HIS).
(1) Exception for Non-Board Certified Health Technician (HIS). (a) Non-board certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for appointment, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate Health Technician (HIS) under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2)(B).(b) Non-board certified individuals shall only provide care under the supervision of a licensed audiologist.(c) Non-board certified individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted until board certification is obtained.(d) Temporary appointments of non-board certified Health Technician (HIS) may not be extended beyond two years or converted to a new temporary appointment.
(2) Failure to Obtain Certification. In all cases, Health Technician (HIS) must actively pursue meeting requirements for board certification starting from the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the Health Technician (HIS) with the written requirements for board certification, including the time (i.e., two years) by which the board certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming board certified by the deadline. Failure to obtain board certification during the two-year period may result in termination of employment.
(3) Loss of Certification. A Health Technician (HIS) who fails to maintain the required board certification must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment.
e. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials.
f. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
g. English Language Proficiency. Health Technician (HIS) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
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). REFER TO THE EDUCATION SECTION (below).
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs located in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section below.
Grade Determinations: for GS-5 (Developmental) grade level:
(1) Specialized Experience Required: At least 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-4)in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of qualifying experience include, but are not limited to: Works under the direction supervision of a licensed audiologist; Completing visual and auditory checks of hearing aids and hearing assistive technology; Repairing or returning hearing aids to the factory; Restoring hearing aid or hearing assistive technology settings after repair or replacement; and ordering, registering, certifying, issuing and tracking prosthetic devices; Assists in setting up and delivering face to face and telehealth visits by preparing the equipment for patient evaluation and other audiology procedures; Provides clinical procedures consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care which may include non-diagnostic otoscopy, cerumen management, foreign body removal and ear mold impressions and without interpretation, immittance screening and hearing screening; Educates patients, family and staff on topics including but not limited to; Completes documentation for each episode of care and codes procedures as appropriate in the patient record in preparation for co-signature by the audiologist.
OR
(2) Education. Successful completion of four academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with at least 24 semester hours in courses related to the position or a bachelor's degree in a major field of study appropriate to the functions of the occupation.
Grade Determinations: for GS-6, Full Performance Level (FPL) grade level:
Specialized Experience Required: At least 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of qualifying experience include, but are not limited to: Work independently under the direction of a licensed audiologist; Completing visual and auditory checks of hearing aids and hearing assistive technology; Repairing or returning hearing aids to the factory; Restoring hearing aid or hearing assistive technology settings after repair or replacement, and ordering, registering, certifying, issuing and tracking prosthetic devices; Assists in setting up and delivering face to face and telehealth visits by preparing the equipment for patient evaluation and other audiology procedures; Provides clinical procedures consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care which may include non-diagnostic otoscopy, cerumen management, foreign body removal and ear mold impressions and without interpretation, immittance screening and hearing screening; Educates patients, family and staff on topics including but not limited to hearing aid and hearing assistive technology care, maintenance, use and operation, hearing conservation and realistic expectations for hearing aid use; Completes documentation for each episode of care and codes procedures as appropriate in the patient record in preparation for co-signature by the audiologist.
References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-73.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6.
The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 and GS-6.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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Grandfathering Provision. All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/trademark/registration/certification. 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:

• They 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.
• If an HTA, HTSLP or HTASLP who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee will lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
• HTAs, HTSLPs or HTASLPs 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.
• 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.