Health Technician (Audiology)

Summary

The position Health Technician (Audiology) (HTA) is located in the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Service (ASPS), Audiology Section, in the VA Northern California Health Care System (VANCHCS). The duties and responsibilities are carried out in all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology service. The health technician supports the function of the clinical programs in Audiology.

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Duties

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Primary responsibility is for patient care, supporting diagnostic and treatment procedures, patient charting and patient education, which do not require a full professional audiology education or knowledge and skills represented by audiology licensure. Support functions include both direct patient care and administrative duties. This position functions at the full performance level for the Health Technician (Audiology) position. Under supervision of a licensed audiologist, the incumbent performs a full range of duties and is responsible for day-to-day clinical support services of staff audiologists at the assigned location. The incumbent may receive guidance from more experienced staff members and may provide guidance to less experienced staff members but requires minimal direct supervision. Assignments associated with this position include, but are not limited to:

Audiology specific duties include, but are not limited to:

• Greeting and escorting patients
• Instructing patient on hearing loss or hearing aids on an individual basis or in a group setting
• Completing non-diagnostic otoscopy
• Completing cerumen management
• Taking earmold impressions
• Troubleshooting and repairing hearing aids
• Providing basic hearing aid information for patients and care partners
• Performing listening checks on hearing aids
• Pairing hearing aids and accessories via Bluetooth technology
• Documenting patient care activities in an accurate and timely manner in the electronic medical record and in ROES
• Preparing and mailing IOHI surveys and entering patient data in ROES

Administrative duties include, but are not limited to:

• Managing office supplies - maintaining appropriate levels of clinical supplies in all patient care rooms
• Managing clinical supplies through Omnicell and quarterly ordering procedures VANCHCS October 2014
• Assuring that all clinical supplies have current use date
• Tracking loaner stock and hearing aid inventory
• Verifying orders upon arrival to ensure components are present and working correctly
• Packaging and mailing hearing aids and accessories
• Processing ROES transactions (e.g. certifying and issuing hearing aids, entering orders and repairs)
• Responding to routine inquiries from patients, including determining nature of hearing aid inquiry and responding to administrative questions.

Work Schedule : Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm

Compressed/Flexible :Not Available

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 09561F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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 ( 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 :

1. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
2. English Language Proficiency: HTA candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f).
3. Experience and Education:

• Experience: Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. OR
• Education: Successful completion of two academic years above high school leading to an associate degree or a bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the position. OR
• Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. An example of a combination of experience/education is three months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled and one year above high school with a minimum of 6 semester hours related to the health care industry.

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).

Grade Determinations :

HTA, GS-07

(1) Experience. Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled.

(2) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

(a) Ability to mentor and train new HTAs.

(b) Ability to prepare patients for advanced testing procedures performed by the audiologist, such as evoked potentials.

(c) Ability to develop and implement the technician role for a program in a focused area of audiology

Preferred Experience:

• Telehealth certification and Hearing aid experience

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS 7.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019

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: 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:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.