SUMMARY

Audiology and Speech Pathology Service is located at the Palo Alto VA Health Care System. Duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the medical center including all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Service. The speech-language pathologist at this level 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.
• Licensure. For GS-12 and above, the incumbent must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license in a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Education. (1) 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 (see paragraph 2.g.). or (2) A doctoral degree in speech-language pathology, communication disorder.
• 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.

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).
English Language Proficiency: SLP candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

CREDITABLE EXPERIENCE:

To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills and abilities associated with the assessing, diagnosing, treating and preventing communication and swallowing disorders with contemporary professional speech-language pathology practice. This knowledge may be evidenced by one of the following:
(a). At least 1 year of active professional practice or its equivalent. Active professional practice means paid or non-paid employment as a professional SLP engaged in the practice of speech-language pathology as defined by the appropriate licensing board.
(b) Academic course work leading to a doctoral degree in speech-language pathology, communication disorders and sciences, or a related field.

QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE.

Experience is only creditable if it is both of the following:
(a). Work as a professional speech-language pathologist related to the position to be filled; and (b). The work is at a level comparable to speech-language pathology experience at the next lower grade level.
Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a professional speech-language pathologist is credited according to its relationship to the full-time work week. For example, a speech-language pathologist employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service.
In addition to the basic requirements, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Education and Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.
GRADE REQUIREMENTS. In addition to the basic requirements, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
a. Speech-Language Pathologist, GS-11
(1) Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
(2) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of principles and techniques in assessing and treating disorders of speech, language, cognitive-communication and swallowing.
(b) Knowledge of instrumentation and technologies for assessing and treating communication and swallowing disorders.
(c) Ability to adapt clinical procedures and techniques to accommodate unique patient conditions, needs and goals.
Assignment. SLPs at this entry developmental grade level assess and treat patients with routine speech, language, voice, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders following the principles of evidence-based practice and perform clinical procedures with respect to age-specific, unique patient conditions and needs. When assessing and treating patients with complex or rare speech, language, voice, cognitive communication and swallowing disorders, SLPs may require consultation with an SLP at the full performance or higher level.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

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.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

DUTIES

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 640-0374F (GS-11) and 640-3562F (GS-12)
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

The major duties and responsibilities GS-11 Level:

• Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) at this entry developmental grade level, assess and treat patients with routine speech, language, voice, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders.
• Responsible for planning, conducting, coordinating, and monitoring the effectiveness and clinical outcomes of patient-centered treatment and rehabilitative services to maximize and restore to the greatest extent possible physical and social functioning.
• Follows the principles of evidence-based practice and perform clinical procedures with respect to age-specific, unique patient conditions and needs.
• Assessing and treating patients with complex or rare speech, language, voice, cognitive communication and swallowing disorders, SLPs may require consultation with an SLP at the full performance or higher level.
• Develops an effective and comprehensive plan of care for swallowing disorders in collaboration with other health care practitioners; establishes and maintains an effective therapy relationship with the patient, family and caregivers; and adjusts treatment plans to patient response and indicators of progress.

The major duties and responsibilities GS-12 Level:

• At this level, SLPs independently provide evidence-based assessment and treatment interventions to individuals with a wide range of speech, language, voice, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders.
• Administer and interpret standardized and non-standardized assessment measures.
• Integrate assessment findings into a patient-centered treatment plan of care and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions by collecting and documenting treatment outcomes.
• Assigned to work in a specific clinical area such as traumatic brain injury, head and neck cancer, movement disorders or spinal cord injury.
• Provide clinical training experiences for trainees and students and participate in research activities.
• Knowledgeable with appropriate instrument evaluations (e.g. videofluroscopy, stroboscopy, FEES, nasometry, electroglottography, etc.) consistent with privileges, and evaluation of patients for augmentative communication systems (e.g., Tobii Dynavox systems, iPad tablet applications, etc.).

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50’s (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcrip

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/12/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12792043.

• To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
• Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package