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Volume 38 Issue 13

HOH-LD-News
Vol. 38, Issue 13
March 28, 2009

Copyright (C) 2009 Hearing Loss Web, LLC. All rights reserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Table of Contents
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Article 1: It's Not Just About Hair Cells: New Research Shows Tectorial Membrane Plays a More Active Role in Helping Us Hear

- Article 2: How to Manage Communication with a Hearing Loss During Your Hospital Stay - Part One

- Article 3: Nursery school noise causing tinnitus

- Article 4: Short Takes

Our advertisers make it possible for us to provide HOH-LD-News as a free service. Please let them know you appreciate their support, and please mention that you saw their message in HOH-LD-News.

- Advertisers in this Issue
First Premium Placement:
YOUR AD HERE
Second Premium Placement:
Save on Popular Pagers at the Deaf Pager Store
Third Premium Placement:
Hearing Aid Repairs from Hearing Haven
Classified Section:
One Online Store, one FREE Magazine Offer and six Employment Opportunities

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contact information and disclaimers are at the end of this newsletter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

----------------------------------------------------------
YOUR AD HERE
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If you're interested in getting your message out to people who are hard of hearing or late deafened, and to the people who serve them, you might consider a premium ad in this newsletter! Our rates are surprisingly affordable and we reach the movers and shakers in the hearing loss world. And this newsletter (unlike some of the others) is strictly "opt-in", which means that everyone who receives it WANTS to receive it!

For more information please point your browser to: http://www.hearinglossweb.com/res/pub/nsltr/hln/adv.htm
or contact larry@hearinglossweb.com
----------------------------------------------------------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Article 1: It's Not Just About Hair Cells: New Research Shows Tectorial Membrane Plays a More Active Role in Helping Us Hear
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editor: The folks at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) have for years been at the forefront of research on how we hear and what can go wrong with that process. Here's a report on their recent work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you play a piano, the strings may supply the musical tones, but if it weren't for the wooden hammers striking the strings, you wouldn't hear a note. New research from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) suggests that the ear may be built in much the same way. While most of the credit for detecting sound is paid to the small sensory cells in our inner ear, called hair cells, a membrane that lies immediately above these cells could be playing a larger role in the hearing process than scientists once thought.

In order for you to hear, sound vibrations travel through the ear canal, past the eardrum and a series of small bones, to the cochlea, a snail-shaped organ in the inner ear. The vibrations cause fluid in the cochlea to move and a wave to form along a membrane running down its length. Hair cells sitting on top of the membrane ride the wave and bump up against a second membrane-the tectorial membrane-which lies overhead. When this happens, bundles of bristly structures protruding from their tops tilt to one side, causing channels to open up, ions to rush in, and an electrical signal to be generated that travels to the brain.

Not all sounds are detected equally by each hair cell, however. Hair cells are arranged like a spreadsheet with three rows and roughly 3,500 columns. Each column processes a different sound frequency. Three outer hair cells with V-shaped hair bundles make up one column. (One inner hair cell is also part of that column, but it's located by itself, farther down the spreadsheet.) The column of hair cells found at the opening to the cochlea detects the highest-pitched sound you can hear; the column at the end of the cochlea-at the centermost part of the spiral-detects the lowest-pitched sound; and a gradual progression of pitches from high to low is detected in between. On average, humans are able to detect sounds ranging from frequencies as high as 20,000 hertz, which is in the same range as a dog whistle, to as low as 20 hertz, which is roughly the frequency of some whale songs.

Richard Chadwick, Ph.D., and Nuria Gavara, Ph.D., both of the Auditory Mechanics Section in NIDCD's Division of Intramural Research, wanted to learn more about how the tectorial membrane assists hair cells in accomplishing this feat. Specifically, they wanted to test how soft or stiff the membrane is along the cochlea and how these properties might affect a hair cell's ability to convert sound vibrations into an electrical signal.

According to a new study published in the March 18, 2009, issue of the journal PLoS ONE, Drs. Gavara and Chadwick used nanotechnology techniques to devise a new method for studying the properties of the tectorial membrane. One hurdle in studying this membrane is that it contains long collagen fibers connected to one another by shorter, more randomly dispersed proteins. The current technology for studying the mechanical properties of a material at an extremely small scale-called an atomic force microscope-is not able to measure materials made up of two or more substances with different structural orientations.

Under normal conditions, the microscope uses a cantilever to apply force to the material and measures how much the material gives in response to that force. With the revised method, however, Drs. Gavara and Chadwick placed fluorescent microbeads on top of the tectorial membranes of guinea pigs at varying distances from the cantilever. As they pressed up and down on the cantilever, the amount of give from the membrane caused the microbeads to move in various directions. Microbeads located on stiffer portions of membrane moved smaller distances than microbeads located on softer portions, where the give was much greater. Based on these measurements, the researchers were able to calculate the stiffness of the collagen fibers and their connecting fibers running throughout the membrane. They also used other imaging techniques to determine how close or far apart the individual fibers were from one another along the cochlea.

Among their findings, the researchers discovered:

* Each collagen fiber is paired to a single column of outer hair cells, much like a hammer is paired to a piano string. When sound vibrations cause one hair cell to move back and forth, its associated fiber moves all three hair cell bundles in the same column, thus amplifying the signal.

* The stiffness of the fibers varies along the gradient of the cochlea. As the hair cell bundles increase in stiffness in the high-frequency range, so do the fibers increase in thickness. This enables the hair bundles along the entire length of the cochlea to tilt at the same angle when they detect a sound, thus initiating the electrical signal.

* The distance between the individual fibers changes along the cochlea, with fibers located closer together in the higher frequencies than in the lower frequencies. The larger the gap, the better the ear can distinguish between sounds of differing frequencies, since the movement of one fiber is less likely to cause a neighboring fiber-and its associated hair cells-to move. This finding helps explain why we are better able to distinguish between adjacent pitches in the low-frequency range than in the high-frequency range.

Learn more about Dr. Chadwick's and Gavara's research at www.nidcd.nih.gov/research/scientists/chadwickr.asp.

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To learn about all the savings, go to: http://www.deafpagerstore.com .
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Article 2: How to Manage Communication with a Hearing Loss During Your Hospital Stay - Part One
By Janice L. Schacter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editor: Hearing loss is tough enough when we're in our normal routine. It becomes that much tougher when we're in a new environment - like being in a hospital. Here with some tips on how to manage your hospital stay is Janice Schacter. Janice is a retired attorney whose 14-year old daughter is hard of hearing, and she is the pro-bono Chair of the Hearing Access Program.

This article originally appeared in the March 2009 NJ Department of Human Services Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Monthly Communicator and is reprinted here with the author's kind permission.

This is part one of two parts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Being a patient with a hearing loss does not have to be frightening but preparation is needed. It is important to contact the hospital as far in advance as possible to discuss and request aids or services that may be needed. Hospitals should have a designated person/office to whom such requests should be made and to whom patients can contact in the event the hospital fails to provide the requested accommodations, if those provided are not effective or if others are needed. The Center for Healthcare Access at The League for the Hard of Hearing is a resource for consumers to call with complaints if they do not receive the access that they need. The numbers are 917-305-7809 Voice or 917-305-7999 TTY.

The following are questions to ask your doctor and hospital prior to your stay:

For People Who Use Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implants:

1. Can you keep your hearing aids/cochlear implant processors on during surgery or until you fall asleep? If not, can your hearing aids/implant processors be placed in your ears/ reattached immediately after surgery or as you leave the operating room? Bring a small container labeled with your name for storing your devices during surgery to avoid losing them.

2. Will an oral interpreter (OI) be available in the operating room (OR)? Every patient with hearing loss is at a huge disadvantage in a hospital situation. The hospital experience can be stressful with so many different and strange things happening including staff wearing surgical masks and the effects of medications. The hospital can be difficult to navigate even if you function well in everyday situations. The OI is responsible for the patient's communication access. A clear view of the interpreter's face, especially mouth movements, is essential for oral and other interpreting to be effective. It is helpful if the OI can wear a clear surgical mask or have their mask down in the OR. The OI will need to manage the surgical experience if they cannot lower it when they speak. The OI can assist you to understand what is happening during surgery and at discharge.

3. Does the telephone have a visual alert, is it hearing aid compatible and/or is CapTel (captioned telephone) available? There should be a visual alert on the phone to alert you when the telephone rings. The telephone should be hearing aid or T-coil compatible but the hospital should confirm this. Find out if the hospital allows cell phones or other personal communications devices since many hospitals now allow their use. Do you need and do they offer an alternative telephone, such as a TTY, CapTel, or videophone? You may want to advise the hospital, specifically, if you do not use a TTY. (Many people think that every person with a hearing loss uses a TTY.)

4. Is a portable FM or amplifier such as a PockeTalker available? This can improve communication even if you do not have a hearing aid and may be helpful when communicating critical medical information.

5. Is your doctor aware that your otolaryngologist or audiologist should be contacted if there is any perceived change in hearing? Anesthesia can sometimes cause an increase in hearing loss. Hospital personnel may need to compare or review your most recent hearing tests. You may want to bring a copy with you to the hospital.

For People who use Qualified Interpretation such as ASL or Oral Interpreters:

1. Will a qualified interpreter be available? You may request that the hospital arrange for qualified ASL, oral, tactile, or other interpreter services for specified time periods including but not limited to pre- and post-surgery. These blocks of time should be when doctors are expected to make their rounds or when other services are being provided. You should discuss whether and how communication with hospital personnel can be effective when interpreter services are not present. A nurse or other person, such as a companion or family member who has knowledge of sign language, is not a substitute for qualified interpreter services. They may know sign language to some degree, but may not be able to interpret expressively and receptively, not have appropriate interpreter training, and may not have knowledge of specialized medical or other vocabulary. People who "use sign language" may have only rudimentary sign language skills, or limited knowledge of the manual alphabet.

2. Is Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) available when a qualified Interpreter is not available on site? VRI services may be provided for unscheduled communication or emergency situations. Arrangements and procedures for handling VRI equipment and services should be discussed in advance. A recent case established some guidelines for hospitals to ensure effective communication when using VRI. See http://www.ada.gov/laurelco.htm. In addition, the National Association of the Deaf position paper on VRI is also insightful. See www.nad.org/2008VRIpositionstatement.

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Article 3: Nursery school noise causing tinnitus
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editor: I guess this isn't surprising news given how loud nursery schools can be, but I have to admit I never thought about it before. Here's the story from the folks at hear-it.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One child in six in Norwegian nursery schools suffers from ringing in the ears because of excessive noise. The same is true for one in every four employees. The data was compiled by the Norwegian Educational union and the government Labour Board.

Nursery school noise may cause stress, headaches, ringing in the ears, learning difficulties and in the worst cases, hearing loss in both children and employees.

Based on the most recent statistics, the union and the Labour Board have launched a common campaign, titled 'Good Sound'. The aim is to lower noise levels in Norwegian nursery schools and reduce the adverse effects on children and staff.

According to a Labour Board report issued in 2005, 75 percent of nursery school employees are exposed to excessive noise. Yet, just one nursery school in three had monitored noise levels.

The 'Good Sound' campaign is using noise meters, informational materials and toy animals to create attention to and awareness of nursery school noise and the resulting adverse effects.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Article 4: Short Takes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editor: Here are our picks of some additional stories that you may find interesting. For more, please point your browser to: http://www.hearinglossweb.com/news/curr.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feds clear DTV converter box coupon backlog; Replacement coupons available

Consumers on a waiting list for their share of $40 digital television converter box coupons should see them in the mailbox beginning next week. Today the federal government announced it has eliminated a backlog that was caused by money shortfalls and led Congress to delay the switch from analog to digital TV broadcasting. The waiting list earlier this month reached 4.1 million requests from more than two million households, reports the National Telecommunications and Information Administration "There is no waiting list today," said acting Administrator Anna Gomez in a conference call with reporters. The coupons help consumers buy converter boxes needed for analog sets that use antennas. The Obama administration cited the waiting list when it requested a delay, from February until June 12, in the date for major TV stations to stop sending analog signals.

http://tinyurl.com/ddu3sv

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Implantable Hearing Aids Have Arrived!

On Friday, a fully implantable hearing device is scheduled to be surgically inserted into a patient's ear in an operation at St. Luke's. It's believed to be the first operation of its kind in the St. Louis area. The device includes a microphone, battery, processor and magnet that are implanted under the skin behind the ear. The microphone picks up sound, which is processed and sent to a mechanism that causes the bones in the middle ear to vibrate. The vibrations reach the inner ear which sends the information to the brain. Remote controls held next to the head can control volume and charge the battery, which can last for 36 to 72 hours at a stretch. The implant, from Boulder, Colo.-based Otologics, is intended for people with moderate to severe hearing loss.

http://tinyurl.com/c9ld7g

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Driving Safely With Hearing Loss

"How do you drive if you can't hear?" is a question I get a lot. And I normally answer, "I use my eyes when I drive. What do you use?" A deaf friend responded to this same question by saying, "I use my hands. My ears aren't able to reach the steering wheel." Indeed, when my wife noticed she was losing her hearing, one of her first worries was, "Will I still be able to drive?" Apparently, many people think you need to be able to hear in order to drive. I think a better criterion is being able to see! In fact, people with long-standing, severe hearing loss are some of the safest drivers around. One of the reasons for this is that we have to rely almost entirely on our eyes. After all, driving is a visual activity much more than it is an aural experience. Sure, there's the issue of hearing horns honking, but when a person is visually alert, she will have already seen the problem looming before another driver lays on his horn. Besides, much of the horn-honking these days is just impatient drivers sounding off and not genuine traffic warnings, so we aren't really missing much in this respect.

http://www.drf.org/magazine/35/Spring+2009+Issue/article/244

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Classifieds
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One Online Store, one FREE Magazine Offer and six Employment Opportunities appear in this issue. (Ads appear after this brief table of contents.)

WCI. Your Single Source for Assistive Technology
IT'S MARCH MADNESS AT WCI
http://www.weitbrecht.com

Would you like a FREE magazine?
Hearing Health Magazine
Published by the Deafness Research Foundation

Employment Opportunity 1
Various Positions
GLAD
Various Southern California Locations

Employment Opportunity 2
Various Employment Opportunities
Georgia School for the Deaf
Cave Spring, GA

Employment Opportunity 3
Faculty position, undergraduate business administration program
Gallaudet University
Washington, DC

Employment Opportunity 4
President, Gallaudet University
Washington, DC

Employment Opportunity 5
Multiple Software Engineering Positions
Purple Communications

Employment Opportunity 6
Rehabilitation Counselor for the Deaf
Georgia Department of Labor
Various Locations in GA

-------------------
WCI. Your Single Source for Assistive Technology
IT'S MARCH MADNESS AT WCI
http://www.weitbrecht.com
-------------------

Don't miss a minute of the action during March Madness. For the entire month of March, we're offering 15% OFF Williams Sound's, Sound Plus 239 TV listening system with built-in neckloop! Perfect for listening to the TV, stereo or other audio devices that have an audio-out port. Hearing aid users just need to switch their hearing aids to the "T-coil" position and they can listen at the volume they want without disturbing others. The Sound Plus 239 is also compatible with IR systems in theaters using transmitters operating on 2.3 MHz and/or 2.8 MHz frequency. Order now! Call 1-800-233-9130 (V/TTY) or go to http://www.weitbrecht.com (use code WCIH309 when ordering).

To receive our catalog, email us at sales@weitbrecht.com

WCI. Your Single Source for Assistive Technology

-------------------
Would you like a FREE magazine?
Hearing Health Magazine
Published by the Deafness Research Foundation
-------------------

Subscribe online at http://www.hearinghealthmag.com for a free subscription to the award-winning quarterly publication, Hearing Health magazine!

Published by the Deafness Research Foundation, Hearing Health Magazine is the ultimate consumer resource on hearing loss and related products, with a quarterly circulation of 31,000.

Our readers are individuals and families who are interested in learning more about hearing loss and options, and also the professionals who work with these people on a regular basis.

Visit http://www.hearinghealthmag.com where you can also view all magazine articles for the past five years (all articles other than those in the current issue require a free registration and login in order to view).

-------------------
Employment Opportunity 1
Various Positions
GLAD
Various Southern California Locations
-------------------

GLAD is an Affirmative Action Employer with equal opportunity for men, women and people with disabilities. For more information on the following positions, please go to: www.gladinc.org. The status of all positions is: Regular, Full-time, Non-Exempt, Full Fringe Benefits unless otherwise noted. All positions are open until filled.

* Job Developer/Interpreter - Anaheim, Norwalk, Pacoima, Santa Ana, CA
* Placement Coordinator - Riverside, CA
* Community Interpreter - Los Angeles, CA
* Administrative Assistant (Long Term temporary position) - Cypress (OCDEAF)

If interested for any of these positions then please submit resume and application to:

Jeff Fetterman
Human Resources Specialist
Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, Inc.
2222 Laverna Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90041
V/TDD: (323) 550-4207
Fax #: (323)550-4204
E-mail: jfetterman@gladinc.org

-------------------
Employment Opportunity 2
Various Employment Opportunities
Georgia School for the Deaf
Cave Spring, GA
-------------------

Currently accepting applications for the following positions:

Assistant Director of Instruction (12 mth. position)
Teacher - Graduation Coach (10 mth. position)
Teacher - High School Math (10 mth. position)*
Teacher - Middle School Language Arts (10 mth. position)*
Teacher - Middle School Science (10 mth. position)*
Teacher - Reading Content Specialist - Pre K-12 (10 mth. position)*
Accountant Paraprofessional (12 mth. position)
Housekeeper (12 mth. position)
Job Coach (hourly paid)
Instructor - Residential Services (12 mth. position)
Residential Advisor (10 mth. position)*
Secretary I (12 mth. position)
Speech Language Pathologist (10 mth. position)*
Substitute Teachers (hourly paid, based on credentials)
Systems Support Tech (IT Assistant) (12 mth. position)*

* 10 month employees work 200 days (10 months) but receive payroll checks during each of the 12 months of the year.

For more information about these positions, visit the Georgia Department of Education web site at http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/pea_hr_jobsearch.aspx

Download Job Applications at:
http://www.spa.ga.gov/word/jobinfo/stateapp-emp.doc

Completed applications may be mailed, e-mailed, or faxed to:

Denise Clark, Personnel Office
Georgia School for the Deaf
232 Perry Farm Rd. SW
Cave Spring, Georgia 30124
denise.clark@doe.k12.ga.us
Fax: (706) 777-2240

-------------------
Employment Opportunity 3
Faculty position, undergraduate business administration program
Gallaudet University
Washington, DC
-------------------

The Department of Business at Gallaudet University invites applications for a tenure-track or pre-tenure track faculty position in its undergraduate business administration program.

Doctoral degree in business administration or a business-related discipline is highly desirable but applicants with a Master' degree with extensive and relevant work experience may also be considered.

In addition the positions require strong quantitative and technology skills; proficiency in American Sign Language (ASL) or if not already proficient, a new faculty member must develop proficiency in ASL in accordance with Gallaudet University guidelines, and experience in areas of economic analysis, human resources, marketing, international business, statistics, and/or finance highly desirable.

For more information, please check http://gallaudet.edu/af/jobs/?select=University+Faculty

or contact William Sloboda, Chair of the Search Committee at: mailto:william.sloboda@gallaudet.edu

-------------------
Employment Opportunity 4
President, Gallaudet University
Washington, DC
-------------------

Gallaudet University seeks in its new president a leader with a world view, the capacity to be forward thinking and lead change, extraordinary energy, and an extremely high level of personal integrity and ethics to inspire the University community to new levels of excellence.

Gallaudet University, federally chartered in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals through American Sign Language (ASL) and English. Gallaudet maintains a proud tradition of research and scholarly activity and prepares its graduates for career opportunities in a highly competitive, technological, and rapidly changing world.

The new president will need to expand the institution's recognition and strengthen its commitment to understanding how trends in medical research and technology as well as American societal changes will impact the recruitment and education of deaf and hard-of-hearing students at Gallaudet. In adapting to the changing environment of both society and the world of higher education, the president will need to assess the University's educational programs, research, scholarship and creativity.

Candidates should have a history of organizational leadership, a record of or deep respect for scholarship, a capacity to build and cultivate financial support for the University and its programs, and accomplishments in creating and supporting a climate of community, understanding, integrity, and mutual respect. It is expected that the new president will have fluency in ASL with the ability to communicate clearly with the deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing audiences, and possess a deep understanding of deaf culture. Candidates must have earned a terminal degree.

Please submit inquiries, nominations/referrals, and/or resumes with cover letters in confidence to:
Gallaudet University
Presidential Search Advisory Committee
P.O. Box 91420
Washington, DC 20002

Email: mailto:psac@gallaudet.edu
Electronic submission of credentials is preferred

Gallaudet University serves deaf and hard-of-hearing students from many different backgrounds and seeks to develop a workforce that reflects the diversity of its student body. Gallaudet is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer and actively encourages deaf and hard-of-hearing persons, members of traditionally underrepresented groups, people with disabilities, women, and veterans to apply for open positions.

-------------------
Employment Opportunity 5
Multiple Software Engineering Positions
Purple Communications
Novato, CA
-------------------

Reports to: Director QA
Department: IT
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Novato, CA

About Purple Communications:

Purple Communications is one of the nation's largest providers of communication services for the deaf, hard of hearing, and speech-disabled communities. As a leading provider of onsite interpreting services, video relay and text relay services, and video remote interpreting, the Company delivers a wide array of options designed to meet the varied communication needs of its customers.

Purple Communications' vision is to improve the quality of life of its customers by being their premier provider of high quality, innovative communication services that break down communications barriers.

We are experiencing tremendous growth and are looking to add strong expertise to our world-class teams!

Physical Requirements:

Employees may experience the following physical demands for extended periods of time:
* Sitting, standing and walking (95-100%)
* Keyboarding (40-60%)
* Viewing computer monitor, videophone, and pager requiring close vision (40-60%)

Work Environment:

Work is performed in a business office environment. Some travel to company, customer and vendor sites, including some that are out of state may be required.

Disclaimer:

The information in this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to this job. Employees are expected to follow their supervisor's instructions and to perform the tasks requested by their supervisors.

For more information on Purple Communications or its services, visit http://www.Purple.us or contact Purple Communications directly at TTY 201-527-1520, voice 201-996-1717, Internet Relay by visiting http://www.i711.com or http://www.ip-relay.com, or video phone by connecting to hovrs.tv.

For summary of duties, areas of responsibility, and minimum qualifications for each of the positions, and to apply, please point your browser to http://tinyurl.com/bym3m7

Purple Communications is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Principals Only

-------------------
Employment Opportunity 6
Rehabilitation Counselor for the Deaf
Georgia Department of Labor
Various Locations in GA
-------------------

Job Title: Rehabilitation Counselor for the Deaf
Application Deadline: 6/30/2009
Job Code: 14681
Pay Grade: 14
Position Number: Number based on location
Entry Salary: $2,701.53 - $4,727.02 per month

Location of Vacancy: Vocational Rehabilitation locations in: Macon, Dublin, Valdosta, Columbus and the Metro Atlanta area. (Territory may vary, based on population).

Duties & Responsibilities: Under limited supervision, evaluates, authorizes and coordinates vocational counseling activities and services for a specialty caseload of deaf/deaf-blind clients whose preferred and/or required mode of communication is sign language. Incumbent may also serve Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened consumers. Determines appropriate means of communication based on client's personal, social, and educational background. Translates paperwork into sign language for clients. Assists eligible clients in preparing for, obtaining, and/or maintaining employment, and counsels with employers concerning their special needs. Cultivates and coordinates community and agency resources in advancement of this vocational goal and to ensure the provision of quality services to the deaf/deaf blind population. Note: This job requires an Advanced Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI) at entry.

Entry Qualifications:
Masters degree in education, counseling, rehabilitation counseling or a closely related field AND two years of professional experience in social work, counseling or equivalent areas OR Bachelors degree AND two years of professional related experience OR One year at the Provisional Rehabilitation Counselor level or position equivalent. Note: Successful completion of Internship will be deemed equivalent as two years of professional experience

Preferred Qualifications:
Current certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) AND an Advanced level of proficiency standard rating on the Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI) OR Eligibility for Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) Certification which requires a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, Counseling or Counseling related field (Counselor Education, School Guidance Counseling, Community Counseling, Counseling Psychology, etc.) AND an Advanced level of proficiency standard rating on the Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI) OR Interns who are within 12 weeks of graduation from a regionally accredited Masters Rehabilitation Counseling Program AND an Advanced level of proficiency standard rating on the Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI). Note: It is the requirement of the person filling this position to obtain/maintain Certification from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor
Certification (CRCC).

Vacancy Open To:
* DOL employees eligible for promotion, transfer or demotion.
* Current state employees who are eligible for promotion, transfer or demotion.
* Applicants from the general public.

Additional Information: Travel is a requirement of this position. In addition, experience in the use of major software applications and experience working with diverse populations would be helpful in performing the job duties for this position. This position is subject to criminal records background investigation. CRC must be in good standing. Interns will be required to show proof of graduation prior to beginning employment. Individuals will be required to produce certificate from CRC to verify certification. As a condition of employment, individuals who are not CRC certified will be required to obtain their certification, at their own expense, within the time period established by CRC certification. NOTE: No notifications will be sent to applicants except those who are selected for interviews.

This position will be filled in the unclassified service.

Application Instructions:
* Submit one State of Georgia Application for Employment to: Elaine Belcher, AOC II, Rehabilitation Services, P. O. Box 1606, Albany, GA. 31702-1606 OR you may fax your State of Georgia Application for Employment to Elaine Belcher at (229) 430-4466. NOTE: All individuals must submit a transcript and a copy of the SLPI, along with their State of Georgia Application for Employment that verifies their eligibility for CRC certification. All applications must be received by closing date of announcement in order to be considered.
* Please circle vacancy locations which you would like to be considered for employment.
* Application must include Job Title, and Job Code to be considered for employment.
* Application must be received in Human Resources by the application deadline.
* All qualified applicants will be considered, but may not necessarily receive an interview.
* If selected, male applicants between 18 and 26 years of age must present proof of Selective Service Registration

State of Georgia Employment Application
http://www.spa.ga.gov/jobApplicants/stateapp.asp

Current Job Opportunities
http://www.dol.state.ga.us/Access/Service/GDOLJobSearch

Georgia Department of Labor Home Page
http://www.dol.state.ga.us/

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