This Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor position is located at the VA Regional Office Veteran Readiness & Education (VR&E) Division. The incumbent provides a wide range of rehabilitation, counseling, and case management services to disabled veterans and other eligible individuals. The primary emphasis of the Vocational Rehabilitation Program is to assist Veterans with service connected disabilities prepare for, find, and sustain employment.

Duties

Provide individual and group counseling sessions to provide information and assistance with the program. Conduct initial evaluations to determine the existence of a vocational impairment and whether this impairment constitutes an employment handicap. Determine the severity of the employment handicap, the feasibility for achieving a vocational goal, entitlement to Chapter 31 rehabilitation benefits, and the need for independent living services. Determine eligibility, entitlement, and feasibility and complete a comprehensive initial evaluation, transferable work skills analysis, and employability assessment. This involves the establishment of a counseling relationship. Assist the Client/Veteran in exploring and identifying rehabilitation needs, goals, and objectives. Guide the Client/Veteran through career exploration by selecting rehabilitation resources and developing training programs. Assist the Client/Veteran in developing and implementing an individualized plan of rehabilitation services. Provide problem-solving counseling to adults with a wide range of disabilities to facilitate the achievement of rehabilitation objectives. Make recommendations and referrals to other sources which may be able to assist the Veteran in achieving educational/vocational objectives. Assist other eligible clients in selecting educational or occupational goals. Duties performed below the full performance level will be developmental in nature.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• A probationary period may be required for employees and supervisors.
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/26/2023. This position is covered by a single agency qualification standard, VA Handbook 5005/6, part II, appendix F2, dated June 3, 2004. All applicants must meet the Basic Requirements and Specialized Experience described to qualify. NOTE: Applicants must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized experience as stated below. BASIC REQUIREMENT: To qualify for the Basic Requirement and the grade level of GS-09: Applicants must demonstrate satisfactory completion in an accredited college or university of all the requirements for a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling, including an internship; or a master's degree in counseling psychology or a related field, including at least 30 semester hours of course work in such areas as foundations of rehabilitation counseling, human growth and development, counseling theories and techniques, vocational assessment, career development, job placement, case management, and medical/psycho-social aspects of disability. Total graduate study must have included or been supplemented by a supervised internship. [For master's degree programs without a supervised internship/practicum, substitution is allowed for successful professional experience following completion of the master's degree. Experience suitable for substitution must be one full year in direct delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities in rehabilitation programs, other than those in correctional facilities. The experience or internship/practicum must have been supervised by a professional in vocational rehabilitation or a closely related professional field that typically has oversight for vocational rehabilitation programs.]. NOTE: SUBSTITUTION OF WORK EXPERIENCE ONLY APPLIES TO THE INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENT. IT DOES NOT REPLACE OR SUBSTITUTE THE BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT OF A MASTER'S DEGREE. If one year of work experience is credited for determining minimum qualifications, that year cannot also be used for determining grade level. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: To qualify at the grade level of GS-11: In addition to the basic requirement, applicants must have completed at least 1 full year (52 weeks) of professional vocational rehabilitation experience equivalent to the next lower grade level of GS-09, which meets the specialized experience required for the position within the Federal service or other service. Specialized experience is work experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position within the organization to filled. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience working with vocational rehabilitation service programs developing individualized written rehabilitation plans, developing individualized employment plans, counseling adult clients with emotional and physical disabilities, administering and interpreting vocational testing, coordinating rehabilitation services for adults with disabilities to prepare them for suitable work, performing initial evaluations and entitlement determinations, OR In addition to meeting the basic educational requirements, applicants may substitute experience with successful completion of 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education or a Ph.D. (or equivalent doctoral degree) in rehabilitation counseling or counseling psychology, as described above. To qualify at the grade level of GS-12: In addition to the basic requirement, applicants must have completed at least 1 full year (52 weeks) of professional vocational rehabilitation experience equivalent to the next lower grade level of GS-11, which meets the specialized experience required for the position within the Federal service or other service. Specialized experience is work experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position within the organization to filled. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience in conducting assessments of a Veterans' and others employability; involvement in the development of appropriate vocational goals and subsequent objectives outlined in rehabilitation plans; providing case management services to veterans while pursuing their rehabilitation plans (e.g. personal contact regarding achievement of vocational goals, referral for medical or ancillary services, and responding efficiently to veterans concerns); and experience in training; and understanding and clearly explaining to veterans, the benefits, and services available through a vocational rehabilitation program. NON-QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE: Vocational rehabilitation experience obtained prior to completion of the requirements for the master's degree is not qualifying. Note: You will be rated on work experience and knowledge obtained in the last 5 years as it pertains to vocational rehabilitation counseling, case management techniques, diagnostic assessment processes used in vocational/educational/rehabilitation, personal adjustment counseling and effect of disabilities on employability. There is no substitution of work experience for the basic educational requirement. 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.

Education

The primary degree required under this single-agency standard is Rehabilitation Counseling. For related degree programs other than Rehabilitation Counseling the focus of the master's degree program must have been on rehabilitation counseling as evidenced by the coursework required for the degree.

Awarded/Conferred Master's Degree is required and must be reflected on transcripts submitted at the time of application. Transcripts (unofficial and/or official) must show evidence of a supervised internship and must also show that the degree has been awarded/conferred and the date awarded.

An unofficial or official copy of your transcripts 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: 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://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Contacts

• Address White River Junction Regional Benefit Office 215 North Main St White River Junction, VT 05009 US
• Name: HRC-Detroit DEU
• Phone: 313-596-7213
• Email: [email protected]