The Veterans Benefits Administration has a wide network of field locations where personnel provide Servicemembers, Veterans, their dependents, and survivors with information, advice and assistance regarding the availability and procurement of benefits under laws and regulations administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies. One of the long-standing services is Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), which provides services under the prog of CH 31,36, 35, 108.

Duties

Major Duties Assists the VREO and manages broad-based and multi-faceted programs through a team of supervisors and team leaders. Makes decisions including basic eligibility for programs administered by the VR&E on behalf of the VREO. Maintains essential resources for referral for special rehabilitation procedures. Provides advice and recommendations to meet major goals and assists with the assessment of priorities. Provides administrative expertise in all phases of rehabilitation activities, including counseling, case management, rehabilitation plan development, and job development and placement. Provides internal policy direction and supervision of the RO VR&E staff through on-site visits and inspections, review, and analysis of standard or specifically requested data and individualized or telephonic and written communication. Assumes final responsibility for proper interpretation and uniform application of laws, regulations, and instructions in conformance with mandatory policies, procedures and practices, reconciling divergent opinions. Responsible for claims file and eFolder maintenance and operations including transfer of claims to the proper scanning vendor in a timely manner. Assists the VREO as a member of the Director's staff and keeps the Director updated on critical matters. Provides oversight of Privacy Act/FOIA requests. Ensures staff responds timely to Congressional, White House and other special inquiries concerning VA benefits for Veterans and other claimants is another responsibility of the AVREO and VREO. Ensures performance plans for all VR&E employees are properly created and utilized. Gives advice, counsel, or instruction to individual employees on both work and administrative matters. Interviews and selection of candidates for appointment, promotion or reassignment are responsibilities of the AVREO. Understands and sensitivity to the objectives of the EEO program and promotes workforce diversity through recruitment, coaching, and developmental activities, consistent with the merit system principles. Serves as Regional Office consultant and expert on employment issues for Veterans with disabilities. Work Schedule: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor AVREO/002760A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Relocation expenses are authorized for this position. Financial Disclosure Report: Selectee will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450, under 5 CFR 2634.904(a) prior to entering on duty and annually thereafter.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• 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, 08/07/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT: 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 30 semester hours of course work in 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.] NON QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE: Vocational rehabilitation experience obtained prior to completion of the requirements for the master's degree is not qualifying. 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. GS-13: Basic educational requirement AND Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting the Basic educational Requirements stated above, one year of post-graduate level professional vocational rehabilitation counseling experience, equivalent to the GS-12 level is required. Specialized experience includes expert knowledge of wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of program effectiveness or the improvement of complex management processes and systems. Experience providing effective leadership, management, and oversight to optimize deployment of programs and services to achieve goals; experience in reviewing policies and procedures to determine the impact of field operations or conducting evaluative studies of field offices to determine field strengths, weaknesses and best practices and making recommendations. Experience in conducting assessments of veteran's employability. Involvement in the development of appropriate vocational goals and subsequent objects 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 veteran's concerns. Experience in training; and understanding and clearly explaining to veterans, the benefits, and services available through the VR&E program. Supervisory/Managerial Abilities: Candidates must also demonstrate experience or training they possess, or have the potential to develop, the qualities of successful supervision as follows: Assign to and review work of subordinates, train and work effectively with subordinates from a variety of backgrounds and with different levels/areas of training; Accomplish the quality and quantity of work expected within set limits of cost and time; Plan own work and carry out assignments effectively; Communicate with others effectively both orally and in writing in working solutions to problems or questions relating to the work; Understand and further management goals as these affect day-to-day work operations; AND Develop improvements on, or design new work methods and procedures. Supervised Internship - you must describe the duties and responsibilities performed during your supervised internship. Include the dates of the internship(s), where the internship(s) was performed, number of hours completed, and the name/title/phone number of the individual that supervised your internship. Awarded/Conferred Master's Degree is required and must be reflected on transcripts. 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. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary although some slight physical effort may be required. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: 1. Vocational Rehabilitation Knowledge. Knowledge of vocational rehabilitation and counseling programs, regulations, requirements and practices. 2. HR Management. Knowledge of human resources management systems. 3. Problem Analysis. Ability to analyze and synthesize complex information, develop viable solutions, and apply sound judgment in assessing the practical implications of alternative solutions. 4. Supervision. Ability to manage and/or supervise 5. Communication. Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing. 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

IOR: (Individual Occupational Requirement)
This position does have an IOR (Individual Occupational Requirement) that must be met in addition to the Time-in Grade and regular Specialized Experience qualifications. In order to qualify for this position, you must have the education listed below:

Positive Education Requirement:
Master's Degree in Rehabilitation counseling that included an internship;
OR
Master's Degree in counseling psychology (or related field) that included an internship in rehabilitation counseling and was supplemented by at least 30 semester hours of course work in a majority of the following areas: 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;
OR
Rehabilitation Counseling Internship Requirement
Master's Degree listed in 1 or 2 WITHOUT a rehabilitation counseling internship. Where the internship was substituted for 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.]

In addition to the Positive Education Requirements (Basic Requirement) listed above, applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at the next lower grade level
(GS-12 to qualify. To receive proper credit for your experience, please be sure to include the dates of employment as well as the hours worked for each position in your resume. (i.e. 12/16/13 -
10/15/16, 40 hours per week.)


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.

Contacts

• Address Togus VA Medical/Regional Benefit Office Center 1 VA Center Augusta, ME 04330 US
• Name: Mary Chavez
• Phone: 515-323-7575
• Email: [email protected]