This position is located in the Care Management & Social Work (CMSW) Service at VA Amarillo Healthcare System - Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center in Amarillo, TX. The Vocational Development Specialist will serve as the Community Employment Specialist for the Housing First Program and work under the administrative and clinical supervision of the Housing First Coordinator.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** The Vocational Development Specialist carries out all duties related to obtaining and maintaining competitive employment for homeless or at-risk of homelessness Veterans who are referred by a homeless program provider or self-present for employment services. The focus of the services will be to promote optimal occupational functioning of clients within the community by utilizing appropriate counseling, job search, job development, and job placement interventions. Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Conducting an interview to determine the nature and level of intervention that may be required to assist the Veteran in obtaining employment Providing the Veteran with a range of service options that will meet both his/her immediate and long-term employment needs Providing both direct and indirect services including but not limited to: access to job listings; resume preparation; vocational counseling; negotiations with employers for reasonable accommodations; assistance with completion and submission of job applications; coordination of and transportation to job interviews, interview skills training; job development and job placement Assisting the Veteran in obtaining a referral to the nearest Compensated Work Therapy Program (CWT) if a more intensive vocational intervention is required Making a referral to an alternative agency, e.g. Department of Labor (DOL) to assist the Veteran in finding employment and gain entry into vocational training programs Working closely with VBA to determine the Veteran's eligibility for VR&E services Documenting all vocational interventions, goals, objectives and outcomes through the writing of an individualized employment plan and actively participates in the implementation of this employment plan Attending and participating in treatment team meetings, contributing actively to the strategies and support plans for all clients served by the team, and communicating strategies developed for job acquisition and retention to the treatment team Collaborating with existing community partners and employers and demonstrating unique expertise in the ability to forge new relationships with such entities Applying knowledge of the local job market well beyond familiarization with Internet job sites Receiving and recording information from employers regarding employment opportunities participates in job fairs and Participating in coordination employment fairs and similar events for homeless Veterans Performing other related duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

Minimum Requirement: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Vocational Development Specialist in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). One of the following minimum requirement criteria must be met to be qualified for this position. Specialized Experience (GS-11): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: (a) Work that required obtaining and applying occupational information for people with disabilities, knowledge of the interrelationships of the involved professional and specialist services, and skill in employing the methodology and techniques of counseling to motivate and encourage individuals served by the program; (b) Experience that demonstrated knowledge of the vocational rehabilitation problems characteristic of the disabled, including familiarity with available resources and skill in identifying, evaluating, and making effective use of such resources to serve individuals with disabilities; or of the disadvantaged, including knowledge of adjustment problems of the educationally or culturally disadvantaged, familiarity with available adult education and training resources, and ability to recognize problem areas needing special attention; (c) Experience in vocational guidance or teaching in a recognized vocational rehabilitation program or school, developmental or supervisory work in programs of vocational rehabilitation or training programs for the disadvantaged, or personnel or employment placement work that provided extensive knowledge of the training and adjustment requirements necessary to place persons having disabilities or social adjustment problems. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) OR, Education (GS-11): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related. Major study must be in vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position (Vocational Development Specialist). NOTE: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) OR, Combination (GS-11): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education, as described above. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level (36 semester hours graduate education in major study of vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related) may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade S-11. When crediting education that requires specific course work, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: ClericalCritical ThinkingCustomer ServiceVeteran and Customer Focus IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Thomas E Creek VA Medical Center 6010 Amarillo Boulevard, West Amarillo, TX 79106 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]