Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs) in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) provide and coordinate a wide range of rehabilitation counseling and case management services to disabled Veterans and other eligible individuals. The primary emphasis of the Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation Program is on achieving an employment outcome for the Veteran.

Duties

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs) provide and coordinate a wide range of rehabilitation, counseling, and case management services to disabled veterans and other eligible individuals. The primary emphasis of the Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation Program is on achieving an employment outcome for the veteran. Duties are divided between counseling duties and case management and include, but are not limited to: Performs initial rehabilitation evaluations, entitlement determinations, rehabilitation planning, problem-solving counseling, adjustment counseling, case management including coordination of all rehabilitation services, case documentation, employment services, and administration and interpretation of vocation testing when appropriate. Assists the veteran in exploring and identifying rehabilitation needs, goals, and objectives. Provides individual and group counseling sessions to provide information and assistance with the program considering complete personal history, vocational and educational history, collection of data on limitations imposed by the veteran's disability, abilities, aptitudes, and interests. Serves as a Disabled Transition Assistance Program (DTAP) coordinator for military service members with a service-connected disability. Provides a problem-solving counsel to a diverse adult population with a wide range of disabilities, supervising the veteran through his/her program of rehabilitation services, providing supportive guidance and counseling as needed. Provides case management services, which include coordination of rehabilitation services, documentation of progress and adjustment, and maintenance of case records according to VA regulations. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. The grade progression for this position is: GS-09/11/12. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday; 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Available Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Position Description Title/PD#: Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor; 38544A, 38543A, 38542A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Required

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: 09/08/2023. 1. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 level. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 level. If you are a current VBA employee outside of the commuting area seeking reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold a GS-09 grade level or higher, and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least 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. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. 2. EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: To be eligible for this position, you must have one of the following degrees. Your application MUST include a transcript (not diploma) stating the degree has been conferred or that you have graduated. Education Requirement: Successful completion of a master's degree (or higher) in rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation services, clinical rehabilitation counseling, counseling psychology, mental health counseling, career counseling or social work from an accredited college or university. 3. INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENT: Your degree must have included either an internship or experience as described below. 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. Supervised Internship: Education must have included a supervised internship in rehabilitation counseling or case management specialization. The internship must have been supervised by a professional in vocational rehabilitation or a closely related professional field that typically has oversight for vocational rehabilitation programs. OR One year post-masters degree experience in direct delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities in rehabilitation programs (other than those in correctional facilities). 4. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS: In addition to the time-in-grade and education requirements, you must also meet the following grade-specific qualification requirements. NON-QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE: Vocational rehabilitation experience obtained prior to completion of the requirements for the master's degree is not qualifying. If one year of work experience is substituted for an internship, that year cannot also be used for qualifying at the GS-11/GS-12 levels. GS-09 Grade Level: There are no additional qualification requirements at this grade level. GS-11 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: 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-09 level is required. OR Education Substitution: In addition to meeting the basic educational requirements, 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 GS-12 Grade Level: 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-11 level is required. Specialized experience is defined as post-master's degree, professional vocational rehabilitation counseling work in delivery to adults with disabilities. Cases must have involved determining entitlement ranges from simple to complex. Direct delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities in rehabilitation programs, other than those in correctional facilities. This experience must be equivalent to the GS-11 level. Combining Education & Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level (e.g. have six months of experience and some coursework but not a degree), the two can be combined to total 100% of the requirement. Click here for more information. Volunteer Experience: 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. Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week. Physical Requirements: This position is primarily sedentary with some walking, standing, bending, and/or carrying lightweight items.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application. It must include your coursework and date of conferral of a Masters degree in vocational rehabilitation (or related) field.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited towards qualifications. Provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
All education claimed by applicants will be verified upon appointment. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript to receive credit.

Contacts

• Address Phoenix Regional Benefit Office 3333 North Central Ave Phoenix, AZ 85012 US
• Name: Lee Johnson
• Phone: 515-323-5478
• Email: [email protected]