This position is assigned to the Homeless Program Office and works under the administrative and clinical supervision of the Department of Housing and Urban Development- Veterans Administration Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) Program Manager.

Duties

Conduct an interview and/or job readiness assessment to determine the nature and level of intervention that may be required to assist the Veteran in obtaining employment. Provide and coordinate for the Veteran a range of service options that will meet both his/her immediate and long-term employment needs. Provide both direct and indirect services including but not limited to: access to job listings; resume preparation; vocational individual and group 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. Assist the Veteran in obtaining a referral the nearest Compensated Work Therapy Program (CWT). Make 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. Track and report outcomes related to successful employment placements for Veterans as it relates to the Homeless Program Score Card Performance Measure/s for employment in Veterans Administration Supported Housing (VASH) and support all Homeless Veterans to meet and exceed identified benchmark(s) for employment. Document all vocational interventions, SMART goals, objectives and outcomes through the writing of an individualized employment plan and actively participates in the implementation of this employment plan. Document ongoing assessment, interventions and updates on this plan at least monthly. Collaborate with existing community partners and employers and to demonstrate unique expertise in the ability to forge new relationships with such entities. Receive and record information from employers regarding employment opportunities and participates in job fairs and may take a leadership role in coordinating employment fairs, employment groups, trainings, and similar events for homeless Veterans. Perform other duties as assigned - including participation in special projects related to CARF, Joint Commission, emergency management and outreach; performance improvement projects, committees and other efforts that enhance program and service provision to the Veteran population. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the Agency. Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Vocational Development Specialist/PD039390 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/03/2023. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR): Undergraduate or graduate education: Major study in vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Specialized experience include: 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. 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. 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. Note: This experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment AND hours worked per week. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement, You must have the following experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: knowledge of community and VA medical center resources related to vocational services and assistance to meet the employment needs of the Veteran; knowledge and experience individualized and customized job placement strategies; experience with identifying the conditions needed for successful job placement for individuals who are chronically homeless, homeless, formerly homeless, or at-risk of homelessness who may have poor or incomplete employment histories; knowledge of negotiating techniques with prospective employers to provide opportunities for homeless Veterans; experience and knowledge of networking with federal, state, and community agencies and employers; basic counseling and motivational interviewing skills; excellent interpersonal and communication skills to communicate with Veterans and their families, employers and community agencies; working knowledge of word processing software to execute office automation functions such as store and retrieve documents and files; format letters, reports and memoranda; print; transmit and receive email. Note: This experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment AND hours worked per week.. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or have three (3) years of higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M. (if related). NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. . OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond Master's degree. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Customer ServiceDecision MakingFlexibilityKnowledge Management 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. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, but does require intermittent driving, standing, and walking. A valid driver's license is required. The work requires that the incumbent drive on a regular basis as a significant amount of their time may be spent in the community meeting with Veterans, employers and other community agency representatives. 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

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 Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center 2002 Holcombe Boulevard Houston, TX 77030 US
• Name: Susan Reynon
• Phone: (808) 726-0496
• Email: [email protected]