This position supports the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program, where you can ignite your career in public service and community engagement with the only federal agency dedicated to ending homelessness and building strong, inclusive communities across America. The Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program gives the most vulnerable Americans the opportunity to thrive and succeed through the housing first model and to achieve individual vocational goals and aspirations.

Duties

Major duties include: As the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist, the work is geared toward ensuring that a caseload of Homeless and other Mental Health patients obtain vocational training and rehabilitation toward the ultimate goal of placement and successful continuation of gainful employment, and of assisting the patient in the process of maximizing their vocational potential. Develop vocational assessment and individual vocational plan for each assigned patient based on an appropriate evaluation of the patient's current marketability in the competitive workforce, short and long range vocational potential assessment, and in consideration of the patient's expressed vocational goals. The Individual Vocational Plan will be detailed in both an Individual Vocational Plan contract, and in the electronic progress notes contained the patient's medical record through CPRS. If skills are uncovered, determines potential marketability of such skills in the current economic environment develops and assists patients in implementing individual vocational plans about employment/school/training or other manner of acquiring income. Develops realistic individual vocational rehabilitation plans based upon the degree of limitation created by the client's physical or emotional handicaps, as well as the client's motivation, prior experience, and current usable skills. Leads and provides input to treatment team regarding aspects of client's disorder which must be addressed by the team to make the client job-ready or ready for training. Attends treatment planning meetings as necessary to actively contribute to multidisciplinary treatment planning process, particularly with regard to identifying vocational problem areas. Counsels the client to ensure awareness of VA benefits. Counsels the client to increase their understanding of basic work responsibilities. Provides vocational consultation to community placement sites. Seeks appropriate sponsorship for retraining from private or governmental agencies (local, state, or federal). Identifies and maintains active referral and liaison with a variety of community vocational rehabilitation services. Provides job placements assistance for veterans. This involves the development and implementation of specific job placement strategies. In addition. the incumbent will develop and network partnership relationships with community vocational resources and area employers. This process will involve serving as a liaison and referral source to area community vocational resource and employers. The ability and willingness of the incumbent to "cold call" prospective employers and vocational resources in order to establish potential partnership relationships is critical. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Vocational Rehab Specialist/PD91063O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. DRTs must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and7407(d). BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR ALL GRADES: 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.] May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-9: Must meet the basic requirements. GS-11: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, 1 year of professional vocational rehabilitation counseling experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level. NONQUALIFYING EXPERIENCE: Vocational rehabilitation experience obtained prior to completion of the requirements for the master's degree is not qualifying. OR In addition to meeting the basic 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. [NOTE: If one year of work experience is credited for determining minimum qualifications, that year cannot also be used for determining grade level. For example, for candidates with two years of qualifying work experience, but no internship/practicum, the first year of experience is used to meet the basic requirement and the second year of experience to qualify for GS-11.] Reference: VA HANDBOOK 5005/6 PART II APPENDIX F2 dated JUNE 3, 2004 Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position are moderate. Although some of the physical work is sedentary, there will be significant (50 - 70% of the time) local travel for support purposes. The stress related to providing services to Veterans in emotional distress or who may be demanding and uncooperative, can be more significant than that of most sedentary positions. The incumbent must be eligible to drive and transport Veterans through the use of a Federal Vehicle.

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 Ann Arbor VA Medical Center 2215 Fuller Road Ann Arbor, MI 48105 US
• Name: Jeremiah Ferguson
• Phone: 734-882-3036
• Email: [email protected]