The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist (VRS) position is located in San Antonio, Texas, in the Mental Health Product Line, within the Psychology Service department, of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS). The incumbent is assigned vocational rehabilitation duties throughout the hospital, its clinics, and within the community.

Duties

The VRS determines the vocational goals and objectives of the Veteran based on referral from a professional staff member or by interviewing the Veteran. The VRS also determines the areas of vocational interests, and decides what services such as job seeking skills training, resume development, or interview skills training the Veteran may require in order to successfully obtain suitable employment. Training provided must meet established agency or Federal guidance for expenditure of agency resources. Training need determinations are difficult, as requirements that meet the Veteran's vocational goals and objectives are not available in standard vocational or training programs. Determinations require the VRS to analyze mental and physical disabilities or other handicaps, in terms of the practical effects of such handicaps on motivations, adjustment to training, and difficulty in employment placement. The VRS counsels and guides Veterans through difficult transition in the adjustment to employment. Will help the employer understand the nature of the Veteran's limitations while maintaining a positive impression of the Veteran's capability of success. The specialist approves any significant modifications to the placement contract, evaluates the results of the program, makes sound professional arguments for recommended changes and reports program progress in accordance with established procedure. The severe limitations of the Veterans are more apt to result in dependency. The specialist is typically involved in more difficult emotional and economic problems. Great skill and knowledge are required to encourage and motivate the individual to become self-sufficient. Cases can become long-term, and the specialist is the primary point of contact between the Veteran and the agency during these periods of time that can continue for several years. The VRS will coordinate with various resources to locate a training facility in the community that will be specifically suitable from the standpoint of the particular needs and problems of the individual. The established programs require significant modification to accommodate the Veteran's severe limitations. The specialist finds suitable employment opportunities, monitors placement, and promotes successful adjustment. The incumbent is knowledgeable about the impact of work efforts on various forms of disability income and of the available resources to minimize and manage risks to the Veteran. If the Veteran agrees to disclose, the incumbent helps the employer to understand the nature of the Veteran's limitations while maintaining a positive impression of the Veteran's capability to succeed. The specialist will handle the most difficult placement cases. Cases typically require substantial modification to environmental demands. Cases demand considerable ingenuity and persuasiveness on the part of the specialist to meet the limitations. Assignments include homebound cases where the only means of vocation would be for the Veteran to produce a good or service. In this instance, the specialist must determine the need for the product and be able to assist in marketing the product. Employers are less likely to be enthusiastic and considerable persuasion is required to convince them of the employee's ability to contribute and be productive. The VRS assists lower graded specialists in handling the most difficult placement cases. These cases may demand considerable professional skill, ingenuity, and persuasiveness on the part of the specialist to overcome the Veteran's limitations and lack of motivation. Develops strategies to engage Veterans who may be reluctant to actively pursue employment or risk a reduction of benefits. 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. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30a.m. to 4:00p.m. Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist/PD671-0441-A and PD671-3432-O 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, 12/15/2023. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS0-07. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist GS-09 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as: 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. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must possess a master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Please note: Graduate education major study--vocational rehabilitation, vocational or education counseling, or other fields related to the position. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education as described above. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist GS-11 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. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as: 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. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. Please note: Graduate education major study--vocational rehabilitation, vocational or education counseling, or other fields related to the position. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education as described above. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: -Therapy and Counseling -Psychology -Communication -Interpersonal Skills -Analysis and Problem Solving 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 sedentary. 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

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

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 Audie L Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital 7400 Merton Minter Boulevard San Antonio, TX 78229 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]