This position serves as a Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Division, in the Regional Office. The position supervises VR&E staff and is responsible for the administration and workflow of the division. The incumbent exercises technical and oversight responsibility through subordinate employees for the VR&E Division.

Duties

Functions as first level supervisor for the VR&E personnel located at the Regional Office or out based facility, providing advice and guidance on unusual or unprecedented problems. The work supervised is vital to the processes through which VBA directly serves the public. Responsible for interviewing and recommending selection of employees to the VR&E Officer. Is also responsible for training and monitoring performance of employees within the unit. Prepares performance ratings, assist on preparing division reports, resolves disciplinary and performance problems, and assesses the ongoing training needs of the employees supervised at the out based locations. Provides a wide breadth of knowledge and expertise regarding VR&E protocols, regulations, and laws. The SVRC will review and provide consultation and supervision regarding the most difficult cases, using expertise, training, and experience beyond the journeyman level of line VR&E Counselors. This also includes broad expertise of divisional operations to provide supervision and management of the Employment Coordinator and Program Specialist positions. Responsible for reviewing files for quality assurance, contributing to the development of reports, such as Strategic Oversight and Analysis Review (SOAR) quarterly reports, congressional and AVA inquiries and white papers. The SVRC is supervised and accountable to the VR&E officer, with consultation of the Assistant VR&E officer. Collects accurate data relating to the various work activities in the Regional Office and/or out based offices, analyzes fluctuations, short- and long-term trends and achievements and/or failures in customer expectations. The incumbent prepares accurate reports and analysis as required by the VR&E officer, including systematic analysis of operations (SAO's) and reports on special projects. The incumbent establishes internal controls to prevent fraud, waste, abuse and misappropriation of government funds and property. Identifies and recommends to the VR&E officer changes needed for improvement of operations or service and acts as directed. The incumbent prepares a budget for travel funds for employees under their supervision and monitors the use of travel funds. Provides clinical supervision and technical support and supervision as needed for accomplishing the work of the unit. Analyzes, interprets, and managerially enforces the application of laws, regulations, and rules as they affect policies, procedures and methods of operations. Also performs administrative and personnel management functions relative to staff supervised as directed. Enforces and manages performance expectations for staff, which are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system. Observes workers' performance and demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques. Provides formal and informal feedback and periodically evaluates employee performance. Exercises supervisory authorities and responsibilities involving work assignments and reviews, as well as the administrative and personnel management functions relative to the staff supervised. Supports transitional processes required involving the selected components to the work division to meet balanced scorecard goals. Resolves informal complaints and grievances. Develops performance improvement plans, recommending personnel actions as necessary. Provides advice and counsel to employees related to work and administrative matters, effects disciplinary measures as appropriate, to the authority delegated in this area. Reviews and approves/disapproves leave request. Assures that subordinates training is current, and fully complies with the provisions of safety regulations. Recommends awards and motivational activities. Fifty percent of the position is directed at exercising direct supervisory and managerial tasks.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A probationary period may be required for employees and supervisors

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement Time-in-Grade Requirements: 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. For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12 level. 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 you are a current VBA employee seeking reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-13 (or higher) and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-13. 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. AND Individual Occupational Requirement (or) Education Requirement:: To qualify for the VRC position, candidates must meet the following basic requirements: a. Education. 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. b. Internship or Experience Requirement. The required (1) supervised internship or (2) post-master's degree experience is described as follows: (1) Supervised Internship: The education in paragraph a. 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 (2) Experience: One-year post-master's degree experience in direct delivery of professional vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities. AND Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-12). Specialized experience is defined as one (1) full year of performance of technical assignments affecting the entire field of VA's Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E) division. Your resume/application must support your response. To meet the specialized experience, your resume should reflect: Experience in conducting assessments of veterans employability. Involvement in the development of appropriate vocational goals and subsequent objectives outlined in rehabilitation plans; Providing case management services to veterans while pursuing their rehabilitation plans (e.g. personal contact regarding achievement of vocational goals, referral for medical or ancillary services, and responding efficiently to veterans concerns); Experience in training; and understanding and clearly explaining to veterans, the benefits and services available through the VR&E program. Supervisory/Managerial Abilities: Candidates must also demonstrate experience or training they possess, or have the potential to develop, the qualities of successful supervision as follows: Assign to and review work of subordinates, train and work effectively with subordinates from a variety of backgrounds and with different levels/areas of training; Accomplish the quality and quantity of work expected within set limits of cost and time; Plan own work and carry out assignments effectively; Communicate with others effectively both orally and in writing in working solutions to problems or questions relating to the work; Understand and further management goals as these affect day-to-day work operations; AND Develop improvements on, or design new work methods and procedures. 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. The Office of Personnel Management's group coverage qualification standards, associated individual occupational requirements (IOR), and individual qualification standards covering white collar occupations in the Federal competitive service can be found here.

Education

A legible 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 Detroit Regional Benefit Office Federal Building, 477 Michigan Ave Detroit, MI 48226 US
• Name: Ayesha Kelly
• Phone: 726-209-4429
• Email: [email protected]