The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position (VRS) position is located within Behavioral Health Service Line, Social Work and Vocational Rehabilitation Division at the VA SORCC in White City, Oregon. The Supported Employment program falls under the umbrella of the VHA Vocational Rehabilitation Services - Compensated Work Therapy program.

Duties

Duties include but not limited to: Based on information gathered from the treatment team, biopsychosocial assessments, participant interviews the Vocational Assessment Profile (VAP), the VRS SE Specialist assists the Veteran in developing vocational objectives which align with individual employment related factors such as their interests, skills, preferences, needs, limitations, barriers, and capabilities. The VRS will determine the extent to which the participant possesses the knowledge, skills, or abilities needed to meet the vocational goal and related objectives. The VRS will guide the Veteran in selecting a viable and achievable goal and building a plan to achieve the goal. The VRS is responsible for entering initial assessments data, individualized service delivery plans, and discharge summaries into the electronic medical record. Assessments and evaluations must adhere to all CARF guidelines. Assessments and evaluations must consider all factors that impact the patient's ability to obtain and maintain suitable employment. In addition, the VRS is responsible for tracking Veterans in programming by utilizing the NEPEC system. The VRS networks with community employers, community agencies, and community businesses with the goal of developing professional relationships with these groups to assist program participants in obtaining and maintaining suitable community employment. The VRS coordinates with various resources to locate employment opportunities in the community that will be suitable for the individual program participant from the standpoint of their individual strengths, needs abilities and preferences. The VRS works with established programs to provide significant modifications to accommodate the program participant's limitations. VRS is responsible for conducting rapid engagement with the program participant. This would include engaging the program participant in conversations about work and introducing the idea of return-to work activities early in the process. The VRS will engage the program participant in activities such as resume development, job seeking training, and interviewing skills instruction as soon as possible. The VRS will assist the program participant in networking with contacts within the community, and members of their personal support group. The VRS will provide ongoing support and guidance to the program participant throughout all phases of the job search. The VRS ensures that the program participant has a clear understanding of program requirements such as adherence to expectations as spelled out in program documents provided at intake. The VRS meets with the participant on regular intervals to monitor progress towards goals and make any necessary changes to the VR Treatment Plan. The VRS may be responsible for providing either individual or group training on job seeking skills, resume development, interview skills, etc. The VRS counsels and guides program participants through difficult transitions or rough spots in the adjustment to the job seeking process. The VRS may provide various levels of intervention when assisting the program participant in conducting a comprehensive job search. The VRS will assist the Veteran in networking with contacts within the community, and members of their personal support group. The VRS will provide ongoing support and guidance to the Veteran throughout all phases of the job search. The VRS will provide support and encouragement to the Veteran including assistance with submitting resumes, completing applications, and job interview preparation. The VRS will continue to work with the interdisciplinary team as the Veteran progresses in their job search to ensure that participant is participating in all required treatment such as mental health or addictions. The team will work collaboratively to ensure the Veteran's needs are being met. The VRS well seek opportunities to provide constructive feedback to the Veteran. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm with 1-2 days of telework every 2 weeks Compressed/Flexible: Not Available 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 Rehabilitation Specialist/PD90473A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet time-in-grade and specialized experience requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 01/16/2024. 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 within 30 days of 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. Selective Placement Factor: A Selective Placement Factor (SPF) has been identified for this position. Selective Placement Factors (SPF) are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for the position. Applicants who do not meet the SPF are ineligible for further consideration. In addition to the minimum qualifications, you must meet the following selective placement factor: Applicants must possess a current, valid, state-issued driver's license. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your driver's license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your valid state-issued driver's license. You may qualify based on your specialized 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-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 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; or 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: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month & year starting and ending dates 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., equivalent doctoral degree, 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. with a major study in vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position. NOTE: Transcripts 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 beyond a master's degree or more than 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position. NOTE: Transcripts required. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Education and TrainingInterpersonal SkillsTechnical CompetenceTextilesVehicle Operation 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, although some slight physical effort may be required. A portion of time (40%-60% of time) is spent travelling by government vehicle to meet with Veterans or employers in the community or other external partners who contribute to the workforce system. 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. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address White City VA Medical Center 8495 Crater Lake Highway White City, OR 97503 US
• Name: John Buan
• Phone: 503-220-8262 X59964
• Email: [email protected]