One selection will be made and the incumbent will be reporting to one of the three locations (negotiable after acceptance): Overland, Springfield, Lee's Summit The incumbent serves at the St. Louis Regional Office (RO) and is responsible for providing managerial and administrative leadership for the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Division. The incumbent is also responsible for remotely managing Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment employees located at the out-based site.

Duties

Major Duties: Serves as the (Assistant) VR&E Officer with extensive knowledge of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program which include conducting assessments of both the local labor market, and veterans employability; active involvement in the development of appropriate vocational goals and subsequent objectives outlined on rehabilitation plans; providing case management services to veterans while pursuing their rehabilitation plans; and understanding and clearly explaining to veterans, the benefits and services available through the VR&E program. The (Assistant) VR&E Officer provides advice and recommendations to meet major goals and assists with the assessment of priorities. Makes decisions related to assigning and allocating program resources and directing and reviewing personnel within the assigned staff complement to accomplish the changing initiatives and emphasis established by Central Office program managers. Must be responsive to dynamic nature of veteran and beneficiary populations and needs within the jurisdictional area. Assists with the development and implementation of plans to meet objectives; monitors progress toward the accomplishment of approved goals and takes steps to overcome any obstacles. The (Assistant) VR&E Officer provides administrative expertise in all phases of rehabilitation activities, including counseling, case management, rehabilitation plan development, and job development and placement. The (Assistant) VR&E Officer coordinates and integrates these operations and policies with other divisions, agencies, employers, and rehabilitation facilities. Plans, formulates, and implements operational procedures and policies to maintain efficient operating performance of professional and support staff. Provides internal policy direction and supervision of the RO VR&E staff through on-site visits and inspections, review and analysis of standard or specifically requested data and individualized or telephonic and written communication. Manages allocated budgetary resources and supervises the expenditure of funds; e.g., administrative travel, beneficiary travel, tools, supplies, equipment, revolving fund loans, tutoring or reader services, individual instructor fees, tuition, subsistence allowances, and staff development in an efficient and economical manner. Maintains essential resources for referral for special rehabilitation procedures. Frequent collaboration and referrals are maintained with employers, school officials, medical and rehabilitation officials, contractors, state employment service personnel, and other community resources. Maintains current knowledge of general training opportunities in the area with knowledge of new industries and labor market trends, which affect job training and placement. Keeps abreast of changes in State labor laws, State, county, and city license requirements related to employment. Is responsible for understanding, implementing, and monitoring a management system of work measurement, quality review, program evaluation and accountability, and a management information reporting system as it applies to the VR&E Division. Also responsible for identifying and correcting deficiencies recognized through systematic analysis of VR&E operations. The incumbent is responsible for furthering the goals of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) by taking positive steps to assure the accomplishment of affirmative action objectives, and by adhering to nondiscriminatory employment practices in regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or handicap. Specifically, incumbent initiates nondiscriminatory practices and affirmative action for the area under his/her supervision in the following: (1) merit promotion of employees and recruitment and hiring of applicants; (2) fair treatment of all employees; (3) encouragement and recognition of employee achievements; (4) career development of employees; and (5) full utilization of their skills. Serves as consultant and expert on employment issues for veterans with disabilities. Fosters a work environment conducive to responsible exchanges of opinions among counseling psychologists, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and employment specialists on complex rehabilitation and counseling cases and issues including assessment, counseling, vocational planning, and independent living. Consults with others in fields related to vocational rehabilitation to secure the services necessary to effect rehabilitation of disabled veterans. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• 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.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Work Schedule: Regular office hours (8:00am-4:30pm); Alternate work schedules may be available.
• This is a Non-Bargaining Unit Position.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/22/2024 Effective July 28,2023, VA Handbook 5005 was updated to change the VBA qualification standard for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs) in the GS-0101 series. All applicants must meet the Basic Requirements described below, to qualify. Note: Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirements and Specialized Experience requirements as stated below. 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. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: To qualify for this position, candidates must meet the following Basic Education Requirement and Basic Internship or Experience Requirement listed below: 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. (YOU MUST SUBMIT TRANSCRIPTS and ensure the degree is listed on the transcript and with a conferred/awarded date) AND 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 described above 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. OR c. Grandfathering Provisions. VRCs employed in VBA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certifications that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: (1) VRCs who are grandfathered into the GS-0101 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level of a career ladder or changed to a lower grade within the occupation or placed in a supervisory or managerial position. (2) VRCs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of this qualification standard may not be extended or reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of this standard. (3) If VRCs who are grandfathered under this provision leave the occupation, they lose protected status and must meet the full qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re- entry to the occupation. Time-in-Grade Requirements: Applicants who are/were federal employees and have held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks must meet the time-in-grade requirements. For a GS-13 position, you must have served at least 52 weeks at the GS-12 level. Eligibility: You must submit a promotion, within-grade increase, or appointment SF-50 (not an award or general adjustment SF-50) to support your claim that you have the required time-in-grade. Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate their eligibility. You must submit a promotion, within-grade increase, or appointment SF-50 (not an award or general adjustment SF-50) to support your claim that you have the required time-in-grade, . Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 in order to demonstrate their eligibility. Minimum Qualification Requirements: Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Minimum Qualification requirements as listed below under Specialized Experience. Specialized Experience (GS-13): In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, to qualify, applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as work that involves: (1). Experience in conducting assessments of veteran's employability, (2). Involvement in the development of appropriate vocational goals and subsequent objectives outlined in rehabilitation plans, (3). 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 veteran's concerns), (4). Experience interpreting the benefits and services, to veterans, available through the VR&E program. Note: Creditable experience must have been obtained post-graduate and be directly related to the duties to be performed to qualify to work as a professional VRC. Qualifying experience must also be equivalent to professional vocational rehabilitation counseling experience at the next lower level. Note: 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.

Education

There is no authorized substitution of education, for the specialized experience required at the grade level GS-13.

This position requires specific coursework and/or a degree to meet the basic education requirement. You must submit an official transcript(s), unofficial transcript(s), or a list including college/university name, courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned with your completed application package. Your transcript(s) must clearly demonstrate the course(s) listed in the qualification requirement section. If the transcript(s) does not clearly demonstrate this you must submit a copy of the course description and/or other documentation demonstrating that the courses are equivalent.

As a reminder, If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including college/university name, courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. An unofficial or official copy of your transcripts 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: 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://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Contacts

• Address St Louis Regional Benefit Office 9700 Page Ave Overland, MO 63132 US
• Name: Mark Abecia
• Phone: 515-323-7575
• Email: [email protected]