This position is located within the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program. Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist (VRS) carries out all duties related to assisting Veterans and Service members with completing their program of rehabilitation services.

Duties

Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist (VRS) is responsible for the provision, supervision and coordination of the rehabilitation services for Veterans or Servicemembers participating in the various programs described in Chapters 36 and 31, and for selected participants under Chapters 18 and 35, of Title 38 U.S.C. Authorizes all necessary services and benefits, and receives, reviews and authorizes all charges for services before submitting invoices to Finance Division for payment. Provides case management services including coordination of all rehabilitation services, employment services, documentation of progress and adjustment, and maintenance of case records according to VA regulations. Act as Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) to acquire evaluation, case management, employment, and other services needed in the rehabilitation process. Provide training and supervision to contract service providers to assure that the services rendered are appropriate and in accordance with accepted professional standards. Case management services provide will include assistance applying for VA benefits and resolving individual VA benefits issues; referrals for medical and mental health services; transition support; and development of community and on-campus resources to provide comprehensive services to Veteran Students. Provides coordination of all rehabilitation services, such as financial decisions, adjusts rehabilitation plans, and coordinates employment services. Makes minor adjustments to rehabilitation plans, if necessary for the Veteran to meet the goals of the original plan. Research resources and funding available in the community for consumers. Provides comprehensive employment and post-employment services which include assessing employability and assisting in the development of an employment assistance plan. Perform all other duties assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8am - 4:30 pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist / PD38707A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• 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

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/08/2024. 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. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9 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. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: To qualify for this GS-1715-09 Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position: GS-9: To qualify for the GS-09 Applicants 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. Specialized experience is defined as knowledge or experience rehabilitation, counseling, disability, therapy, health, employment, wellness or human development theory and principles; experience in career development process and career development theory. This experience must be equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service. OR Education Substitution: A master's or equivalent graduate degree, major study -- vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position. OR Equivalent combinations of Specialized Experience and Graduate level education. [To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond 1 year by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify.] GS-1715-11 Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position: To qualify for the GS-11 Applicants 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. Specialized experience is defined as knowledge and experience rehabilitation, counseling, disability, therapy, health, employment, wellness or human development theory and principles; knowledge of rehabilitation counseling skills, techniques and resources needed to work with Veterans with multiple disabilities, homebound veterans, veterans with acute or chronic mental disabilities and those with problems adjusting to social and occupational requirements. OR Education Substitution: A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., major study -- vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position, if related. OR Equivalent combinations of Specialized Experience and Graduate education. [To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond two years by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify.] 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. 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: Some travel may be necessary on occasion for training, meetings or customer interactions. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

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 courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned with your application to verify your qualifications. Education must relate to major study -- vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

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 Waco Regional Benefit Office 1 Veterans Plaza, 701 Clay Ave Waco, TX 76799 US
• Name: James Marron
• Email: [email protected]