This position is located within the Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Program at the Atlanta VA Medical Center in Fort McPherson, Georgia. The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist (VRS) is assigned to the Employment Services for Homeless Veterans (ESHV) and has the responsibility for utilizing best practices in conjunction with VA Homeless services to assist Homeless Veterans, and to help them return to community living and competitive employment.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Major duties and responsibilities include: Provides employment services to Homeless Veterans, working directly with Veterans who have been referred for a variety of programs. Works closely with members of the interdisciplinary team including Physicians, Therapist, and Social Workers. Works directly with community agencies and employers with the goal of assisting Veterans in obtaining employment. Utilize job development techniques to assist the Veteran in obtaining community employment. Provide onsite support or training to the Veteran. Establish contacts with training and employment sources . Carries out assignments independently and consults with supervisor and colleagues in developing and applying agency policies and practices. Perform other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday; 8am to 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required. 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.

Requirements

Qualifications

English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. In addition to meeting the English Language Proficiency, you must possess one of the following to qualify for this position: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal Service that has given me the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist at a developmental level. Specialized experience includes: a). 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; b). 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; and c). 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 and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. OR EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION: Successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or two (2) full years of graduate level education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D. with a major study in vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other field related to the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position. This education must have been obtained at an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position. NOTE: Your experience must be documented in your resume and transcripts are required. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: CommunicationEmployee DevelopmentInterpersonal Skills IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort such as walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as files and books may be required. 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

IMPORTANT: 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Contacts

• Address Atlanta VA Medical Center 1670 Clairmont Road Decatur, GA 30033 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]