This position is located within the Vocational Rehabilitation Service (VRS) at the Togus VA Medical Center, Augusta, Maine. The VRS includes programs that are recovery-oriented clinical vocational rehabilitation services and offer a continuum of vocational, educational, training and employment, and therapeutic work services. This includes skill development and assistance with obtaining and maintaining employment for Veterans for whom the primary objective is 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*** Duties include but are not limited to the following: Determines the vocational goals and objectives of the client Determines the extent to which the client possess the knowledge, skills, or abilities necessary to meet their vocational goals or objectives Analyzes the client's mental and physical disabilities in terms of practical effects of such disabilities on motivation, adjustment to training, and difficulty in employment placement Strives to find work training experiences that meets participant's rehabilitation goals Coordinates with various resources to locate a training facility that will be specifically suitable from the standpoint of the particular needs and challenges of the individual Establishes training programs to satisfy common needs of the client base (i.e., literacy training, customer service training, effective communications, etc.) Finds suitable employment opportunities and monitors placement to promote successful adjustment Maintains and fosters community contacts Provides on-going support, counseling, and guidance through difficult transitions or adjustments on the job and helps maintain employment on an on-going basis, for as long as the client seeks assistance Serves as primary point of contact between client and the agency/employer Works with clients who face the greatest difficulties in finding and engaging in suitable employment opportunities Performs other related duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved 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 AD HOC telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

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. ~AND~ To qualify for this position at the GS-9 level, you must meet one of the following: Experience: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist. Specialized experience may include: 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; 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: Successful completion of a master's or equivalent graduate degree or two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree with a major study in vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed progressively higher-level graduate 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: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Customer ServiceOrganizational AwarenessReasoning 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: Must be physically energetic, mobile, social, and observant. The job requires no heavy lifting of materials or other situation in which physical stress in anticipated. The employee must be psychologically resilient and function as a resource to support Recovery orientation for program participants, who will have often experienced significant trauma and setback across a lifespan and in multiple domains. 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 Togus VA Medical Center 1 VA Center Augusta, ME 04330 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]