This position is located in the Care Management and Social Work Services at the VA Western Colorado Health Care System - Grand Junction VA Medical Center in Grand Junction, CO. The Vocational Development Specialist will serve as Community Employment Specialist. The primary purpose of this position is to provide vocational development, training, and placement support for Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** The Vocational Development Specialist is responsible for the implementation of the program goals related to obtaining and maintaining competitive employment for Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Providing information, pre-employment assessment, and workforce re-entry planning services, linkage, and coordination for VA and non-VA services, and community-based follow-up services to integrate Veterans into the community through competitive employment Establishing respectful, effective relationships with Veterans and with the clinical and administrative staff from a range of institutions and agencies, including community employers Developing employment opportunities for homeless Veterans both directly through community-based job development and indirectly by leveraging the expertise of the employment collaborative Ensuring competitive employment resources of varying levels of intensity are currently available for homeless and chronically homeless Veterans both at the medical center and in the community Serving as an advocate on behalf of Veterans with local employers, when appropriate, to ensure competitive employment Supporting clients in all work-related tasks, including but not limited to transportation, on the job training, communicating with co-workers and supervisors, ongoing and follow along supports, and compliance with specification of appropriate clinical support(s) Maintaining awareness and fosters community contacts; keeping alert for job and small business opportunities; and maintaining day-to-day contact with potential employers, placement personnel, or other likely placement resources Remaining up to date on occupational information such as general outlook for employment in a wide variety of occupations in the local area Providing information and/or referral to appropriate resources regarding regulations including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), VA benefits and Social Security benefits Documenting all vocational interventions, goals, objectives, and outcomes through the writing of an individualized employment plan and actively participating in the implementation of this employment plan Counseling and guiding Veterans through difficult transitions while adjusting to employment Helping the employer understand the nature of the Veteran's limitations while maintaining a positive impression of the Veteran's capacity to succeed Providing crisis intervention as needed for the Veteran's well-being and communicating relevant information to the treatment team Providing guidance and training to all homeless programs and staff across WCHCS on resources that enhance and result in competitive employment outcomes for Veterans Leading efforts to establish a local employment collaborative which includes VA and non-VA members and community-based employers, and documents access points, requirements for participation, and points of contact Networking in the local community with businesses and employers that have a job lead which are directly related to the interests and desires of the clients Ensuring that Vocational Development operations, documentation, and information reporting systems are compliant with the guidelines and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA), the standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), CARF, and other relevant accrediting bodies Evaluating the impacts of Vocational Development services and making sound professional arguments for recommended changes Performing other related duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 08:00 a.m. to 04:30 p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Telework (Ad-Hoc Available): 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

Minimum Requirement: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Vocational Development Specialist in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must met. Specialized Experience (GS-11): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: (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; (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.. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) OR, Education (GS-11): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related. The major study must be in vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position. NOTE: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) OR, Combination (GS-11): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level (i.e., 36 semester hours graduate education in major study of vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related) may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-11. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) AND 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 DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENT: Operation of a government vehicle is an essential function of this position requiring a current valid Driver's License from a State. Applicants who do not meet this requirement are ineligible for further consideration. (We cannot accept photographs, so please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. You may be required to show your valid driver's license at the time of your interview.) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Critical ThinkingTeaching OthersTherapy and Counseling 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 physical demands of the work are generally minor. The work involves traveling in the local area, and so involves some driving, walking, and capacity for stairs and uneven surfaces. Some of the work is sedentary, although the stress involved in dealing continually with persons in emotional distress and who may be uncooperative and occasionally assaultive makes this work notably more demanding than 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

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 VA Western Colorado Health Care System 2121 North Avenue Grand Junction, CO 81501 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]