The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position is located at the St. Cloud VA, in the Mental Health Service Line, within Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program. The incumbent will be responsible and accountable for all aspects of planning, developing, organizing, and Operating) of a comprehensive clinical Vocational Rehabilitation Program and MH-OT Services to include developing policies and procedures and establishing appropriate methods for review and control of all activities.

Duties

Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Management Responsibilities 40%: Provides administrative and technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the programs. Develops and monitors short and long range program goals, ensures program compliance with local and national mandates, and is responsible for allocation of resources. Exercises supervisory authorities and responsibilities involving work assignment and review, performs the administrative and personnel management functions relative to staff supervised. Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff, and clearly communicates through the formal employee performance management system. Provides input into hiring decisions, monitors and evaluates performance, approves leave, engages in coaching and discipline actions and recommends termination, when warranted. Administrative Responsibilities 10%: Responsible for meeting the standards for documentation, reconciliation, and approval of the purchase cards as set forth by VA Handbook 1730.1, Use and Management of Government Purchase Card. Clinical Responsibilities 50%: Function as a professionally trained rehabilitation counselor, and determines the vocational goals and objectives of the Veteran based on referral from a professional staff member and by interviewing the Veteran. Determines the areas of vocational interests, and decides what services, such as job seeking skills training, resume development, or interview skills training, the Veteran may require in order to successfully obtain suitable employment. Analyzes mental and physical disabilities or other handicaps, in terms of the practical effects of such handicaps on motivations, adjustment to training, and difficulty in employment placement. Supports through transition in the adjustment to employment, aids the employer or site supervisor in understanding the Veteran's limitations while maintaining a positive impression of the Veteran's capability of success. Coordinate with various resources to develop job opportunities for Veterans, and engage with Veterans with complex mental health, psychosocial and/or physical health issues that require considerable accommodation in the development of employment skills and subsequent employment settings. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm, evening and weekends maybe required Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad-hoc telework only. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist/PD90476-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/13/2024. 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 by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: You must meet the Individual Occupational Requirement as stated below: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: You must have undergraduate and graduate education with a major study in: -- vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position. OR Specialized Experience: 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. AND, also meet the specialized experience below: Specialized Experience: You 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: establishing respectful, effective relationships with patients and staff; creating individualized assessments to determine level of support necessary for patients; developing employment opportunities through community-based job development; monitoring performance and progress through case reviews; and maintaining a database of referral and placement outcomes in order to provide feedback to fellow collaborators. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a Ph.D., equivalent doctoral degree, three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M in the related field of the position to be filled (i.e., vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, human services, or other fields related to the position). The education portion must include courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Education must have been obtained in an accredited college, or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond a master's degree) and specialized experience as described above to meet total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position (i.e., vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, human services, or other fields related to the position). NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analysis and Problem SolvingCommunicationEmployee DevelopmentOrganizational AwarenessTherapy and Counseling 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. Preferred Experience: Mental Health and Leadership Experience Physical Demands: The physical demands of this position are moderate. Although some of the physical work is sedentary, there will be significant ISO - 70% of the time) local travel for support purposes. The stress related to providing services to Veterans in emotional distress or who may be demanding and uncooperative, can be more significant than that of most sedentary positions. Work Environment: Work is typically performed in a well-lit and climate controlled office environment. The position requires travel to different potential work locations, community locations, and Veteran work sites. Incumbent may also have to work outside occasionally in performing job observations or interventions of Veteran work performance. Duties will be performed within the confines of the SCVAHCS, at community work sites, and at businesses and agencies providing services to Veterans. Risk or discomforts are typical of other similar areas within the St. Cloud VA HCS. The nature of the Veterans served may entail some risk of physical harm if they become agitated. 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

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address St Cloud VA Medical Center 4801 Veterans Drive St Cloud, MN 56303 US
• Name: Kenneth Kelly
• Phone: 701-232-3241 X3683
• Email: [email protected]