Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open ONLY to current, permanent Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) employees and current/former VA employees who are CTAP eligible.

The Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Officer-VREO) oversees a team of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs) and other staff in the VBA Regional Office, Regional Office Out-based office locations, VetSuccess On Campus school sites, and Integrated Disability Evaluation System locations on military installations. The VREO provides management/direction to staff on a wide range of rehabilitation counseling/case management services provided to Veterans with service-connected disabilities. The VREO provides leadership and direction to the VR&E staff and coordinates activities with other divisions in the Regional Office and the VA Medical Centers. The VREO supports the principles of quality improvement and is committed to assuring timely products of high quality are provided to Servicemembers, Veterans, and their families.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

-Ensures that his/her staff provides expert and high-quality services to Veterans with a service-connected disability such as vocational counseling and consultation; counseling interventions; and superb case management;
-Directs and supervises the administration of work involving eligibility criteria, vocational exploration, conducting assessments of both the local labor market, plans development based on appropriate vocational goals, examination of medical information, making legally binding entitlement decisions, award adjustments, award authorization, and case management services;
-Makes decisions related to assigning and allocating program resources and directing and reviewing personnel within the assigned staff complement to accomplish the changing initiatives and emphasis established by Central Office program managers;
-Provides administrative expertise in all phases of rehabilitation activities, including counseling, case management, rehabilitation plan development, and job development and placement;
-Oversees, and in some situations, approves the entitlement and authorization of full range of monetary assistance to include: subsistence allowance, reimbursement to service-providers, special transportation allowances, payment for books, supplies, and other equipment, advances from the Revolving Fund Loan, and payment of tuition and fees.

Promotion Potential: This position is advertised at the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday thru Friday; Hours may vary to effectively carry out the mission.
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: As determined by Station Policy
Telework: As determined by Station Policy
Virtual: This is NOT a virtual position
Position Description Title/PD#: Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (Veteran Readiness and Employment Officer);38428A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Required

Pandemic Telework Program: Due to COVID-19, the VA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement within 30 days. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework depending upon the terms of your organization's telework policy and the duties of the position."

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a supervisory/managerial probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 02/22/2022

1. 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-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13 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.

• If you are a current VBA employee seeking reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-14 (or higher) and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-14.

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.

2. MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: To be eligible for this position, you must have one of the following degrees. Your application MUST include a transcript (not diploma) stating the degree has been conferred or that you have graduated.

• A master's degree in rehabilitation counseling; OR
• A master's degree in counseling psychology (or related field) supplemented by at least 30 semester hours of course work in a majority of the following areas (coursework MUST have an emphasis on vocational rehabilitation counseling): foundations of rehabilitation counseling, human growth and development, counseling theories and techniques, vocational assessment, career development, job placement, case management, and medical/psycho-social aspects of disability.

3. INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENT: Your degree must have included either a supervised internship or experience as described below. The experience or internship must have been supervised by a professional in vocational rehabilitation or a closely related professional field that typically has oversight for vocational rehabilitation programs.

• An internship in rehabilitation counseling; OR
• One year post-masters degree experience in direct delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities in rehabilitation programs (other than those in correctional facilities).

4. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: In addition to the time-in-grade and education requirements, you must also meet the following grade-specific qualification requirements. NON-QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE: Vocational rehabilitation experience obtained prior to completion of the requirements for the master's degree is not qualifying. If one year of work experience is substituted for an internship, that year cannot also be used for qualifying.

Specialized Experience is documented experience that has provided advanced and detailed knowledge of VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Program. Specifically, an in-depth knowledge of testing and evaluation, rehabilitation, job development and job placement, knowledge of Chapters 18, 30, 31, 34, and 35 of Title 38, USC. Documented experience will illustrate conducting, administering, advising, and overseeing staff in the areas of education, training, counseling, and psychology in regards to the VA's vocational rehabilitation and employment programs, equivalent to the GS-13 grade level.

• Candidates must also have demonstrated in their work experience or training that they possess, or have the potential to develop, the qualities to successfully supervise subordinates/teams and to share responsibility for directing and supervising the administrative work necessary to manage a successful program operation.

SUPERVISORY/MANAGERIAL ABILITIES: Candidates must also demonstrate experience or training they possess, or have the potential to develop, the qualities of successful supervision as follows:
1) Assign to and review work of subordinates, train and work effectively with subordinates from a variety of backgrounds and with different levels/areas of training;
2) Accomplish the quality and quantity of work expected within set limits of cost and time;
3) Plan own work and carry out assignments effectively;
4) Communicate with others effectively both orally and in writing in working out solutions to problems or questions relating to the work;
5) Understand and further management goals as these affect day-to-day work operations; and6) Develop improvements in, or design new work methods and procedures.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.

Physical Requirements: This work normally involves mental rather than physical exertion. This position is primarily sedentary with some walking, standing, bending, stooping and carrying of lightweight items (i.e. folders, claims files).

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

You will be rated on the following competencies based on your application for this position:

1. Leadership - Inspires, motivates and guides others toward goal accomplishment; coaches, mentors, and challenges subordinates; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations; models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for the individual by applying these values to daily behaviors.

2. Human Resources Management - Empowers people by sharing power and authority; develops lower levels of leadership by pushing authority downward and outward throughout the organization; shares rewards for achievement with employees; ensures that staff are appropriately selected, utilized, appraised, and developed, and that they are treated in a fair and equitable manner.

3. Technical Competence - Knowledge of how to perform one's job. Refers to specialized knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience.

4. Psychology - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of human behavior and performance in various contexts, mental processes, or the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

5. Interpersonal Skills - Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or an interview.