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Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Benefits Administration
Veteran Readiness & Employment
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The incumbent serves in the VBA Regional Office, Out-based office locations, VetSuccess On Campus school sites, or Integrated Disability Evaluation System military installation. VRCs provide & coordinate a wide range of rehabilitation counseling & case management services to Veterans with disabilities & other eligible individuals.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/12/2023 to 02/03/2023
Salary
$57,118 to - $107,680 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 12
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Texarkana, AR
Moreno Valley, CA
Colorado Springs, CO
Fort Walton Beach, FL
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
ST-11793923-23-CB
Control number
699436300

Duties

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Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs) provide and coordinate a wide range of rehabilitation, counseling, and case management services to disabled veterans and other eligible individuals. The primary emphasis of the Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment Program is on achieving an employment outcome for the veteran. Duties are divided between counseling duties and case management and include, but are not limited to:

  • Performs initial rehabilitation evaluations, entitlement determinations, rehabilitation planning, problem-solving counseling, adjustment counseling, case management, including coordination of all rehabilitation services, case documentation, employment services, and administration and interpretation of vocation testing when appropriate.
  • Provides individual and group counseling sessions to provide information and assistance with the program considering complete personal history, vocational and educational history, collection of data on limitations imposed by the veteran's disability, abilities, aptitudes and interests.
  • Assists the Veteran in exploring and identifying rehabilitation needs, goals, and objectives.
  • Provides problem-solving counseling to a diverse adult population with a wide range of disabilities, supervising the veteran through his/her program of rehabilitation services, providing supportive guidance and counseling as needed.
  • Provide case management services, which include coordination of rehabilitation services, documentation of progress and adjustment, and maintenance of case records according to VA regulation.
Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. The grade progression for this position is: GS-09/11/12.
Work Schedule: Full time, 8:00am - 4:30pm Monday through Friday
Compressed/Flexible: May be available per local agency guidelines
This is not a remote position.
Telework: Yes, per Agency guidelines. This is not a remote position.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, 38542A, 38543A, 38544A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Physical Requirements: The work normally involves mental rather than physical exertion.

Requirements

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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 probationary period
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
  • The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/03/2023.

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. NOTE: All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirements and Minimum Qualification requirements as noted below.

BASIC REQUIREMENT: Satisfactory completion in an accredited college or university of all the requirements for a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling, including an internship; or a master's degree in counseling psychology or a related field, including 30 semester hours of course work in 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. Total graduate study must have included or been supplemented by a supervised internship. [For master's degree programs without a supervised internship/practicum, substitution is allowed for successful professional experience following completion of the master's degree. Experience suitable for substitution must be one full year in direct delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities in rehabilitation programs, other than those in correctional facilities. The experience or internship/practicum must have been supervised by a professional in vocational rehabilitation or a closely related professional field that typically has oversight for vocational rehabilitation programs.]This position is covered by a single agency qualification standard, VA Handbook 5005/6, part II, appendix F2, dated June 3, 2004. All applicants must meet the Basic Educational Requirements and Specialized Experience described below, to qualify.

Minimum Qualifications for this GS-0101-09 Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor position: To qualify for the GS-09 grade level, you must only meet the basic education requirement as described above.

Minimum Qualifications for this GS-0101-11 Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor position: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, applicants must possess one of the following: (1) One year of post-master's degree professional vocational rehabilitation counseling experience, equivalent to the GS-09 level providing vocational rehabilitation counseling to eligible individuals, other than those in correctional facilities.
OR, Education for GS-11: Successful completion of 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or have a PH.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in rehabilitation counseling or counseling psychology.
NONQUALIFYING 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 credited for the Basic Requirement, that year cannot also be used for qualifying at the GS-11 level

Minimum Qualifications for this GS-0101-12 Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor position: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, applicants must possess one of the following: (1) One year of post-master's degree professional vocational rehabilitation counseling experience, equivalent to the GS-11 level providing professional vocational rehabilitation counseling work in delivery to adults with disabilities; working cases that involve determining benefit entitlements; providing direct delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities in rehabilitation programs, other than those in correctional facilities.
There is no educational substitution at the GS-12 grade level.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Customer Service
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Technical Competence
  • Therapy and Counseling


NOTE: 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. For work in the federal service, include the grade level for the position(s).

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.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. https://www.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=1358&FType=2

Education

This position requires specific coursework and/or a degree to meet the basic education requirement. You must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Your transcript(s) must clearly demonstrate the course(s) listed in the qualification requirement section. If the transcript(s) does not clearly demonstrate this you must submit a copy of the course description and/or other documentation demonstrating that the courses are equivalent.

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Agency 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.

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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.

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 contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the online assessment questionnaire.

If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

All applicants' qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics):

  • Customer Service
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Technical Competence
  • Therapy and Counseling


Note: Multiple selections may be made from this announcement.

Salaries listed above are an approximation and are subject to duty station locality adjustment.

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