To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the cut-off date and/or closing date of this job opportunity announcement, 03/24/2026.
This position is covered by a single agency qualification standard, VA Handbook 5005/157, part II, appendix F2, dated July 28, 2023.
NOTE: Applicants must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized Experience as stated below.
1. BASIC REQUIREMENT:
A. Education. Successful completion of a master's degree (or higher) in rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation services, clinical rehabilitation counseling, counseling psychology, mental health counseling, career counseling or social work from an accredited college or university.
B. Internship or Experience Requirement. The required (1) supervised internship or (2) post-master's degree experience is described as follows:
- Supervised Internship: The education in paragraph 1a must have included a supervised internship in rehabilitation counselling or case management specialization. The 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.
OR
- Experience: One-year post-master's degree experience in direct delivery of professional vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities.
C. Grandfathering Provision. VRCs employed in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) on the effective date July 28, 2023, of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certifications that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:
- VRCs who are grandfathered into the GS-0101 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level of a career ladder or changed to a lower grade within the occupation or placed in a supervisory or managerial position.
- VRCs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of this qualification standard may not be extended or reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of this standard.
- If VRCs who are grandfathered under this provision leave the occupation, they lose protected status and must meet the full qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
2. CREDITING EXPERIENCE:
A. Creditable Experience. Creditable experience must have required the use of the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current professional vocational rehabilitation counseling practice. Creditable experience can be obtained through employment as a VRC. This may be demonstrated by providing direct rehabilitation counseling services to individuals with disabilities in the context of a professional counseling relationship, which may include vocational rehabilitation and personal adjustment counseling, case management, assessment, or rehabilitation, training, and employment services coordination.
B. Quality of Experience. Creditable experience must have been obtained post-graduate and be directly related to the duties to be performed to qualify to work as a professional VRC. Qualifying experience must also be equivalent to professional vocational rehabilitation counseling experience at the next lower level. NOTE: If work experience is credited for the basic requirement, that experience cannot also be used for qualifying at the GS-11 or GS-12 levels.
3. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements, applicants must meet the specialized experience listed below.
To qualify at the GS-09 grade level: None above the basic requirements listed above.
To qualify at the GS-11 grade level: Applicants must have completed at least 1 full year (52 weeks) of providing professional vocational rehabilitation services equivalent to the next lower grade level of GS-09, in a federal, state, and/or private sector.
Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience that reflects the management of vocational rehabilitation counseling or case management workload involving persons with a wide variety of disability conditions (e.g., mental health, physical, cognitive, visual/auditory, substance abuse).
OR
In addition to meeting the basic educational requirements, applicants may substitute experience with successful completion of 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education or a Ph.D. (or equivalent doctoral degree) in rehabilitation counseling or counseling psychology, as described above.
To qualify at the GS-12 grade level: Applicants must have completed at least 1 full year (52 weeks) at the GS-11 or equivalent of professional management of vocational rehabilitation counselling or case management workload involving persons with a wide variety of disability conditions (e.g., mental health, physical, cognitive, visual/auditory, substance abuse) in a federal, state, and/or private vocational rehabilitation setting.
Note: This is the journey (or full performance) level for this occupation.
Specialized experience is defined as: professional vocational rehabilitation counseling work in delivery of service to adults with disabilities; providing case management that involved determining entitlement ranges from simple to complex;
AND direct delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities in rehabilitation programs, other than those in correctional facilities.
There is no substitution of work experience for the basic educational requirement nor the GS-12 grade level.
4. MODIFICATIONS OR WAIVERS: Management officials who are delegated the authority may modify or waive the specific requirements of this standard in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraphs 8-12 of this part.
5. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Applicants who are/were 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level.
- For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 level.
- For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 level.
To support your claim of time in grade, you must submit your most recent appointment, promotion, or within grade increase SF-50 (not an award or general adjustment SF-50). Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate their eligibility. See the required documents section for more information.
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; 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 you document, to include volunteer experience.
