Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/04/2024. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: providing support and encouragement to participants including assistance with submitting resumes, completing applications, and job interview preparation; analyzing any mental and physical disabilities or other handicaps that may require adjustments to training and employment placement; AND forming relationships with community businesses, community resources, and community service providers. 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 master’s or equivalent graduate degree, two full years of progressively higher- level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position (transcripts required). . OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the first year. Preferred Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Social Service/Human Service/Vocational Rehabilitation related fields. Three years experience working with Disabled Veterans. Experience with Job Development and Job Placement. Knowledge of Severe Mental Illness diagnoses and facilitating employment services to those Veterans with these diagnoses. Cultivating and maintaining of Community Work partnerships with employers. Marketing and Public Speaking experience as it relates to the ability to educate the public/Veterans on the CWT SE program. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Employee Development Interpersonal Effectiveness 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. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. 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/.
The position will be supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, at the Southern Arizona VA Medical Center in the Compensated Work Therapy program within the Mental Health Service. The primary purpose of the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist is to provide a wide range of rehabilitation services to meet individual patients needs, promote recovery from mental illness, and enhance independence and community integration.