Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

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-9. 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. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Individual Occupational Requirement: Education Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study — vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position. or Experience General Experience (for GS-5 positions): Experience that provided a knowledge of training practices, techniques, and requirements as they relate to vocational development or rehabilitation. Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: 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. Specialized Experience GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Intensive knowledge of mental and physical disabilities or other handicaps, in terms of practical effects of such handicaps on work tolerances, motivations, adjustment to training, and difficulty in employment placement; case assignments that involve serious impairment, characterized by the severe limitation which the disability places on an individual’s capacity to participate in any type of gainful employment; preparing individualized training programs that surround residual capacities; working with homebound cases, experience with locating, establishing, and negotiating with non-standard employment sources, etc.; OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M., in a related field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. (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 graduate level. (transcripts required) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications Teamwork Technical Competence 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 physical demands of the position are sedentary to light. In addition to performing work in office settings, the position requires that the employee visit patients at TSES/CWT worksites around the Medical Center and in the community. The driving of government vehicles on station and around the community is required.
The incumbent functions as an interdisciplinary team member and will work alongside other professional/non-professional personnel in the Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP). Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists (VRS) perform a variety of therapeutic and supportive tasks related to attaining competitive employment for Veterans. All duties performed should be consistent with the individuals treatment plan and coordinated with the treatment team.