Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (Recent Graduate)

Summary

This position is being filled under the Pathways Recent Graduate Program. This program provides recent graduates with work experience directly related to their degree and career goals while offering eligibility for conversion to permanent employment upon completion of the program requirements. Click here for more information about the Department of Veterans Affairs's Recent Graduate Program.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

06/27/2024 to 07/09/2024

• Salary

$51,332 - $66,731 per year

Salary shown is the basic pay without locality pay. Once selections are made the locality pay will be added to the salary based on the duty location

• Pay scale & grade

GS 9

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Locations

• Colorado Springs, CO

• Denver, CO

• Des Moines, IA

• Topeka, KS

• Show more locations (14)

• Wichita, KS

• Saint Paul, MN

• Billings, MT

• Fort Harrison, MT

• Missoula, MT

• Omaha, NE

• Muskogee, OK

• Arlington, TX

• Austin, TX

• Dallas, TX

• Houston, TX

• Killeen, TX

• San Antonio, TX

• Waco, TX

• 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

Temporary

• Work schedule

Multiple Schedules

• Service

Excepted

• Promotion potential

12

• Job family (Series)

0101 Social Science

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

CASG-12446931-24-MH

• Control number

797636600

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This job is open to

• Recent graduates

Individuals who have graduated from an accredited educational institute or certificate program within the last 2 years or 6 years for Veterans.

Clarification from the agency

Recent Graduates: If you completed a qualifying degree within the previous two years, you may apply. If you are a veteran who was prevented from applying during the 2-year period due to your military service, you may apply if your degree was completed within the last 6 years.

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Duties

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.

• Assists the veteran in exploring and identifying rehabilitation needs, goals, and objectives.

• 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.

• Serves as a Disabled Transition Assistance Program (DTAP) coordinator for military service members with a service-connected disability.

• Provides a problem-solving counsel 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.

• Provides case management services, which include coordination of rehabilitation services, documentation of progress and adjustment, and maintenance of case records according to VA regulations.

If Converted-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, GS11, GS-12.

Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, Hours may very based on duty location after selections have been made

Compressed/Flexible: Per agency guidelines.

Telework: Eligible per agency policy

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Remote: This is not a remote position.

Position Description/PD#: Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (Recent Graduate); 38544A, 38543A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Required for the full performance level (GS-12) of the position.

Physical Requirements: The work normally involves mental rather than physical exertion.

This is a Bargaining Unit position.

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Requirements

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

• Required to sign a Pathways Program Participant Agreement and serve a one-year trial period.

• Subject to background/security investigation

• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

• Recent Graduates may be converted to a career ladder position up to GS-12.

• Not to exceed 1 year using the excepted service appointing authority provided by 5 CFR 213.3402(b).

• Upon conversion to the competitive service from these programs, the employee is not required to serve a probationary period in accordance with 5 CFR 315.802

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:07/09/2024.

RECENT GRADUATE REQUIREMENT: You must have obtained one of the following qualifying degrees, certificate, career or technical education programs: associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctoral, or technical/vocational degree or certificate (which may include Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Job Corps, Climate Corps, AmeriCorps, and Peace Corps) from a qualifying educational institution within the previous two years.

• Preference eligible veterans who were precluded from applying due to their military service obligation begin their 2-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. Eligibility for these veterans cannot exceed 6 years from the date on which the degree (certification and/or career/technical program) was completed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirement and Minimum Qualification requirements as noted below.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: To qualify for the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) position, candidates must meet the following basic requirements:

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 (MUST SUBMIT TRANSCRIPTS). The Degree title must match.

AND

b. Internship or Experience Requirement. The required (1) supervised internship or (2) post-master's degree experience is described as follows:(1) Supervised Internship: The education described above must have included a supervised internship in rehabilitation counseling 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

(1) Grandfathering Provision. VRCs employed in VBA on the effective date 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:(1) 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.(2) 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.(3) 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

OR

(2) Experience: One-year post-master's degree experience in direct delivery of professional vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities.

Effective July 28,2023, VA Handbook 5005 was updated to change the VBA qualification standard for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs) in the GS-0101 series. All applicants must meet the Basic Requirement and Additional Requirements 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 meet the basic requirements as described above.

Conversion Eligibility Requirements for Completion of Pathways Recent Graduates Program:

(1) Facilities may noncompetitively convert a Recent Graduate who is a U.S. citizen or national to a competitive service term or permanent position when the Recent Graduate meets all of the following requirements:

(a) Successfully completes at least 1-year of continuous service in addition to all the requirements of the Recent Graduates Program. The 1-year period allows the completion of the trial period upon conversion; therefore, no further probationary and/or trial period following conversion is required.

(b) Demonstrates successful job performance consistent with the performance appraisal program that results in a rating of record (or summary rating) of at least Fully Successful or equivalent and a recommendation for conversion by the first-level supervisor.

(c) Meets the OPM Qualification Standard for the competitive service position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted.

Education

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited towards qualifications. Provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

All education claimed by applicants will be verified upon appointment. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript to receive credit.

Additional information

VA 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. An appointment to the Recent Graduate program may be extended for a period up to an additional 120 calendar days to cover rare or unusual circumstances or situations: failure to complete the IDP in the time allotted due to administrative difficulties or other necessities of the service; or documented personal issues dealing with family death or medical obligations that would hinder program completion.

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.

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 view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application..

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.

An appointment to the Recent Graduate program may be extended for a period up to an additional 120 calendar days to cover rare or unusual circumstances or situations: failure to complete the IDP in the time allotted due to administrative difficulties or other necessities of the service; or documented personal issues dealing with family death or medical obligations that would hinder program completion.

If you are unable to apply online please contact OSOGHOST.VBACO@va.gov.

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• Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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:

• Customer Service

• Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.

• Planning and Evaluating- Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.

• Therapy and Counseling

• Knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental ailments, and career guidance.

• Writing

• Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material that is appropriate for the intended audience.

• Oral Communication

• Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

• Technical Competence

• Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on the job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

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.