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The Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs) are located in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Regional Office (RO), RO Out based office location, Vet Success On Campus (VSOC) school site, or Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES military installation).
Position Description Title/PD#: GS 9 - 38544A, GS 11 - 38543A, GS 12 - 38542A
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
07/01/2022 to 07/08/2022
$54,727 - $103,176 per year
GS 9 - 12
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
No
Permanent
Full-time
Competitive
12
No
No
FV-MM-22-0077
663083000
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
ALL US CITIZENS
This is a developmental position. At the GS 9 Grade Level, under the general supervision of the VRE officer; incumbent performs a limited range of case management responsibilities for training and employment services on a range of cases including those requiring special procedures. At the GS-11 and GS-12 grade levels, the incumbent will perform a full range of case management responsibilities, to include the following:
The primary degree required under this single-agency standard is Rehabilitation Counseling. For related degree programs other than Rehabilitation Counseling the focus of the master's degree program must have been on rehabilitation counseling as evidenced by the coursework required for the degree.
GS-9: Must meet the basic educational requirements listed above.
GS-11: Basic educational requirement AND Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting the Basic educational Requirements stated above, one year of post-graduate level professional vocational rehabilitation counseling experience, equivalent to the GS-09 level is required. OR In addition to meeting the basic educational requirements, 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.
GS-12: Basic educational requirement AND Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting the Basic educational Requirements stated above, one year of post-graduate level professional vocational rehabilitation counseling experience, other than those in correctional facilities, equivalent to the GS-11 level is required.
Awarded/Conferred Master's Degree is required and must be reflected on transcripts. Transcripts (unofficial and/or official) must show evidence of a supervised internship and must also show that the degree has been awarded/conferred and the date awarded.
PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.
To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a VA job announcement includes language requiring applicants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply to this Job Announcement. VA may request information regarding your vaccination status, if selected, for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
Pandemic Telework Program: Due to COVID-19, VA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement. Management officials will provide information about returning to the official, pre-pandemic worksite, when applicable. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework depending upon the terms of your organization's telework policy and the duties of the position.
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 for 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.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary; however, there may be some walking, standing, and carrying of light items such as papers, books, folders and files.
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.
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. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
You will be rated on the following competencies based on your application for this position. Applicants MUST possess training and experience that clearly demonstrates the following competencies. This experience and/or training MUST be reflected by descriptions of your experience in your resume:
Competency 1: Knowledge of vocational rehabilitation counseling and case management techniques.
Competency 2: Knowledge of different diagnostic assessment processes used in vocational, educational, rehabilitation, or personal adjustment counseling and effect of disabilities on employability.
Competency 3: Ability to communicate in writing in a clear and concise manner.
Competency 4: Ability to communicate orally with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and with varying degrees of understanding.
Competency 5: Ability to function effectively working as a team member.
The primary degree required under this single-agency standard is Rehabilitation Counseling. For related degree programs other than Rehabilitation Counseling the focus of the master's degree program MUST have been in adult rehabilitation counseling as evidenced by the coursework required for the degree.
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.
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment. Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Documents Accepted:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/08/2022 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Alternate Application: If you are unable to apply online view the following Alternate Application Information instructions at https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information
After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification requirements are met. During our review, if your résumé and application package do not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email (if provided); otherwise, applicants will receive a notification letter via the U.S. Postal Service. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
You will be rated on work experience and knowledge obtained in the last 5 years as it pertains to vocational rehabilitation counseling, case management techniques, diagnostic assessment processes used in vocational/educational/rehabilitation, personal adjustment counseling and effect of disabilities on employability
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/663083000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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