Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

Summary

This position supports the Therapeutic & Supported Employment Services (TSES) / Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Program by helping Veterans secure and maintain competitive employment. The role provides individualized vocational services based on each Veteran's treatment plan and works closely with the clinical team to ensure coordinated care. Staff in Community Based Employment Services operate under the supervision of the CWT Program Manager or Supervisor.

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Duties

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This position is located within Therapeutic & Supported Employment Services (TSES) / Compensated Work Therapy (CWT), part of the Comprehensive Homeless Center Programs (CHCPs) at the VA North Texas Healthcare System (VANTHCS), serving Bonham, Dallas, and Fort Worth, Texas.

The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist provides individualized employment services to unemployed Veterans referred through Vocational Services Consults. Using best practices in Community Based Employment Services (CBES), the VRS supports Veterans with mental health conditions-including Serious Mental Illness, PTSD, substance use disorders-and co-occurring physical conditions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Rehabilitation, Training, Employment & Follow-Up

• Delivering therapeutic vocational services such as skills training, job development, job placement, and employment supports.
• Collaborating closely with interdisciplinary treatment teams, including physicians, therapists, social workers, vocational counselors, housing case managers, and community providers.
• Building and maintaining relationships with community agencies and employers to secure suitable employment opportunities for Veterans.
• Providing ongoing support after job placement, including workplace accommodation guidance, onsite coaching, and helping Veterans develop natural workplace supports.
• Assisting Veterans in adjusting employment plans when challenges arise.

Assessment & Referral

• Conduct vocational interviews and assessments for Veterans referred to the CWT program.
• Use Motivational Interviewing and other evidence-based techniques to identify vocational strengths, interests, and job-search goals.
• Provide job-seeking skill development and strategies.
• Educate Veterans on the impact of employment on financial benefits and entitlements.
• Monitor progress, provide feedback, and support stable long-term employment.
• Utilize job development strategies such as job carving to assist Veterans with obtaining community employment.

Administrative & Documentation

• Document all Veteran interactions in CPRS and capture workload in DSS.
• Complete assessments, individualized service plans, discharge summaries, and NEPEC CWT evaluation forms.
• Submit annual program census data as required.
• Use office automation tools to manage electronic documents, correspondence, and email communications.

Frequent/Occasional Travel

• The position requires frequent travel away from the duty station to visit Veteran's at their homes or work, employment opportunity worksites and other community agencies. A valid state driver's license is required and will need to be qualified to obtain and maintain a government driver's license.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist/ PD09385A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/20/2026.

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.

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.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Individual Occupational Requirements Education

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position.

OR

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.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-09

• 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: Supporting Veterans with mental illness, substance use disorders, physical disabilities, and homelessness; conducting Vocational Assessment Profiles promptly upon receipt of consults; and contributing to interdisciplinary team discussions to determine appropriate treatment options that support therapeutic progress for both Veterans and the community. Responsibilities also include completing Vocational Services Consults within seven days and providing referral information to other team members as appropriate, as well as engaging in job development and job-search activities in the community for Veterans on the active caseload. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Major study vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position. (Transcripts required) OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond a bachelor's degree. (Transcripts required)

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Therapy and Counseling
• Psychology
• Interpersonal Skills

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: Standing, stooping, bending, walking, sitting for extended periods of time and lifting are required. There is a significant period of time (75 percent) spent driving a motor vehicle and traveling in the local area.

Work Environment: The work generally is performed in an office setting and various locations in the greater Dallas and Fort Worth metropolis involving everyday risks and discomforts and normal safety precautions except for visits to employment opportunity worksites. The nature of the Veterans served may entail some risk of physical harm if they become agitated.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: 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. For further information, visit:

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Additional information

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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Note: Veterans' Preference is not applicable to VA employees or employees of other Federal agencies.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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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 windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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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.