Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

Summary The position is physically located in the Mental Health Department at the Tuskegee VA Medical Center. The incumbent is assigned vocational rehabilitation duties throughout the hospital, clinics, and with the community. Qualifications To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement – 07/20/2026. 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. For a GS‑9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS‑7 level and for a GS‑11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS‑9 level. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements: Basic 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 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. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS‑7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include – but are not limited to – serving as the vocational Rehabilitation Specialist – Case Manager of the medical center assigned to the vocational rehabilitation section to ensure that all referred disabled veterans are placed in appropriate programs leading to employment and/or independent living; responsible for the provision and utilization of appropriate counseling techniques and strategies to increase the functioning of seriously mentally ill patients as well as those patients with physical disabilities; serves as an educational resource via mandatory teaching and individualized educational programs as assessment. OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a 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 with a major study in vocational rehabilitation – vocational or educational counseling – or other fields related to the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position. 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. 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 – serving as the vocational Rehabilitation Specialist – Case Manager of the medical center assigned to the vocational rehabilitation section to ensure that all referred disabled veterans are placed in appropriate programs leading to employment and/or independent living; responsible for the provision and utilization of appropriate counseling techniques and strategies to increase the functioning of seriously mentally ill patients as well as those patients with physical disabilities; will be responsible for employing assessment and modification techniques for problems with in the psychiatric – clinical – educational – and rehabilitative setting in an effort to maximize the patients rehabilitative potential; serves as an educational resource via mandatory teaching and individualized educational programs as assessment. OR Education GS‑11: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or successfully completed three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree – or LL.M. – with a major study in vocational rehabilitation – vocational or educational counseling – or other fields related to the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position. OR Combination GS‑11: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at Duties Major duties include but are not limited to: Serve as the vocational Rehabilitation Specialist – Case Manager of the medical center assigned to the vocational rehabilitation/MHRRTP section to ensure that all referred disabled veterans are placed in appropriate programs leading to employment and/or independent living Incumbent will function within the vocational rehab section as part of the Veterans Industries CWT/TWE/IT component Incumbent initiates the rehabilitation process of veterans referred to the Vocational Rehabilitation section to ensure that all treatment and rehabilitative services needed by all referred potentially employable veterans are processed in a comprehensive—coordinated and timely manner Incumbent is responsible for the provision and utilization of appropriate counseling techniques and strategies to increase the functioning of seriously mentally ill patients as well as those patients with physical disabilities Accepts referral of Chronic/Seriously handicapped veterans and other veterans in all diagnostic categories with varying degrees and combinations of physical—mental—social and psychological disabilities Will be responsible for employing assessment and modification techniques for problems within the psychiatric—clinical—educational— and rehabilitative setting in an effort to maximize the patients rehabilitative potential This is inclusive of patients from Mental Health Intensive Case Management, Day Treatment Center, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services, and Homeless Programs Visits assigned CWT/TWE/IT job sites to ensure individualized proper techniques for procedures and quality contact for regular and severe cases Uses individualized counseling, individualized treatment modalities, individualized job placements, training and development of placement sites for severely handicapped veterans—to increase their level of functioning for job placement Ability to work closely with interdisciplinary team—including physicians, vocational rehabilitation counselors, therapist, and social workers Makes arrangements for exploratory training programs such as a sheltered workshops—and Incentive Therapy assignments for both regular procedural cases and severe cases assigned to Vocational Rehabilitation In accomplishing this objective both therapy and job productivity are monitored for future TWE placements Serves as an educational resource via mandatory teaching and individualized educational programs as assessment When appropriate—conducts Group Therapy to cover a vast array of educational, employment training, and community living needs Extensive knowledge of handicapped veterans to ensure employees understand and are willing to comply with recommended job modifications to meet identified needs associated with physical—mental and social psychological handicaps—work tolerance and motivational techniques Incumbent is responsible for utilizing his/her skills and knowledge in appropriately matching the veterans' skills with the most appropriate job placement—assessing and reassessing stressors physical or mental associated with the job and assisting veteran in successfully moving through obstacles for positive outcomes 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 Work Schedule: Monday – Friday – 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Work Schedule is subject to change based on agency need Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position Position Description/PD#: Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist/PD08876A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized #J-18808-Ljbffr U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs