Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Salary: $60,538.00 - $92,010.00 Annually
Location : Washington County, PA
Job Type: Civil Service Permanent Full-Time
Job Number: CS-2026-53785-44831
Department: Department of Labor & Industry
Division: LI BVRS Washington Dstr Off
Opening Date: 07/13/2026
Closing Date: 7/26/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Job Code: 44831
Position Number: Multiple positions may be filled from this posting.
Union: SEIU Local 668
Bargaining Unit: F4
Pay Group: ST07
Bureau / Division Code: 00126275
Bureau / Division: Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation Services - Washington District Office
Worksite Address: 201 West Wheeling Street
City: Washington, Pennsylvania
Zip Code: 15301
Contact Name: Felicia Newbury
Contact Email: View email address on click.appcast.io


THE POSITION
Are you passionate about helping students and youth with disabilities transition from high school to secondary education and adulthood? Join the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation Services - Washington District Office as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor! As part of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, you will help Pennsylvanians with disabilities gain the skills necessary to live and work independently in their communities. This role gives you the chance to support the students we serve by encouraging skill development, providing connections to education and employment opportunities, and building their independence and confidence.
Each day brings opportunities to support someone's journey toward success. If you are interested in experiencing the satisfaction of public service while enjoying professional career growth, we want you to apply!
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
This position plays an important part in guiding students and youth with disabilities at Washington County public and private schools through the vocational rehabilitation process. Work focuses on ensuring potential vocational rehabilitation customers are identified, as well as determining and coordinating the delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to customers. As a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, you will perform the following duties:

• Intake and Assessment: Develop and maintain referral sources to identify students who may need vocational rehabilitation services, gather and review information, and explain requirements to students and their families
• Expenditure Arrangements: Provide or obtain approval for expenditures, medical, psychological, psychiatric, physical, or other evaluations to help determine each student's potential eligibility and service needs
• Eligibility Evaluation: Analyze each student's circumstances and evaluation results, then apply legal requirements and policy guidelines to determine their eligibility for services
• Plan Development: Collaborate with each customer, utilize your professional judgement, and consult related professionals to develop a mutually agreed upon Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) including appropriate goals and services
• Case Management: Provide counseling and guidance, work with community and provider agencies to coordinate service delivery, evaluate customer progress, adjust plans to support successful outcomes, and maintain accurate documentation
• Job Placement Assistance: Refer customers to job openings, support soft skill development, and follow up after job placement to determine if their case can be closed

Interested in learning more? Additional details regarding this position can be found in the position description.
Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• Full-time employment
• Work hours are typically 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday - Friday. Work hours are negotiable - 7.5 hour workday and lunch period is 30 minutes or 60 minutes depending on work hours. AWS (alternate work schedule) may be available.
• Telework: You may have the opportunity to work from home (telework) part-time, after successful completion of the training period. In order to telework, you must have a securely configured high-speed internet connection and work from an approved location inside Pennsylvania. If you are unable to telework, you will have the option to report to the headquarters office in Washington. The ability to telework is subject to change at any time. Additional details may be provided during the interview.
• Note: The headquarters office location may be flexible depending on the selected candidate.
• Salary: Selected candidates who are new to employment with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will begin employment at the starting annual salary of $60,538.00 (before taxes).
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE, TRAINING & ELIGIBILITY
QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

• Successful completion of the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Intern program or the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Trainee program (Commonwealth job title or equivalent Federal Government job title, as determined by the Office of Administration); or
• Possession of an active Certified Rehabilitation Counselor certificate issued by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification; or
• Proof of approval to sit for the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) Certified Rehabilitation Counselor certification examination, provided by the CRCC, and completion of a master's degree; or
• A master's degree in vocational rehabilitation, mental health, special education, social work, human services, psychology, or a closely related field.
• Applicants will be considered to have met the educational requirements once they are within three months of graduating with a qualifying degree.

Other Requirements:

• PA residency requirement is currently waived for this title.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirements:

• This position falls under the provisions of the Child Protective Services Law.
  • Under the Law, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports including, but not limited to, PA State Police clearance, PA Child Abuse history clearance, and FBI Fingerprint clearance.

How to Apply:

• Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
• If you are claiming education in your answers to the supplemental application questions, you must attach a copy of your college transcripts for your claim to be accepted toward meeting the minimum requirements. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
• Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.
• All application materials and interview responses must reflect the applicant's own experience, qualifications, and work. Applicants may use generative AI tools for preparation purposes only. Use of AI to misrepresent or falsify information, or to assist during interviews, is not permitted. Review the Guidance for Generative AI Tools & Job Seekers for additional information.

Veterans:

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. §7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to and click on Veterans.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.
The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

EXAMINATION INFORMATION

• Completing the application, including all supplemental questions, serves as your exam for this position. No additional exam is required at a test center (also referred to as a written exam).

• Your score is based on the detailed information you provide on your application and in response to the supplemental questions.
• Your score is valid for this specific posting only.
• You must provide complete and accurate information or:
  • your score may be lower than deserved.
  • you may be disqualified.
• You may only apply/test once for this posting.
• Your results will be provided via email.

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Health & Wellness

We offer multiple health plans so our employees can choose what works best for themselves and their families. Our comprehensive benefits package includes health coverage, vision, dental, and wellness programs.*

Compensation & Financial Planning
We invest in our employees by providing competitive wages and encouraging financial wellness by offering multiple ways to save money and ensure peace of mind including multiple retirement and investment plan options.


Work/Life Balance
We know there's more to life than just work! Our generous paid leave benefits include paid vacation, paid sick leave, eight weeks of paid parental leave, military leave, and paid time off for most major U.S. holidays, as well as flexible work schedules and work-from-home opportunities.*


Values and Culture
We believe in the work we do and provide continual opportunities for our employees to grow and contribute to the greater good. As one of the largest employers in the state, we provide opportunities for internal mobility, professional development, and the opportunity to give back by participating in workplace charitable giving.

Employee Perks
Sometimes, it is the little "extras" that make a big difference. Our employees receive special employee-only discounts and rates on a variety of services and memberships.

For more information on all of these Total Rewards benefits, please visit and click on the benefits box.

*Eligibility rules apply.
01


You must complete the supplemental question(s) below. Failure to provide complete and accurate information may delay the processing of your application or result in a lower-than-deserved score or disqualification. You must complete the application and answer the supplemental question(s). Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position or to determine your score.
All information you provide on your application and supplemental question(s) is subject to verification. Any misrepresentation, falsification or omission of material facts is subject to penalty.

Read the question(s) carefully. Determine and select the option that most closely represents your highest level of experience/training/certification. The option you choose must be clearly supported if requested.
If you have read and understand these instructions, please click on the "Yes" button and proceed to the exam questions.

If you have general questions regarding the application and hiring process, please refer to our

• Yes

02


Have you successfully completed the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Intern program or the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Trainee program?

• Yes
• No

03


If you are claiming experience in the above question, please list the employer(s) where you gained this experience in the text box below. The employer(s) and a description of the experience must also be included in the appropriate sections of your application if you would like the experience to be considered in the eligibility decision. If you claimed you do not have experience, type N/A in the text box below.
04


Do you have a conferred master's degree, or are you within three months of completing a master's degree, in vocational rehabilitation, mental health, special education, social work, human services, psychology, business administration, human resources, public administration, or a closely related field?
If you are claiming credits/degree, you must upload a copy of your college transcript(s) for this education to be considered in the eligibility decision. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. You must attach your transcript(s) prior to the submission of your application by using the "Attachments" tab on the left. You will not be able to add a transcript(s) to the application after it has been submitted.

If you answer "Yes" to this question based on education acquired outside of the United States, you must upload a copy of your foreign credential evaluation report. We can only accept foreign credential evaluations from organizations that are members of the National Association of Credential Services (NACES). A list of current NACES members can be found by visiting visiting and clicking the Evaluation Services Link.

You must attach your documentation prior to the submission of your application by using the "Attachments" tab on the left. You will not be able to add a document to the application after it has been submitted.

• Yes
• No

05


If you do not have a conferred master's degree in vocational rehabilitation, mental health, special education, social work, human services, psychology, business administration, human resources, public administration, or a closely related field, on what date do you expect to receive your degree? (Type N/A in the text box if this does not apply).
06


Do you possess an active Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Certificate issued by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification?
If you answered yes, please upload a copy of your certification. Upload your certification using the "Attachments" tab on the left. You will not be able to add your certification to the application after it has been submitted.

• Yes
• No

07


Are you eligible to sit for the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) Certified Rehabilitation Counselor certification examination?
If you answered yes, please upload a copy of your proof of approval to sit for the CRCC examination. Upload the required proof using the "Attachments" tab on the left. You will not be able to add your certification to the application after it has been submitted.

• Yes
• No

08


Have you completed a master's degree in any major?
If you are claiming credits/degree, you must upload a copy of your college transcript(s) for this education to be considered in the eligibility decision. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. You must attach your transcript(s) prior to the submission of your application by using the "Attachments" tab on the left. You will not be able to add a transcript(s) to the application after it has been submitted.

If you answer "Yes" to this question based on education acquired outside of the United States, you must upload a copy of your foreign credential evaluation report. We can only accept foreign credential evaluations from organizations that are members of the National Association of Credential Services (NACES). A list of current NACES members can be found by visiting and clicking the Evaluation Services Link.

You must attach your documentation prior to the submission of your application by using the "Attachments" tab on the left. You will not be able to add a document to the application after it has been submitted.

• Yes
• No

Required Question