Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

Summary

This position is physically located at the Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center Huntington, WV. The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists (VRS) provides and coordinates a wide range of vocational rehabilitative and case management services to veterans with disabilities and other eligible individuals. Vocational Services team members provide or share provision of services within special emphasis areas with a primary goal of assisting veterans in returning to and maintaining employment.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

Major duties include but are not limited to the following:

Program Management/ Development:

• Performing initial evaluations
• Administration and interpretation of vocational testing
• Administration and interpretation of work evaluation samples
• Identification of transferable skills and strengths necessary for rehabilitation planning
• Determination of level of academic and educational functioning
• Determination of significance of disability, functional limitations, and residual capacities as they relate to client characteristics
• Engagement and rehabilitation planning
• Preparation of professional reports about veteran participants with recommendations for rehabilitation activities and goals
• Job Coaching and shadowing
• Conduct comprehensive initial evaluation to determine the existence of vocational impairment and whether this impairment constitutes an employment handicap, the severity of the employment handicap, and the feasibility of achieving a vocational goal.
• Utilize information from a variety of sources, including an assessment of the veteran's disability, work in educational history, knowledge of VA regulations, the assessment of data from medical and psychological sources, and vocational evaluations.
• May administer, score, and interpret interest, aptitude, and abilities tests, work samples, values inventories, personality profiles, intelligence screening, achievement testing, and other relevant evaluations related to the vocational rehabilitation process.
• Staff veterans with Vocational Services and interdisciplinary treatment teams, consider input from team members and make recommendations of appropriate services on veteran's behalf
• Gains knowledge of the client lifestyle, ecological focus, effective state, self-image, and work potential.
• Engages in interventions that facilitate the client's ability to communicate and build relationships in the workplace.
• Encourages active client participation, goal setting, and rehabilitation planning through empowerment. Guides client towards development of an individualized plan of rehabilitation services and provides counseling support during the process.
• May provide group education and/or individualized counsel and guidance during training, to assist with work adjustment as it relates to job readiness and ability to negotiate the workplace culture.
• Provides management services which include coordination of rehabilitation services, documentation of progress and adjustment and maintenance of case records according to VA regulations. Works closely with other services within the VA, public, and private agencies to ensure that the veteran receives the full range of services necessary to achieve rehabilitation
• Works with medical professionals and patient to ensure vocational goals are aligned with issued treatment plans.
• Provides case management to further assess and develop worker skills and adaptation to the vocational environment. Communicates effectively with the patients work site supervisor before and during their assignment and provides the patient with appropriate feedback regarding their work site performance.
• Assists veterans with obtaining competitive employment in the community and provides required support to assist veterans in maintaining employment.

Administrative/ Customer Service:

• Responsibility for submitting NEPEC reports (admission, quarterly, and discharge) for all veterans in SE services
• Management of records related to veteran participation and outcomes in SE services
• Management of account records to ensure close adherence to the SE fidelity model
• Development of policies and procedures to meet Medical Center, SE fidelity, CARF and Joint Commission standards
• Responsible for adherence to therapeutic benefit and client safety while in the CWT program
• Evaluates selects and coordinates appropriate therapeutic CWT work sites with the Medical Center and community
• Develops and implements the CWT program policies and procedures to ensure the safety and health of program participants in compliance with established policies for the VA and the Medical Center
• Responsibility for the CWT account and the control point in compliance with VA fiscal policies and regulations.
• Counseling regarding the impact of employment income on both VA and non-VA benefits and entitlements
• Negotiations with employers for reasonable accommodations
• Coordination of and transportation to job interviews
• Interview skills training and ongoing support for job retention including job coaching

Work Schedule: Part-time, Wednesday, 12:00pm-4:30pm; Thursday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm (20 hours per week)

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist/ PD25310A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although occasionally light physical effort may be required. This includes lifting to 10 pounds when handling office supplies or delivering group materials. Additionally, there may be casual walking, generally less than half a mile, during worksite visits with patients. This position does require driving veterans to appointments from time-to-time
• 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 identification 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, 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, 09/23/2026.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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:

• Specialized Experience: 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: Experience providing vocational rehabilitation services to Veterans, Servicemembers, or individuals with disabilities. Knowledge of vocational counseling theories, career assessment tools, and job placement strategies. Demonstrated experience conducting comprehensive vocational assessments. Familiarity with the VHA or VA healthcare/rehabilitation environment and associated regulations, policies, and community resources. Proficiency in developing and implementing individualized rehabilitation plans in collaboration with interdisciplinary teams. Experience maintaining documentation in electronic health records (EHR), such as CPRS. Certification, coursework, or hands-on experience in vocational rehabilitation, counseling, social work, psychology, or a related field (e.g., CRC, CVE, or similar). Experience coordinating community resources, employers, and outreach programs to promote Veteran employment. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including experience working with diverse or vulnerable populations. Knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), workforce development programs, and reasonable accommodation processes..

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a PH.D or equivalent doctoral degree, 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: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, to meet the total requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-11.

Preferred Experience: One year of specialized experience in Vocational Rehabilitation

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although occasionally light physical effort may be required. This includes lifting to 10 pounds when handling office supplies or delivering group materials. Additionally, there may be casual walking, generally less than half a mile, during worksite visits with patients. This position does require occasional driving of veterans to appointments.

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:

Additional information

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.

Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

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.

Help

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.

Review our benefits

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.