Summary This position is located within the Supported Employment (SE) Program under the Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Program at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in Menlo Park, CA. The primary purpose of the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist is to carry out all duties related to obtaining and maintaining competitive employment for Veterans living with severe and prolonged mental illness. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION The major duties include but are not limited to: Recruits, interviews, completes assessments, and works with clients with severe mental illness (SMI) to find competitive employment in the community; Networks with community employers, community agencies, and community businesses with the goal of developing professional relationships with these groups; Conducts rapid engagement with the program participant; Provides support and encouragement to the program participants including assistance with submitting resumes, completing applications, and job interview preparation; Provides ongoing support such as assistance with problem solving, developing interpersonal work relationships, maintaining work performance and quality, and life management activities; Attends and participates in treatment team meetings; Assists the Veteran to become stabilized in the work environment; Assists the Veteran in developing vocational objectives which align with individual employment-related factors such as their interests, skills, preferences, needs, limitations, barriers, and capabilities; Determines what services (such as job seeking skills training, resume development, or interview skills training) the participant may require to successfully obtain suitable employment; Ensures the program participant has a clear understanding of program requirements; Assists the Veteran in networking with contacts within the community, and members of their personal support group; Keeps alert for job and small business opportunities and maintains periodic contacts with potential employers, placement personnel, and other vocational resources; and, Performs all other duties as assigned. Note: The person in this position will have to successfully complete Basic Life Support training, which includes an online component and a hands-on component. This is VA station provided training that will be administered at the VA campus and will need to be certified quarterly, or as indicated by facility policy. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Telework (Ad hoc): This position may be authorized for ad hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Requirements 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 You may be required to serve a probationary period 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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) Qualifications English Language Proficiency Requirement: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to perform the duties of this position. ~AND~ In addition to meeting the English Language Proficiency, to qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must meet one of the following: Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes: 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. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates, AND hours worked per week. ~OR~ Education: Successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related, with a major study in vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ Combination: Equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which may be used to meet total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses in vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~AND~ Driver's License Requirement (Screen-out): This position requires a current and valid state-issued driver's license (and must possess at application) to perform the official duties of the position. Note: We cannot accept photographs; therefore, please do not submit a copy of your driver's license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your current and valid state-issued driver's license. Preferred Experience: The facility prefers at least three years of experience in vocational rehabilitation, counseling, or a related field. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: THERAPY AND COUNSELING INTERPERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS INTERVENTION CLINICAL DATA COLLECTION/DOCUMENTATION IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: The work of the position is not sedentary, requiring extensive travel within the greater San Francisco Bay Area to make visits to employment sites and other outside community resources, which may also require extensive walking. Some physical effort may be required, including lifting up to 30 lbs. Stress may be related to providing services to clients in emotional distress or who may be demanding and uncooperative, and in overcoming possible resistance from potential employers. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education IMPORTANT: 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information 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.
