Summary The Vocational Development Specialist (Employment Specialist) serves within the Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program in Albany, New York, and is responsible for assisting homeless, formerly homeless, and at-risk Veterans in obtaining and maintaining competitive employment. The incumbent conducts vocational assessments, develops individualized employment plans, provides vocational counseling and job placement services. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Conduct vocational assessments and interviews to identify Veterans' employment history, education, interests, skills, abilities, and barriers to employment. Develop individualized employment plans and vocational strategies designed to help Veterans obtain and maintain competitive employment. Provide vocational counseling, employment guidance, and career planning services to Veterans experiencing homelessness or significant employment barriers. Assist Veterans with job search activities, including resume preparation, application completion, interview preparation, and interview skills training. Develop and maintain relationships with employers, community organizations, workforce agencies, and vocational rehabilitation resources to create employment opportunities for Veterans. Coordinate referrals to vocational rehabilitation, Compensated Work Therapy (CWT), Department of Labor programs, training programs, and other employment-related services as appropriate. Advocate on behalf of Veterans and negotiate with employers regarding employment opportunities, workplace accommodations, and job retention strategies. Monitor employment progress and outcomes, provide follow-up services, and assist Veterans with maintaining employment and improving vocational functioning. Document vocational assessments, employment plans, interventions, referrals, goals, and outcomes in electronic records and case management systems. Participate as a member of interdisciplinary treatment teams by collaborating with healthcare providers, social workers, rehabilitation staff, and community partners to address barriers impacting employment success. Attend and participate in job fairs, community outreach events, and employer engagement activities to expand employment opportunities for Veterans. Provide customer service to Veterans, employers, community agencies, and other stakeholders while ensuring compliance with VA policies, privacy requirements, and documentation standards. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full-Time; Monday through Friday; 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved. Telework: This position may be authorized for telework on an ad-hoc basis, per agency policy. 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 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 required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: 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 meet the requirements of this position. DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENT: Applicant must possess a current, valid state driver's license. Do you have a current, valid state driver's license? NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your 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. This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience conducting employer outreach and business engagement activities to identify and develop employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.. In addition to meeting the above requirements, applicants must also meet one of the following: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: assessing vocational and employment needs of individuals with disabilities, homelessness, or other barriers to employment; developing and implementing individualized employment or vocational plans; providing vocational guidance, counseling, job development, and placement services; coordinating services with employers, community agencies, and multidisciplinary teams; identifying and addressing barriers to employment; documenting vocational interventions and outcomes; and assisting individuals in obtaining and maintaining competitive community-based employment. 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. ~OR~ EDUCATION - Applicants must possess 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 with a major study in vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (Transcript Required) ~OR~ COMBINATION - Combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. (Transcript Required) Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. A portion of time (40%-60% of time) is spent travelling by government vehicle to meet with Veterans or employers in the community or other external partners who contribute to the workforce system. The stress related to providing services to Veterans in emotional distress or who may be demanding and uncooperative, can be more significant than that of most sedentary positions. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information 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. 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. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
