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. Responsibilities 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 process in a comprehensive, coordinated andtimely 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 with in 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 mee1 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 reassessment of 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, 8:00am - 4:30pm. 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 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. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: Work involved is Sedentary, such as comprehensive assessments, individualized and documented treatment goals and measurable outcomes. Incumbent must be able to travel to rural industry, catchment area businesses, clinics and satellite facility as specified by the Coordinator, Vocational Rehabilitation Section. She/he may have to travel outside of the State for specified additional traveling as needed. 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) 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, 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 of this announcement. 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 an 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: Serve 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 PHD 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. Do you have an combination of specialized experience and education. 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 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 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. 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 http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
