Summary The Rehabilitation Counselor position is located in the Mental Health Service, within the Vocational Rehabilitation services, of the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare system (VAGLAHS). The assigned Rehabilitation Counselor works with persons who experience functional impairments and disabilities associated with mental health. Responsibilities The National Center for Warrior Independence (NCWI), established by Executive Order 14296 on the West Los Angeles VA campus, will serve homeless and at-risk Veterans. NCWI will provide housing, health care, benefits, and related services, with the goal of guiding Veterans toward productive employment, life skills, and long-term community engagement to help restore personal self-sufficiency. Rehabilitation Counselors assigned to NCWI will work within the Vocational Rehabilitation section under Mental Health Service and provide evidenced-based services to Veterans living on the North Campus. This work will empower Veterans who are ready to pursue meaningful changes in their lives by focusing on their individual interests, abilities, preferences, and recovery goals. Counselors will support Veterans with high-acuity needs, including histories of homelessness, serious mental illness, substance use disorders, justice involvement, and extended periods away from the workforce. Their efforts will also involve close collaboration with housing, mental health, and residential treatment teams. VA Careers - Mental Health Professionals: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOMintJXa3Y Duties include, but are not limited to: Providing personal adjustment counseling, therapeutic vocational rehabilitation interventions, and case coordination services. Using recovery-oriented, evidence-informed, and evidence-based clinical vocational rehabilitation modalities to aid patients with mild to severe disabilities, such as multiple medical or physical, psychosocial, psychological, or neurological barriers. Conducting vocational rehabilitation assessments using medical records, pertinent disability documentation, observation and interviews with patients and their support systems to generate personal, vocational, and educational histories. Consulting with interdisciplinary teams to enhance coordination of care, ensure medical clearance, and provide for optimal timing of further interventions. Providing psychoeducational and/or psychotherapeutic groups to facilitate effective job search skills, employer-desired soft skills, work, and life skills fostering independence and recovery. Devising solutions to reduce and/or eliminate barriers and meet patient's placement needs. Providing job development, customized employment, job carving, job coaching, job accommodation, advocacy, and adaptation services to patients and to educate and support employers as well as school or education stakeholders. The Mental Health - Vocational Rehab program helps Veterans with disabilities and mental health challenges achieve employment, independence, and personal goals through recovery-oriented vocational counseling, assessment, and support services. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00a-4:30p Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 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. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. 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). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. Education: The individual must meet at least one of the requirements below: A master's degree in rehabilitation counseling or clinical rehabilitation counseling from a rehabilitation counseling program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). If the applicant's degree was granted prior to July 1, 2017, the program must be accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education. OR A master's degree in counseling or clinical rehabilitation counseling from a college or university accredited by a national or regional accrediting body accredited by Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). OR A master's or doctoral degree in a related field of study with course content that emphasized rehabilitation, counseling, disability, therapy, health, employment, wellness, or human development from a college or university accredited by a national or regional accrediting body accredited by CHEA. OR Foreign graduates with a degree acceptable by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). Certification. Applicants must hold a current, full and unrestricted certification as a certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC) from the CRCC to practice vocational rehabilitation counseling. Grandfathering Provision. All individuals employed as RCs within VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held including positive education and certification. GRADE DETERMINATIONS: GS-11 Rehabilitation Counselor Experience. Completion of one year of professional experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled. OR Education. A doctoral degree in rehabilitation counselor education or related field (e.g. rehabilitation psychology) from a CACREP accredited institution or from an institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting body accredited by CHEA. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge of physical and psychological disabilities, appropriate accommodations and assistive technology principles to mitigate and reduce or eliminate barriers to integrate into the community. Knowledge of counseling theory, medical and psychiatric terminology and signs and symptomology of suicidal and homicidal ideations, to communicate appropriately with community health care professionals to provide useful input to other team members and employers in relation to the Veteran and/or his/her family's psychosocial needs and to recommend and help implement suitable treatment plans. Ability to use evidence-based and evidence informed vocational and professional counseling practices to include individual placement and support (IPS), customized employment and supported employment models and motivational interviewing skills to promote self-awareness, adjustment to disability, enhanced job retention and successful integration to the community. Knowledge of career development processes and job analysis methodology to determine essential functions of jobs, worksite modifications and/or alternative vocational goals given the work history and residual functional capacities of individuals with disabilities. Ability to administer and interpret a wide variety of assessment methods including transferrable skills and labor market analyses to evaluate for individual interests, aptitudes and abilities and to identify suitable vocational goals for the development of an effective individual service delivery plan. Knowledge of marketing strategies to develop collaborative partnerships/Memorandums of Agreement within VA and local business community to enhance employment and/or work opportunities. Knowledge of military lifestyle, specific factors, and dynamics associated with Veterans, particularly combat Veterans, to assist those who are returning to community and community based-work. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit Rehabilitation Counselor Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this position is 11. Physical Requirements: Light lifting (under 15 pounds); light carrying (under 15 pounds); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking; standing; hearing (aid permitted). Education IMPORTANT: A transcript with the conferred date 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 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. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. 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.
