Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Job Details

Position Overview

Duties

• Directs and supervises the administration of work involving eligibility criteria, vocational exploration, conducting assessments of both the local labor market, plan development based on appropriate vocational goals, examination of medical information, making legally binding entitlement decisions, award adjustments, award authorization, and case management services.
• Provides administrative expertise in all phases of rehabilitation activities, including counseling, case management, rehabilitation plan development, and job development and placement.
• Review the most difficult and complex cases and elements such as fraud, high-cost programs, independent living cases to include home adaptation, category one and two self-employment cases, re-entrance into a rehabilitation program cases, retroactive induction cases, and extension of entitlement cases.
• Provides internal policy direction and supervision of the RO VR&E staff through on-site visits and inspections, review and analysis of standard or specifically requested data and individualized or telephonic and written communication.
• Maintains knowledge of special incentives and hiring preferences for Veterans and ensures that outreach is conducted.
• Understands and is sensitive to the objectives of the EEO program and promotes workforce diversity through recruitment, coaching, and developmental activities, consistent with the merit system principles

Qualifications & Requirements

• For a GS-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14 level.
• If you are a current VBA employee outside of the commuting area seeking reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-15 (or higher) and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-15.

1. Individual Occupational Requirements (Basic Requirements):

To be eligible for this position, you must meet one of the following:

A). Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in behavioral or social science, or a related discipline appropriate to the position. OR;

B). Combination of education and experience: A combination of education and experience that provided you with the knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. OR;

C). Experience: Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrates you have acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

Note: You must submit transcripts if you are qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience.

2. Specialized Experience-GS-15:

In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, you must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as advanced and detailed knowledge of VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Program. Specifically, an in-depth knowledge of testing and evaluation, rehabilitation, job development and job placement, knowledge of Chapters 18, 30, 31, 34, and 35 of Title 38, USC and demonstrated comprehensive experience in all of the following:

• Conducting assessments of both the local labor market, and Veteran employability;
• Active involvement in the development of appropriate vocational goals and subsequent objectives outlined in rehabilitation plans;
• Providing case management services to Veterans while pursuing their rehabilitation plans (e.g., personal contact regarding achievement of vocational goals, referral for medical or ancillary services, and responding efficiently to Veterans concerns); and
• Written and oral communication skills in explaining the benefits and services available through the VR&E program to Veterans.

Education

Requirements

• 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.

• 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 or trial period
• Selectees are required to service a one-year supervisory probationary period if not previously completed in a Federal position.
• 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 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.

Evaluations

• • Accountability
  • Customer Service
  • Decisiveness
  • Flexibility
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Problem Solving
  • Resilience

• Technical Knowledge
• Human Capital Management
• Leadership
• Analytical Reasoning
• Communication

Required Documents

• Resume, limited to 2-pages, detailing specialized experience and competencies as they relate to this position.
  • For each position in your resume, you must specify the start and end dates (month/year) and a description of duties. If the position was Federal, you must also indicate the grade level. Resumes containing a general summary of all positions held, not specifying start/end dates, and/or not including Federal grade level(s) are insufficient to determine basic qualifications.
• Transcript, if you are using education to qualify.
  • Your transcript must show coursework and the total number of credits earned to include graduation date and degree. A diploma is NOT sufficient to determine qualifications.
• A copy of your TWO most recent (FY2024 and FY2025- VA Form 0750) performance appraisals (annual rating of record *with a documented rating*) and associated performance standards. NOTE: Applicants unable to provide your most recent performance appraisal MUST provide a valid written explanation for its absence.
• Your most recent NON-AWARD SF-50. The SF-50 must indicate proof of status and should identify your position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).
• Your SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade (e.g., Promotion, Appointment, etc.) in order to verify time-in-grade requirements.
• SF-50. If you are seeking a reassignment/change to lower grade, you must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (non-award) AND the SF-50 placing you into your current position.

• Award SF-50s
• CTAP documentation - RIF notice, SF-50 showing VA employee, and performance appraisal.

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing 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
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

How to Apply

The application process is as follows:

1. Click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
7. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

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• Use concise, results focused language
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• Use the USAJOBS resume builder

• USA Jobs Help Center - Resume Page Limit
• Applicant Guidance on the Two-Page Resume Limit