Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Perform initial rehabilitation evaluations entitlement assessments rehabilitation planning problem-solving and adjustment counseling.
• Provide case management including the coordination of all rehabilitation services case documentation and employment services; and as necessary the administration and interpretation of vocation testing.
• Provide services for employer consultation employment development and placement career counseling and vocational planning and assessment.
• Combine data from diagnostic tests and medical records to give a comprehensive picture of strengths weaknesses capabilities and interests to help patients find a suitable employment or independent living objective.
• Partner with Vet Centers career centers local Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialists Local Veterans Employment Representatives VA employment programs and others to provide job search and placement services.
• Conduct counseling using a variety of approaches including tele-counseling depending on the needs of the Veteran.
• Provide information and assistance with the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program through individual and group therapy sessions.

Promotion Potential: The full performance level of this position is grade GS-12
Work Schedule: Full time Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Compressed/Flexible: Available
Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description Title/PD#: Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor/PD38542A PD38544A and PD38543A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Bargaining Unit: Yes-1276

As a condition of employment for accepting this position you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public 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 Conditions of Employment are as follows:

• 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
• 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 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the cut-off date and/or closing date of this job opportunity announcement 09/04/2026.

This position is covered by a single agency qualification standard VA Handbook 5005/157 part II appendix F2 dated July 28 2023.

NOTE: Applicants must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized Experience as stated below.

1. BASIC REQUIREMENT:
A. Education. Successful completion of a masters degree (or higher) in rehabilitation counseling rehabilitation services clinical rehabilitation counseling counseling psychology mental health counseling career counseling or social work from an accredited college or university.

B. Internship or Experience Requirement. The required (1) supervised internship or (2) post-masters degree experience is described as follows:

• Supervised Internship: The education in paragraph 1A must have included a supervised internship in rehabilitation counselling or case management specialization. The internship must have been supervised by a professional in vocational rehabilitation or a closely related professional field that typically has oversight for vocational rehabilitation programs.

OR

• Experience: One-year post-masters degree work experience in direct delivery of professional vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities.

C. Grandfathering Provision. VRCs employed in the Veterans Benefits Administration on the effective date July 28 2023 of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title series and grade held including certifications that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed the following provisions apply:

• VRCs who are grandfathered into the GS-0101 occupational series may be reassigned promoted up to and including the full performance level of a career ladder changed to a lower grade within the occupation or placed in a supervisory or managerial position.
• VRCs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of this qualification standard may not be extended or reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of this standard.
• If VRCs who are grandfathered under this provision leave the occupation they lose protected status and must meet the full qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation

2. CREDITING EXPERIENCE:
A. Creditable Experience. Creditable experience must have required the use of KSAs associated with current professional vocational rehabilitation counseling practice. Creditable experience can be obtained through employment as a VRC. This may be demonstrated by providing direct rehabilitation counseling services to individuals with disabilities in the context of a professional counseling relationship which may include vocational rehabilitation and personal adjustment counseling case management assessment or rehabilitation training and employment services coordination.

B. Quality of Experience. Creditable experience must have been obtained post-graduate and be directly related to the duties to be performed to qualify to work as a professional VRC. Qualifying experience must also be equivalent to professional vocational rehabilitation counseling experience at the next lower level. NOTE: If work experience is credited for the basic requirement that experience cannot also be used for qualifying at the GS-11 or GS-12 levels.

3. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements applicants must meet the specialized experience listed below:

To qualify at the GS-09 grade level: None above the basic requirements listed above.

To qualify at the GS-11 grade level: Applicants must have completed at least 1 full year (52 weeks) post-graduate work experience providing professional vocational rehabilitation services equivalent to the next lower grade level of GS-09 in a federal state and/or private setting. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience that reflects the management of vocational rehabilitation counseling or case management workload involving persons with a wide variety of disability conditions (e.g. mental health physical cognitive visual/auditory substance abuse).

OR
EDUCATION
In addition to meeting the basic educational requirements applicants may substitute experience with successful completion of 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education or a Ph.D. (or equivalent doctoral degree) in rehabilitation counseling or counseling psychology as described above.

To qualify at the GS-12 grade level: Applicants must have completed at least 1 full year (52 weeks) post-graduate work experience at the GS-11 or equivalent of professional management of vocational rehabilitation counseling or case management workload involving persons with a wide variety of disability conditions (e.g. mental health physical cognitive visual/auditory substance abuse) in a federal state and/or private vocational rehabilitation setting. Note: This is the journey (or full performance) level for this occupation. Specialized experience is defined as: professional vocational rehabilitation counseling work in delivery of service to adults with disabilities; providing case management that involved determining entitlement ranges from simple to complex; AND direct delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities in rehabilitation programs other than those in correctional facilities.

There is no substitution for work experience for the basic educational requirement nor the GS-12 grade level.

4. MODIFICATIONS OR WAIVERS: Management officials who are delegated the authority may modify or waive the specific requirements of this standard in accordance with chapter 2 section D paragraphs 8-12 of this part.

Note: 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; religions; 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 you document including volunteer experience.