Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

As part of the supported employment team of the Compensated Work Therapy the incumbent provides highly individualized and complex rehabilitation support and services to veterans seeking to improve their vocational functioning. Duties below are at the full performance level. However during the developmental assignment these duties will be heavily supervised. Some of the duties of this position include but are not limited to:

• Plans training programs is on an individual basis developing the training around the residual capacities of the individual.
• Selects the pertinent techniques for data collection and to identify aspects of successful program operations that can be used for improving similar programs.
• Utilizes a variety of fact-finding techniques.
• Assists in the evaluation of the results of the program and make sound professional arguments for recommended changes.
• Strives to find work training experiences that meet the participants rehabilitation goals.
• Finds suitable employment opportunities and monitors placement promoting successful adjustment.
• Provides ongoing support counseling and guiding them through difficult transitions or rough spots in the adjustment to the job and helping them maintain employment on an on-going basis as long as client seeks assistance.
• Maintains awareness of and foster community contacts.
• Keeps alert for job and small business opportunities and maintain regular contact with potential employers placement personnel or other likely placement resources.
• Helps the employer understand the nature of the clients limitations while maintaining a positive impression of the clients capability to succeed.
• Persuades individuals and groups with differing opinions or interests to change criteria or methods accept findings or reach agreement on technical points related to rehabilitation.
• Analyzes mental and physical disabilities or other handicaps in terms of the practical effects of such handicaps on motivations adjustment to training and difficulty in employment placement.
• Establishes training programs to satisfy common needs of the client base (i.e. literacy training customer service training effective communications etc.).
• Utilizes a wide range of resources available to assist in the rehabilitation of participants.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

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: Full-Time Mon-Fri 8:00am-4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available.
Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist/PD02029A and PD03558A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized.

Notifications:

• Interchange Agreements with Other Merit System: Employees who occupy medical or medical-related positions and were appointed under 38 U.S.C. 4701(1) or (3) formerly 38 U.S.C. 4104 (1) and (3) must be serving in a full-time position without time limit and have served continuously for at least one year in this other merit system to be eligible to convert to the Title 5 System. Some exceptions to this rule may apply if you have previously acquired tenure under a Title 5 appointment.
• This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay.
• Veterans preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.
• This is not a Bargaining Unit position.
• Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title series grade step tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.

• 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 ( 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.
• 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 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.

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 09/11/2026.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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 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.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Vocational Rehabilitation Series 1715
Individual Occupational Requirements

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 GS-5 positions): Experience that provided a knowledge of training practices techniques and requirements as they relate to vocational development or rehabilitation.

Specialized 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.

Grade GS-09 requirements:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: demonstrating the ability to assist in providing vocational rehabilitation services to clients with psychological social or vocational challenges; support the development and modification of training and employment programs; maintain community contacts; participate in job placement activities; and apply basic knowledge of vocational rehabilitation principles under supervision. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title duties month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week. OR
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a masters or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education vocational rehabilitation vocational or educational counseling or other fields related to the position or LL.B. or J.D. if related. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. 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 one full academic year of graduate level education. TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED (To be creditable this must be supported by your application materials).

Grade GS-11 requirements:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: demonstrating the ability to independently provide complex vocational rehabilitation services to clients with severe psychological social and vocational challenges; develop and implement individualized training and employment plans; coordinate with community resources and employers; provide ongoing support and counseling; and apply advanced knowledge of psychosocial rehabilitation and supported employment models. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title duties month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week. OR
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or successfully completed 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in vocational rehabilitation vocational or educational counseling or other fields related to the position or LL.M. if related. TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED. OR
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond a masters degree or more than 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in vocational rehabilitation vocational or educational counseling or other fields related to the position. TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED (To be creditable this must be supported by your application materials).

Physical Requirement: The incumbent must be physically energetic mobile social and observant. She/he must be psychologically and spiritually resilient and function as a resource to help maintain the hope for participants who are homeless abusing substances and unemployed. The job requires no heavy lifting of materials or other situation where physical stress is anticipated. As with all persons with participants with mental illness there is the potential that a participant may become verbally or physically threatening or abusive. All staff are trained in violence prevention in the work place to assist them in addressing these types of situations. Work is typically performed in a wide range of setting including in the community at various job sites and within the medical center. The main work environment within the hospital is an adequately lighted and climate controlled office.

For more information on these qualification standards please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at

Required Experience:

IC