Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
What you'd do
This position is being filled under the Expedited Hiring Authority for College Graduates. Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs) provide and coordinate a wide range of rehabilitation, counseling, and case management services to disabled Veterans and other eligible individuals. The primary emphasis of the Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation Program is to assist Veterans with service-connected disabilities to prepare for, find, and sustain employment.
Major duties
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 vocational 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. Provide information and assistance with the Veteran Readiness and Employment program through individual and group therapy sessions. Conduct counseling using a variety of approaches, including tele-counseling, depending on the needs of the Veteran. Partner with administrators at schools, Vet Centers, military bases, and federal, state, and local agencies to determine the individual needs of service members and Veterans and to provide the essential assistance.
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet both the College Graduate and the Basic Requirements stated below by the closing date of this job opportunity announcement, 07/09/2026. COLLEGE GRADUATE REQUIREMENT: You must have obtained, within the previous two years, a graduate degree from an institution of higher education; Veterans who have completed a graduate degree and were unable to apply within two years of obtaining their degree due to a uniformed service obligation of at least 4 years, may apply within two years of their discharge from uniformed service. Note: The two-year eligibility period begins on the date the degree is received, not the graduation ceremony date. This position is covered by a single agency qualification standard, VA Handbook 5005/157, part II, appendix F2, dated July 28, 2023. APPLICANTS MUST MEET BOTH THE INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR)/BASIC REQUIREMENT AND THE SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AS STATED BELOW: 1. INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR) / BASIC REQUIREMENT: A. Education. Successful completion of a master's 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. AND B. Internship or Experience Requirement. The required (1) supervised internship or (2) post-master's 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-master's degree experience in direct delivery of professional vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities. C. Grandfathering Provision. VRCs employed in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) 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. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: To qualify at the GS-09 grade level: None above the basic requirements listed above. To qualify under the grandfathering provision, you may be required to submit multiple SF-50s to verify that you were permanently employed prior to July 28, 2023, and that you continue to serve as a permanent employee of the VBA as a VRC.
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
Don't miss the next one.
Get an email the moment a similar federal job opens — postings can close in as little as 5 days.