Rehabilitation Counselor
What you'd do
Rehabilitation Counselors in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) work with Veterans who experience functional impairments and disabilities associated with mental health, physical, and/or psychosocial challenges affecting employment, independent living, or personal adjustment. Incumbent will use professional counseling and clinical modalities to promote and support optimal functioning, independence, personal adjustment, adaptation to disability, community reintegration, and recovery.
Major duties
30 Day Hiring Model The Department of Veterans Affairs is implementing a streamlined 30-Day Hiring Model designed to accelerate hiring while maintaining the highest standards of merit-based selection. This improved process reduces traditional hiring timelines by integrating early coordination, faster assessments, and efficient pre-employment actions. Applicants can expect a more transparent, predictable, and efficient hiring journey from announcement to entry on duty. What Applicants Can Expect Expedited Candidate Review Once the announcement closes, Human Resources will quickly review applications, issue certificates of eligible candidates the day after the announcement closes and refer applicants for hiring manager consideration. Quick Interviews & References HR may arrange interviews and will request references within 3-5 days after being referred to the hiring manager. Streamlined Pre-Employment Requirements: Following a tentative offer, applicants should be prepared to complete required steps, such as fingerprinting and background check, credentialing, and medical examination within 3 days of the offer. Clear and Timely Communication: Applicants will receive clear communication at key milestones, including referral, tentative offer, and onboarding instructions. After meeting pre-employment requirements, candidates will receive a final job offer and start date. Onboarding tasks may continue after starting, with HR ensuring timely completion for a smooth transition into VA service. If selected, applicants should be prepared to come onboard within 30 days of the announcement closing. Duties Serves as a developmental Rehabilitation Counselor (RC) providing vocational and personal adjustment counseling, therapeutic rehabilitation interventions, case management, and case coordination services. Provide a variety of professional rehabilitation counseling services such as personal adjustment counseling, therapeutic rehabilitation interventions and case coordination services, utilizing evidence-informed and evidence-based modalities and professional counseling practices to aid Veterans with disabilities in integrating successfully into the community and achieving competitive employment and educational and independent living goals. Work with an interdisciplinary team to provide and coordinate a wide range of rehabilitation counseling services to Veterans with disabilities, including assessment, counseling and case management services, development of rehabilitation plans, and assistance in attaining and maintaining employment, independent living, and attaining personal goals. Consults and collaborates with interdisciplinary treatment teams or other clinical staff to enhance coordination of care, ensure medical clearance, and provide for optimal timing of further interventions as it relates to the Veteran's vocational rehabilitation needs. Communicates appropriately with community health care professionals to provide useful input to other team members and employers concerning the Veteran. Supports Veterans by providing services that support skill development, fostering of natural supports, and assistance with obtaining and maintaining employment for Veterans for whom the primary objective is competitive employment. Ensures fidelity to evidence-based and evidence-informed vocational and professional counseling practices. Evaluates Veteran's abilities and disabilities; monitors and records Veteran's progress to ensure goals and objectives are met. Conducts biopsychosocial assessments using medical records, pertinent disability documentation, and observation. Incorporates interviews into the assessment with the Veterans and their support systems to generate personal, vocational, and educational histories. Synthesizes the information to develop case conceptualization and make clinical recommendations to facilitate treatment planning and provision. Follows all suicide risk/prevention protocols in accordance with national and local policies, including administration of the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Selects, administers, and interprets psychometric assessments and vocational instruments to evaluate abilities, transferrable skills, aptitudes, interests, values, preferences, and overall work resilience. Customizes vocational exploration activities, including informational interviews and labor market research, to identify self-determined rehabilitation needs and goals. Determines clinical need for and capacity to benefit from therapeutic and rehabilitation services. Vocational programming benefits may include work restoration/resilience treatment, transitional work placement and compensation, financial benefits counseling, potential benefits protections, supported employment, and assistive technology. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: No Telework: No Virtual: No Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: No
What you need to qualify
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f) Citizenship: Candidates must be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). Basic Education Requirement: The following is the basic educational requirement for a Rehabilitation Counselor at the GS-9 grade level.-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). Note: If the degree was granted prior to 7/1/2017, the program must be accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education. Transcripts Required 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). Transcripts Required 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. Transcripts Required OR-Foreign graduates with a degree acceptable by Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). Transcripts or other documentation required Certification: Current, full and unrestricted certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) to practice vocational rehabilitation counseling. Copy of Certification Required. Certification Exceptions for Graduate Rehabilitation Counselor (RC): RC graduates from an approved counseling or rehabilitation counseling program who otherwise meet the basic qualification requirements and the additional degree requirements for CRC certification by the CRCC, but do not possess the required certification, may be appointed, pending certification, as a graduate RC on a full-time temporary appointment not-to-exceed two years under the authority of 38 USC 7405(a)(1)(D).-Graduate RCs may only be appointed at the entry grade level (GS-9) and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained.-Temporary graduate RC appointments may not be extended beyond two years or converted to a new temporary appointment. Grandfathering Provision: May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations:In addition to the basic requirements above the following is the amount of experience or education required to qualify for this position at the GS-9 or GS-11 grade levels. GS-9 Level Experience: None beyond the basic requirements above. In addition to meeting the experience or educational requirements for this grade level, candidates must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of human development and behavior, medical, psychosocial, and vocational aspects of disability and differential influences of environmental and cultural factors to assist persons with disabilities in determining suitable vocational goals. Knowledge of history, philosophy and disability rights legislation in the field of rehabilitation to apply in the practice of rehabilitation counseling. Ability to synthesize assessment and diagnosis information in conjunction with labor market trends and community/educational resources to develop an effective individual service delivery plan. Knowledge of caseload management strategies to maximize an individual's independent functioning from assessment through provision of post-employment services. Ability to employ person-centered job development strategies to facilitate successful job placement. Knowledge of assessment tools and methods, functional capacity evaluations and specific vocational preparation to evaluate transferrable skills, residual capacities and needs for accommodations and assistive technology. GS-11 Level Experience: Completion of one-year (1) year of professional experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-9) directly related to the position being filled.OR GS-11 Level 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 crediting body accredited by CHEA.In addition to meeting the experience or educational requirements for this grade level, candidates must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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 culture and 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 https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 9 to 11. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service, paragraph 2
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