Rehabilitation Counselor (Coordinator)
What you'd do
This position is located within VHA Vocational Rehabilitation Service (VHA Voc Rehab). VHA Vocational Rehabilitation Service programs are recovery-oriented clinical vocational rehabilitation services that offer an array of vocational, educational, training, employment, and therapeutic work services. They include skill development, fostering of natural supports, and assistance with obtaining and maintaining employment for Veterans for whom the primary objective is competitive employment.
Major duties
Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Vocational rehabilitation utilizes appropriate counseling and training to support persons with functional, psychological, developmental, cognitive and emotional impairments, or health disabilities to overcome barriers to accessing, maintaining, or returning to employment and/or education. VHA Voc Rehab Service includes: Vocational and Educational Assistance, Compensated Work Therapy (CWT), and related services. CWT consists of the following components: Transitional Work (TW), Supported Employment (SE), Community Based Employment Services (CBES), Supported Education (SEd), and Supported Self Employment (SSE). The incumbent provides VHA Voc Rehab services within various settings of the medical center and/or community. Clinical Duties (75%) include: Provide a variety of rehabilitation services using counseling practices and evidence based and informed modalities to aid Veterans with severe disabilities in achieving competitive employment, educational, and independent living goals. These rehabilitation services involve personal adjustment counseling, therapeutic rehabilitation interventions and case coordination services, and professional counseling practices. Provides clinical expertise through the timely application of therapeutic interventions, case coordination, crisis intervention, interdisciplinary team consultation, rehabilitation plan development, and ongoing assessment and job development practices. Supports informed decision making while using professional judgment and counseling skills to assist the Veteran in identifying suitable competitive employment and placement opportunities. Conducts a skillful analysis of their abilities, aptitudes, strengths, needs, preferences, disability conditions, and resulting impairments to guide Veterans with severe disabilities and employment challenges in achieving their goals. Provide psychoeducational and/or psychotherapeutic groups to facilitate effective job search skills, employer-desired soft skills, work and life skills fostering independence and recovery. Collaborates with the appropriate professionals to provide rehabilitation services, including the assessment of vocational interests, aptitude, and abilities by using clinical tests, observations, interviews, evaluations, and specialized vocational assessment instruments. Consult with interdisciplinary teams to enhance coordination of care, ensure medical clearance, and provide for optimal timing of further interventions. Synthesize assessment information to identify barriers to employment and their vocational implications. Completes various quality assurance and improvement activities to improve services provided. 25% of this position consists of administrative duties, including, but not limited to coordinating workforce development services; Coordination and management of the Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Transitional Work (TW) and Supported Employment (SE) programs, as well as serving as the Vocational Rehabilitation Internship Director, responsible for the overall quality, coordination, and management of the Rehabilitation Counselor internship training program. Work Schedule: Fulltime, Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:45p.m. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, higher or unique qualifications, or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Ad-hoc available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Rehabilitation Counselor (Coordinator) Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
What you need to qualify
Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: (1) 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). If the applicant's degree was granted prior to July 1, 2017, the program must be accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education. OR (2) 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) OR (3) 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. OR (4) Foreign graduates with a degree acceptable by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). Certification: Current, full and unrestricted certification as a certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC) from the CRCC to practice vocational rehabilitation counseling. Exception: 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 U.S.C. § 7405(a)(1)(D). English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: GS-12 Rehabilitation Counselor Coordinator: Experience. Completion of one year of professional experience at the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to address complexity of psychosocial rehabilitation factors and deliver timely and high-quality outcomes consistent with statutes, regulations and policies. (b) Theoretical and practical knowledge of a range of rehabilitation service delivery systems for the administration and management of a clinical rehabilitation program. (c) Ability to initiate and lead interdisciplinary groups of staff utilizing sound judgement and decision-making to improve customer service while delivering Veteran-focused and outcome-oriented health care. (d) Knowledge of applicable accreditation bodies and standards to ensure long-term compliance. (e) Knowledge of business administration practices such as managing participant payroll, accounting, billing, marketing, workforce development (vocational, educational and placement of Veterans) services and/or customer service to successfully operate a rehabilitation employment program. Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Assists with the management of a clinical rehabilitation service delivery system within an organization which may include housing, independent living, vocational and educational services. Utilize complex rehabilitation counseling skills and motivational interviewing techniques not typically required in routine practice to assess a Veteran's self-awareness, adjustment to disability and work resilience. Exhibit clinical expertise through timely application of therapeutic interventions, case coordination, crisis intervention, IDT consultation, rehabilitation plan development and ongoing assessment and job development practices. Exercise professional judgement to arrange for suitable placement of Veterans with the most severe disabilities and employment challenges through skillful analysis of their abilities, aptitudes, preferences, disability conditions and resulting impairments. Ensure timely and accurate Veteran Compensated Work Therapy-Transitional Work (CWT-TW) payrolls, bills of collection, CWT Account balances, deposits to CWT Account and ensure all expenditures utilize approved budgeting procedures, including internal controls and separation of duties. Provide input and guidance on program evaluations, strategic plans and policy considerations to supervisor as appropriate for all interested VA entities and accrediting bodies. Monitor progress towards accomplishment of program goals and examines the benefits of process improvements. Provide oversight, support and feedback to lower level RCs and student interns on work assignments, time and caseload management and employment outcomes. For Reference, GS-11 assignment and experience includes: Provide personal adjustment counseling, therapeutic rehabilitation interventions and case coordination services, utilizing evidence-informed and evidence-based modalities to aid Veterans with severe disabilities in achieving competitive employment and educational and independent living goals. Conduct biopsychosocial assessments using medical records, pertinent disability documentation, observation and interviews with Veterans and their support systems to generate personal, vocational, and educational histories. Select, administer and interpret vocational instruments to evaluate abilities, aptitudes, interests, values, preferences, transferrable skills and overall work resilience. Customize vocational exploration activities for identification of self-determined rehabilitation needs and goals. Consult with interdisciplinary teams (IDT)to enhance coordination of care, ensure medical clearance, and provide for optimal timing of further interventions. Synthesize assessment information to identify barriers to employment and their vocational implications. Continued in Additional Information Section. Preferred Experience: Experience coordinating vocational rehabilitation or employment services Experience serving as a lead, coordinator, mentor or subject-matter expert Experience leading interdisciplinary coordination Experience training or coaching rehabilitation staff Experience supporting the administrative operations of a rehabilitation employment program Experience collecting, analyzing, and reporting program outcome data Reference can be found at the VA Qualification Repository, VA Qualifications Standards - Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) GS-0101, Rehabilitation Counselor Qualification Standard, dated July 21, 2020. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: A pre-placement examination will be required to be able to determine if the incumbent is able to safely operate a government vehicle. The following requirements must be met: distant vision 20/40 in one eye with or without correction, field of vision 70 degrees, ability to distinguish red, green and amber, whispered voice at five feet, or average hearing loss of not greater than 40 dbs. at 500, 1000 and 2,000 Hz.
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.