Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open ONLY to current, permanent Portland or Eugene, Oregon VBA Regional Office employees and current/former VA employees who are CTAP eligible. For the purpose of this job announcement, Fiduciary Hub bargaining unit employees in the commuting area are considered facility employees.

As a Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (SVRC) for the Portland or Eugene VA Regional Office, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Division, located in the Portland Regional Benefit Office, the Supervisory VRC (SVRC) is responsible for providing supervisory oversight VR&E bargaining unit staff under the direct supervision of the AVREO. These duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Serves as a first-line supervisor for professional counseling staff and other VR&E staff as assigned.
• Serves as a subject matter expert in the area of Vocational Rehabilitation and Counseling case processing for the staff.
• Provides general guidance to employees on both work and administrative matters, in accordance with established regulations, policies, procedures, and practices. Assists with the staffing of difficult cases with the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and Employment Coordinator(s).
• Identifies problems with the work, adjusting as needed, to keep the cases moving and ensure accurate, successful rehabilitation scenarios.-Ensures that caseload is appropriately balanced among the professional staff.
• Responsible for carrying out case reviews for and training for assigned professional staff on a regular and recurring basis and for conducting these reviews on Portland and other out-based locations as needed. In addition, he or she will help to support the quality assurance integrity of the division.
• Provides extensive training to incoming Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors within the office. Evaluates that training needs of all existing professional staff, and conducts refresher training, training on new technology/processes, and makes decisions on mission related training scenarios for individual staff.-Is responsible to the VR&E division for Systematic Analyses of Operations in area of program review. Is responsible for identifying and correcting deficiencies recognized through systematic analysis, and for using the information to make improvements and streamline processes.
• Reviews Veterans' Counseling, Evaluation, Rehabilitation (CER) records to ensure compliance with regulations and procedures and to promote among staff members high quality of performance in entitlement determinations, evaluation, planning, rehabilitation, and placement services.-Assists the division level management in the process of understanding, implementing, and monitoring a management system of work measurement, program evaluation, accountability, and a management information reporting system as it applies to VR&E.
• Manages and assesses employee performance. Makes decisions on inquiries or issues presented by subordinate professional employees, advises the division level management, and assesses the impact on the VR&E program. Takes measures, within VBA guidelines, to mitigate negative impact on the mission, with concurrence of division level management.
• Interviews candidates for employment and internal merit promotion, keeping meticulous records of scoring on records review, written portion of interview, oral interview, etc. in compliance with VBA human resource policies.
• Recommends performance, special contribution, and other awards for subordinate employees, providing full justification in each package.
• Takes appropriate disciplinary action when warranted, carefully adhering to agency, local procedure, and legal requirement for doing so, with the approval of upper level management.
• Responsible for handling employee and Veteran complaints and grievances and brings them to successful resolution. Only those which cannot be resolved within the authority of the Supervisory VRC are referred to the AVREO.
• Serves as a VR&E Leave Approving Official for Professional Staff and other staff as assigned.
• Makes recommendations to the division level management in planning and implementing the VR&E Professional Staff Development Program.
• As directed by the Director's Office or division level management as assigned conducts formal investigative inquiries surrounding employee issues and questionable work scenarios. Provides narrative, written reports on investigative inquiry findings that are used by top division management to make decisions on these issues.

Promotion Potential: This position is at the full performance level.
Work Schedule: Full time, 8:00am - 4:30pm Monday through Friday
Compressed/Flexible: Available
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description Title/PD#: Supervisory Vocational Rehab Counselor, 39814A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In 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.

Additional 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, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 1-year supervisory probationary period may be required.

Qualifications

Time-in-Grade Requirements: 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.

For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12 grade level.

To support your claim of time in grade, you must submit your most recent appointment, promotion, or within grade increase SF-50. Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate their eligibility. See the required documents section for more information.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS. To qualify for the VRC position, candidates must meet the following basic requirements:

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.

b. Internship or Experience Requirement. The required (1) supervised internship or (2) post-master's degree experience is described as follows:
(1) Supervised Internship: The education in paragraph 3a must have included a supervised internship in rehabilitation counseling 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

(2) 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 VBA on the effective date 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:

(1) 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 or changed to a lower grade within the occupation or placed in a supervisory or managerial position.

(2) 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.

(3) 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.

Specialized Experience:

To qualify at the GS-13 grade level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level or higher. Specialized Experience is defined as experience in Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment programs 1) expertise with employment and vocational rehabilitation programs; 2) possessing knowledge and expertise in the procedures for vocational and rehabilitation law; 3) the expertise to administer and counsel in the areas of counseling, rehabilitation, psychology, career development, and job placement entitlements; 4) the expertise to control budgetary resources for approving and monitoring financial expenditures.

Education: Applicants may not substitute education for the experience at the GS-13 level.

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, including volunteer experience.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Volunteer Experience: 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; religious; 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, including volunteer experience.

Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The position is primarily in an office setting. Some travel may be necessary on occasion for training, meetings, or customer interactions.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Conflict Management
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Manages Resources
• Partnering
• Planning and Evaluating

• Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
• Planning and Evaluating- Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.
• Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental ailments, and career guidance.
• Writing - Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material that is appropriate for the intended audience.
• Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
• Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on the job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12945493

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or an interview.

Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package to include the documents detailed below.
Failure to submit the required documents may result in your application being considered incomplete and you being deemed ineligible. It is your responsibility to ensure your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. We will not request additional documentation or accept late or missing documents after the announcement has closed.

• Resume, limited to 2-pages, detailing specialized experience and competencies as they relate to this position.
  • For each position in your resume, you must specify the start and end dates (month/year) and a description of duties. If the position was Federal, you must also indicate the grade level. Resumes containing a general summary of all positions held, not specifying start/end dates, and/or not including Federal grade level(s) are insufficient to determine basic qualifications.
• Transcript reflecting your master's degree in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling (or related degree).
  • Your transcript must show coursework and the total number of credits earned to include graduation date and degree. A diploma is NOT sufficient to determine qualifications.
• Your most recent NON-AWARD SF-50. The SF-50 must indicate proof of status and should identify your position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).
• Your SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade (e.g., Promotion, Appointment, etc.) in order to verify time-in-grade requirements.

Additional Documents accepted:

• Most recent Performance Appraisal (VA Form 0750)
• Award SF-50s
• CTAP documentation - RIF notice, SF-50 showing VA employee, and performance appraisal.

Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or CTAP documentation (for displaced VA employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing 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 announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Next steps