Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is ONLY open to current, permanent (career/career conditional) employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs and current/former VA employees who are Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) eligible. For purposes of this job announcement, Fiduciary Hub bargaining unit employees in the commuting area are considered facility employees.

Specific Duties Include:

• Examines VR&E case files chosen for every VRC to ensure they comply with various guidelines, policies, and directives related to Chapter 31 delivery and other VR&E benefits.
• Identifies trends, best practices, and areas in which individual VRCs need clarification of policy or guidance, as well as training needs.
• Addresses employee grievances and forwards others to the relevant manager.
• Ensures that everyone in the team is aware of and involved in the planning process for achieving the goals and objectives of the group.
• Identifies, assigns, and distributes work among team members in accordance with established workflow, skill level, and/or occupational specialization.
• Maintains program knowledge to answer questions related to statutes, regulations, directives, policies, and procedures governing the provision of VR&E services.
• Reviews work completed by QRT employees under supervision and verifies the reviews' accuracy.
• Assesses and indicates issues in various case components, such as application, entitlement, assessment, planning, case management, financial activity, and case closure.
• Provides clarification for errors and adds remarks where appropriate.

Promotion Potential: None, this is the full performance level for the position.

Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm.
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: Available. This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor; PD41423-0
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

• 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 period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selectees are required to serve a one-year supervisory probationary period if not previously completed in a Federal position.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement on 07/30/2026.

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 mater'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.
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.

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.

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

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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

GS-13 Grade Level:

• Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience in Veteran Readiness and Employment programs 1) a comprehension of independent living (IL) requirements; 2) experience with psychological and vocational testing principles; 3) experience with a broad range of vocational rehabilitation laws, regulations, rules, and policies in the realm of implementing adjudicative decisions and/or developing rehabilitation plans.
• Education Substitution: There is no education substitute for this position.

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; 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.
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; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.
Physical Requirements: This position is primarily sedentary with some walking, standing, bending, and/or carrying lightweight items.

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.

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
• Quality Management - Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools of quality assurance, quality control, and reliability used to ensure that a project, system, or product fulfills requirements and standards.
• Leadership - Inspires, motivates and guides others toward goal accomplishment; coaches, mentors, and challenges subordinates; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations; models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for the individual by applying these values to daily behaviors.
• 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.
• Analysis and Problem Solving - Applies the process of discovery that involves the diagnosis of a problem or issue, identification and gathering of relevant information, formulation and evaluation of alternative solutions or courses of action, and selection or recommendation of the preferred solution or course of action.
• Communications - Effectively expresses information to multiple audiences through clear, convincing oral and written communications; demonstrates logical thinking when describing facts and concepts, and shapes communications to meet the needs of a specific audience; actively listens to others and demonstrates understanding of their comments and/or questions.

Supervisory Situational Judgement Test: Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position. The SSJT evaluates judgment, decision-making, and leadership competencies associated with effective supervision in a Federal work environment. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete. This assessment is required for all applicants. If you do not complete the assessment, it will result in an incomplete application and you will receive no further consideration.

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 apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package to include the documents detailed below. Resumes may not exceed two pages and must be legible for review of eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Your resume and supporting documentation will be verified. Failure to submit the documents as specified may result in loss of consideration for this job announcement.

1. Resume:
   • Contact Information:
     • Name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number
   • Relevant Work Experience:
     • For each relevant work experience, make sure you include:
       • Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions)
       • Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 - 08/2022)
       • The number of hours you worked per week
     • Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications. Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement
   • Education/Certification/ Licensure:
     • When relevant or required for the position, include your possession of education/ certification/license and provide any required documentation such as transcripts, and/or details (type and date) of certifications and/or licenses
       • Education information should include:
         • Name of school/institution
         • Completion date
         • Degree type
         • Cumulative Grade point average (GPA)
   • Optional Details:
     • When relevant, include:
       • Current Security Clearance
       • Job-related training
       • Language skills
       • Organizations and affiliations
       • Professional publications
       • Eligibility for special programs (e.g., military spouses, individuals with disabilities, etc.)
2. A copy of 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).
3. Your SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade. To verify you meet Time-in-Grade requirements, also submit a SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade held (e.g. Promotion, Appointment, etc.).
4. Transcripts. Transcripts must reflect 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.
• 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.
  NOTE: Award and General Adjustment SF-50's do not provide sufficient information will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time in grade. Recommended SF-50's include Within Grade Increases (WGI), Promotions and Appointments.

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

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