Requirements
Conditions of employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
- Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation.
- Selective Service registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- A complete application package MUST contain a resume and transcripts.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
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.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the cut-off date and/or closing date of this job opportunity announcement, 06/30/2026.
This position is covered by a single agency qualification standard, VA Handbook 5005/157, part II, appendix F2, dated July 28, 2023.
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 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. CREDITING EXPERIENCE:
A. Creditable Experience. Creditable experience must have required the use of the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current professional vocational rehabilitation counseling practice. Creditable experience can be obtained through employment as a VRC. This may be demonstrated by providing direct rehabilitation counseling services to individuals with disabilities in the context of a professional counseling relationship, which may include vocational rehabilitation and personal adjustment counseling, case management, assessment, or rehabilitation, training, and employment services coordination.
B. Quality of Experience. Creditable experience must have been obtained post-graduate and be directly related to the duties to be performed to qualify to work as a professional VRC. Qualifying experience must also be equivalent to professional vocational rehabilitation counseling experience at the next lower level.
3. MODIFICATIONS OR WAIVERS: Management officials who are delegated the authority may modify or waive the specific requirements of this standard in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraphs 8-12 of this part.
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.
Education
Transcripts are required for all applicants and must be uploaded prior to the closing date of the job opportunity announcement. Delaying the upload of your transcripts can result in a later submission and review of your application. Applications will be reviewed once all required documents are received. An omission of transcripts by the closing date will result in an ineligible rating.
The required education under this single-agency standard is the 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.
Awarded/Conferred master's degree is required and must be reflected on transcripts submitted at the time of application. Transcripts (unofficial and/or official) must show evidence of a supervised internship and must also show that the degree has been awarded/conferred and the date awarded.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education
Additional information
VBA Top Jobs video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyRI5EkgiHk Please refer to the Qualifications section of this job opportunity announcement for the requirements specific to this position.
Applicants can only apply to one location.
This is not a virtual or remote position. Relocation expenses are not approved for this vacancy. Applicants who apply and are selected for locations outside of their local commuting area are responsible for all costs associated with a move to the new official worksite.
Work Schedule: Regular office hours, Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Alternate work schedules may be available.
Physical Requirements: Some travel may be necessary on occasion for training, meetings or customer interactions.
Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. The full performance level of this position is grade GS-12.
VA supports the use of ad-hoc telework to attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Eligibility may be discussed during the interview process. Ad-hoc telework is subject to approval by individual supervisors and managers, is considered a privilege not a right, is subject to approval based on performance and other varying factors, and is not guaranteed.
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly appointed federal employees credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used to determine the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.
Under the "Fair Chance to Compete Act", the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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.
Applicants who do not fully address in their resumes the experience needed for the position (as described in the job opportunity announcement), or who do not possess the education to substitute for it, will not be referred for further consideration. After you have met the minimum qualifications, if you are referred for consideration you will be rated on the following the USA Hire competencies (KSAs) based on your application for this position:
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Flexibility
- Influencing/Negotiating
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job-related information, which may include, but is not limited to responses to the KSAs; completion of a work sample, and/or an interview. You will also be rated on the following
agency-specific competencies (KSAs):
- Oral Communication
- Planning and Evaluating
- Technical Competence
- Therapy and Counseling
- Writing
- Customer Service
Referral listings will be created on a biweekly basis. Final disposition will be completed once the position has been filled or the announcement reaches the end of the open period stated in the announcement.
See schedule below.
- First cut-off date: Thursday, May 14, 2026
- Second cut-off date: Thursday, May 28, 2026
- Third cut-off date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
- Fourth cut-off date: Thursday, June 25, 2026
- Closing date: Tuesday, June 30, 2026
You may be asked to submit additional job-related information, which may include responses to the KSAs identified in the job opportunity announcement; and/or 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 your further consideration for employment.
After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the job opportunity announcement closes, we review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. During our review, if your resume and application package do not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly.
Your application will be evaluated using the category rating method based on your responses to the assessment questions and the documents you submit. If you meet the basic requirements for the position, your application will be evaluated and placed into one of three categories:
- Best Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the minimum qualification requirements and demonstrate a high level of the KSAs necessary to perform the duties of the position.
- Well Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the minimum qualification requirements and demonstrate a satisfactory level of the KSAs necessary to perform the duties of the position.
- Qualified Category - Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications requirements.
Note:
Candidates eligible for Veterans' preference will be placed ahead of other candidates in the appropriate category for which they have been rated.