Job Information
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist in Aurora, Colorado
Summary The Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado in the Vocational Rehabilitation Services/Compensated Work Therapy (VRS/CWT) Program located within the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Section in the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS) Mental Health Services. Responsibilities Duties include but are not limited to: Leads, coordinates and manages all aspects of a clinical rehabilitation service delivery system within VA ECHCS. Supervises daily operations to include coordinating interdisciplinary staffing, treatment services, work assignments, budget, staff schedules, safety in the community, training requirements and conducts meetings. Research, interpret, analyze and apply VA, VISN and VA ECHCS directives, manuals, accrediting agencies regulations and precedents, along with specific substantive program goals, production schedules and work processes. Develops and revises comprehensive policies, risk management and strategic plans based on feedback from stakeholders, accrediting bodies and program evaluation data; and recommends changes to, or adaptation of, local policies and procedures. Provides direct technical and administrative supervision to a program of Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists Develops performance standards; evaluates work performance of subordinates; identifies developmental and training needs of employees The incumbent provides and coordinates a wide range of vocational rehabilitation services to disabled Veterans and other eligible Veterans. Responsible for making the determination about what program services the veteran is appropriate for and either providing such services or assigning to subordinate Specialist. Works directly with community agencies, and community employers with the goal of assisting Veterans in obtaining and maintaining suitable employment. Documents all interactions with the Veteran and interdisciplinary teams within the electronic medical records system, and capture workload for reporting. Functions as the point of contact for VA staff, community employers and agency partners for resources, referrals, development of MOA's and liaison activities to assist unemployed Veterans exhibiting significant barriers to employment. Serves as an advocate on behalf of the VA with members of the employment community to ensure comprehensive service delivery for vocational rehabilitation. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 08:00am to 4:30pm Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help 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 telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist/PD131770 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/21/2024. 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 by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. A SF-50 that shows 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: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. This Vocational Rehabilitation Series, 1715, has individual occupational requirements, as described below: Individual Occupational Requirements: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study - vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position (transcripts required)Specialized Experience: Work that required obtaining and applying occupational information for people with disabilities, knowledge of the interrelationships of the involved professional and specialist services, and skill in employing the methodology and techniques of counseling to motivate and encourage individuals served by the program. Experience that demonstrated knowledge of the vocational rehabilitation problems characteristic of the disabled, including familiarity with available resources and skill in identifying, evaluating, and making effective use of such resources to serve individuals with disabilities; or of the disadvantaged, including knowledge of adjustment problems of the educationally or culturally disadvantaged, familiarity with available adult education and training resources, and ability to recognize problem areas needing special attention. Experience in vocational guidance or teaching in a recognized vocational rehabilitation program or school, developmental or supervisory work in programs of vocational rehabilitation or training programs for the disadvantaged, or personnel or employment placement work that provided extensive knowledge of the training and adjustment requirements necessary to place persons having disabilities or social adjustment problems. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement, you must meet the below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: ability to provide personal adjustment and problem-solving counseling necessary to motivate Veterans to adjust successfully to training/work situations; skill in professional counseling principles/techniques to guide Veterans to a realistic recognition of his/her problem, to understand and accept his/her capabilities and limitations and to assist in selecting a suitable vocational goal and a developing rehabilitation plan; knowledge of the theories, principles, concepts and methodologies of vocational rehabilitation and administrative mechanics appropriate to assignments; knowledge of the Supported Employment intervention, including procedures and strategies; knowledge program objectives of local, state and federal agencies; knowledge of specialized problems involved with the specific clinical population of assigned duty area; ability to exercise professional leadership in the program, including providing consultation services to staff, program planning, evaluation, research and development of new concepts and techniques; skill in approaching individuals and groups to establish rapport with persons who may be emotionally distraught, fearful, suspicious, uncooperative or dangerous; knowledge of training concepts and a working knowledge of the purposes and services of each of the various professional and technical specialties involved in the rehabilitation process. 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. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the position are primarily sedentary. In addition to performing work in office settings, the position requires that the employee to visit VA staff and Veterans at various locations in VA and the community. The position also requires the incumbent to drive on an occasional basis, to attend meetings in the local community with employers and other resources. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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 here: 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.