What are the responsibilities and job description for the Vocational Development Specialist position at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?
Summary
The Vocational Development Specialist (Employment Specialist) serves within the Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program in Albany - New York - and is responsible for assisting homeless - formerly homeless - and at-risk Veterans in obtaining and maintaining competitive employment. The incumbent conducts vocational assessments - develops individualized employment plans - provides vocational counseling and job placement services.
Qualifications
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENT: Applicant must possess a current - valid state driver's license. Do you have a current - valid state driver's license? NOTE: We cannot accept photographs - therefore; please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. If an interview is requested - you may be required to provide a copy of your current and valid state-issued driver's license. This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill - knowledge - ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience conducting employer outreach and business engagement activities to identify and develop employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.. In addition to meeting the above requirements - applicants must also meet one of the following: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge - skills - and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position - and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable - this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: assessing vocational and employment needs of individuals with disabilities - homelessness - or other barriers to employment; developing and implementing individualized employment or vocational plans; providing vocational guidance - counseling - job development - and placement services; coordinating services with employers - community agencies - and multidisciplinary teams; identifying and addressing barriers to employment; documenting vocational interventions and outcomes; and assisting individuals in obtaining and maintaining competitive community-based employment. 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. ~OR~ EDUCATION - Applicants must possess successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree with a major study in vocational rehabilitation - vocational or educational counseling - or other fields related to the position. This education must demonstrate the knowledge - skills - and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (Transcript Required) ~OR~ COMBINATION - Combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. (Transcript Required) Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary - although some slight physical effort may be required. A portion of time (40%-60% of time) is spent travelling by government vehicle to meet with Veterans or employers in the community or other external partners who contribute to the workforce system. The stress related to providing services to Veterans in emotional distress or who may be demanding and uncooperative - can be more significant than that of most sedentary positions. 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/.
Duties
The Vocational Development Specialist (Employment Specialist) serves within the Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program in Albany - New York - and is responsible for assisting homeless - formerly homeless - and at-risk Veterans in obtaining and maintaining competitive employment. The incumbent conducts vocational assessments - develops individualized employment plans - provides vocational counseling and job placement services.
Qualifications
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENT: Applicant must possess a current - valid state driver's license. Do you have a current - valid state driver's license? NOTE: We cannot accept photographs - therefore; please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. If an interview is requested - you may be required to provide a copy of your current and valid state-issued driver's license. This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill - knowledge - ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience conducting employer outreach and business engagement activities to identify and develop employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.. In addition to meeting the above requirements - applicants must also meet one of the following: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge - skills - and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position - and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable - this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: assessing vocational and employment needs of individuals with disabilities - homelessness - or other barriers to employment; developing and implementing individualized employment or vocational plans; providing vocational guidance - counseling - job development - and placement services; coordinating services with employers - community agencies - and multidisciplinary teams; identifying and addressing barriers to employment; documenting vocational interventions and outcomes; and assisting individuals in obtaining and maintaining competitive community-based employment. 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. ~OR~ EDUCATION - Applicants must possess successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree with a major study in vocational rehabilitation - vocational or educational counseling - or other fields related to the position. This education must demonstrate the knowledge - skills - and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (Transcript Required) ~OR~ COMBINATION - Combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. (Transcript Required) Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary - although some slight physical effort may be required. A portion of time (40%-60% of time) is spent travelling by government vehicle to meet with Veterans or employers in the community or other external partners who contribute to the workforce system. The stress related to providing services to Veterans in emotional distress or who may be demanding and uncooperative - can be more significant than that of most sedentary positions. 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/.
Duties
- ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION - YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Duties include - but may not be limited to the following: Conduct vocational assessments and interviews to identify Veterans' employment history - education - interests - skills - abilities - and barriers to employment
- Develop individualized employment plans and vocational strategies designed to help Veterans obtain and maintain competitive employment
- Provide vocational counseling - employment guidance - and career planning services to Veterans experiencing homelessness or significant employment barriers
- Assist Veterans with job search activities - including resume preparation - application completion - interview preparation - and interview skills training
- Develop and maintain relationships with employers - community organizations - workforce agencies - and vocational rehabilitation resources to create employment opportunities for Veterans
- Coordinate referrals to vocational rehabilitation - Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) - Department of Labor programs - training programs - and other employment-related services as appropriate
- Advocate on behalf of Veterans and negotiate with employers regarding employment opportunities - workplace accommodations - and job retention strategies
- Monitor employment progress and outcomes - provide follow-up services - and assist Veterans with maintaining employment and improving vocational functioning
- Document vocational assessments - employment plans - interventions - referrals - goals - and outcomes in electronic records and case management systems
- Participate as a member of interdisciplinary treatment teams by collaborating with healthcare providers - social workers - rehabilitation staff - and community partners to address barriers impacting employment success
- Attend and participate in job fairs - community outreach events - and employer engagement activities to expand employment opportunities for Veterans
- Provide customer service to Veterans - employers - community agencies - and other stakeholders while ensuring compliance with VA policies - privacy requirements - and documentation standards
- Performs other related duties as assigned
- Work Schedule: Full-Time
- Monday through Friday
- 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
- Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
- Telework: This position may be authorized for telework on an ad-hoc basis - per agency policy
- Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Salary : $77,045 - $100,164