What are the responsibilities and job description for the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?
Summary
The position is physically located at the VA Medical Center / Health Care System (VAMC/ HCS) The incumbent is assigned vocational rehabilitation duties throughout the hospital - clinics - and with the community.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 06/12/2026. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements: Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- vocational rehabilitation - vocational or educational counseling - or other fields related to the position; or Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: 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 Requirements - you may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. OR - Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. - if related (NOTE: A transcript or course listing must be submitted if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education). OR - Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond a master's degree or more than 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in vocational rehabilitation - vocational or educational counseling or related discipline. (NOTE: A transcript or course listing must be submitted if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education). 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 this position involve primarily walking - sitting - talking - driving - use of the telephone - etc. Strenuous physical activity is not required although the incumbent is expected to withstand pressure and stress as part of their day-to-day activities. There is ongoing exposure to individuals having psychiatric and physical illness and disabilities. These include violent or aggressive behavior and chronic psychiatric and medical problems. Light lifting - under 15 pounds - Light carrying - under 15 pounds - Hearing (aid permitted). 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 position is physically located at the VA Medical Center / Health Care System (VAMC/ HCS) The incumbent is assigned vocational rehabilitation duties throughout the hospital - clinics - and with the community.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 06/12/2026. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements: Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- vocational rehabilitation - vocational or educational counseling - or other fields related to the position; or Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: 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 Requirements - you may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. OR - Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. - if related (NOTE: A transcript or course listing must be submitted if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education). OR - Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond a master's degree or more than 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in vocational rehabilitation - vocational or educational counseling or related discipline. (NOTE: A transcript or course listing must be submitted if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education). 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 this position involve primarily walking - sitting - talking - driving - use of the telephone - etc. Strenuous physical activity is not required although the incumbent is expected to withstand pressure and stress as part of their day-to-day activities. There is ongoing exposure to individuals having psychiatric and physical illness and disabilities. These include violent or aggressive behavior and chronic psychiatric and medical problems. Light lifting - under 15 pounds - Light carrying - under 15 pounds - Hearing (aid permitted). 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
- Major duties include but are not limited to: Serve as the vocational Rehabilitation Specialist - Case Manager of the medical center assigned to the vocational rehabilitation/MHRRTP section to ensure that all referred disabled veterans are placed in appropriate programs leading to employment and/or independent living
- Incumbent will function within the vocational rehab section as part of the Veterans Industries CWT/TWE/IT component
- Incumbent initiates the rehabilitation process of veterans referred to the Vocational Rehabilitation section to ensure that all treatment and rehabilitative services needed by all referred potentially employable veterans are process in a comprehensive - coordinated and timely manner
- Incumbent is responsible for the provision and utilization of appropriate counseling techniques and strategies to increase the functioning of seriously mentally ill patients as well as those patients with physical disabilities
- Accepts referral of Chronic/Seriously handicapped veterans and other veterans in all diagnostic categories with varying degrees and combinations of physical - mental - social and psychological disabilities
- Will be responsible for employing assessment and modification techniques for problems with in the psychiatric - clinical - educational - and rehabilitative setting in an effort to maximize the patients rehabilitative potential
- This is inclusive of patients from Mental Health Intensive Case Management - Day Treatment Center - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services - and Homeless Programs
- Visits assigned CWT/TWE/IT job sites to ensure individualized proper techniques for procedures and quality contact for regular and severe cases
- Uses individualized counseling - individualized treatment modalities - individualized job placements - training and development of placement sites - for severely handicapped veterans - to increase their level of functioning for job placement
- Ability to work closely with interdisciplinary team - including physicians - vocational rehabilitation counselors - therapist - and social workers
- Makes arrangements for exploratory training programs such as a sheltered workshops - and Incentive Therapy assignments for both regular procedural cases and severe cases assigned to Vocational Rehabilitation
- In accomplishing this objective both therapy and job productivity are monitored for future TWE placements
- Serves as an educational resource via mandatory teaching and individualized educational programs as assessment
- When appropriate - conducts Group Therapy to cover a vast array of educational - employment training - and community living needs
- Extensive knowledge of handicapped veterans to ensure employees understand and are willing to comply with recommended job modifications to mee1 identified needs associated with physical - mental and social psychological handicaps - work tolerance and motivational techniques
- Incumbent is responsible for utilizing his/her skills and knowledge in appropriately matching the veterans' skills with the most appropriate job placement - assessing and reassessment of stressors physical or mental associated with the job end assisting veteran in successfully moving through obstacles for positive outcomes
- Work Schedule: Full-Time - Monday - Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm
- Work Schedule is subject to change based on agency need
- Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position
- Position Description/PD#: Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist/PD08876A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Salary : $74,678 - $97,087