What are the responsibilities and job description for the Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor position at Winston-Salem Regional Benefit Office?
This position is located within the Vocational Rehabilitation and Education Division (VR&E). This incumbent of this position will serve as a Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Division, in the Regional Office. The position supervises VR&E staff and is responsible for the administration and workflow of the division. The incumbent exercises technical and oversight responsibility through subordinate employees for the VR&E Division
This position is covered by a single agency qualification standard, VA Handbook 5005/157, part II, appendix F2, dated July 28, 2023.
NOTE: Applicants must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized Experience as stated below.
1. 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.
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 Veterans Benefits Administration (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 or 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. NOTE: If work experience is credited for the basic requirement, that experience cannot also be used for qualifying at the GS-13 levels.
3. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, applicants must meet the specialized experience listed below.
To qualify at the GS-13 grade level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level or higher. Specialized Experience is defined as experience in Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment programs 1) expertise with employment and vocational rehabilitation programs; 2) possessing knowledge and expertise in the procedures for vocational and rehabilitation law; 3) the expertise to administer and counsel in the areas of counseling, rehabilitation, psychology, career development, and job placement entitlements; 4) the expertise to control budgetary resources for approving and monitoring financial expenditures. Note: This is the journey (or full performance) level for this occupation.
Specialized experience is defined as: professional vocational rehabilitation counseling work in delivery of service to adults with disabilities; providing case management that involved determining entitlement ranges from simple to complex; AND direct delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities in rehabilitation programs, other than those in correctional facilities.
There is no substitution of work experience for the basic educational requirement for the GS-13 grade level.
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.
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/.
Promotion Potential:
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor GS-11, PD # 39814A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Bargaining Unit: No
Qualifications:
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:06/10/2026.
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.
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.
This position is covered by a single agency qualification standard, VA Handbook 5005/157, part II, appendix F2, dated July 28, 2023.
NOTE: Applicants must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized Experience as stated below.
1. 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.
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 Veterans Benefits Administration (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 or 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. NOTE: If work experience is credited for the basic requirement, that experience cannot also be used for qualifying at the GS-13 levels.
3. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, applicants must meet the specialized experience listed below.
To qualify at the GS-13 grade level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level or higher. Specialized Experience is defined as experience in Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment programs 1) expertise with employment and vocational rehabilitation programs; 2) possessing knowledge and expertise in the procedures for vocational and rehabilitation law; 3) the expertise to administer and counsel in the areas of counseling, rehabilitation, psychology, career development, and job placement entitlements; 4) the expertise to control budgetary resources for approving and monitoring financial expenditures. Note: This is the journey (or full performance) level for this occupation.
Specialized experience is defined as: professional vocational rehabilitation counseling work in delivery of service to adults with disabilities; providing case management that involved determining entitlement ranges from simple to complex; AND direct delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities in rehabilitation programs, other than those in correctional facilities.
There is no substitution of work experience for the basic educational requirement for the GS-13 grade level.
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.
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/.
Responsibilities:
Typical duties include, but are not limited to:- Serves as a first-line supervisor for professional counseling staff and other VR&E staff as assigned.
- Serves as a subject matter expert in the area of Vocational Rehabilitation and Counseling case processing for the staff.
- Provides general guidance to employees on both work and administrative matters, in accordance with established regulations, policies, procedures, and practices. Assists with the staffing of difficult cases with the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and Employment Coordinator(s).
- Identifies problems with the work, adjusting as needed, to keep the cases moving and ensure accurate, successful rehabilitation scenarios.
- Ensures that caseload is appropriately balanced among the professional staff.
- Responsible for carrying out case reviews for and training for assigned professional staff on a regular and recurring basis and for conducting these reviews on Baltimore and other out-based locations as needed. In addition, he or she will help to support the quality assurance integrity of the division.
- Provides extensive training to incoming Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors within the office. Evaluates that training needs of all existing professional staff, and conducts refresher training, training on new technology/processes, and makes decisions on mission related training scenarios for individual staff.
- Is responsible to the VR&E division for Systematic Analyses of Operations in area of program review. Is responsible for identifying and correcting deficiencies recognized through systematic analysis, and for using the information to make improvements and streamline processes.
- Reviews Veterans' Counseling, Evaluation, Rehabilitation (CER) records to ensure compliance with regulations and procedures and to promote among staff members high quality of performance in entitlement determinations, evaluation, planning, rehabilitation, and placement services.
- Assists the division level management in the process of understanding, implementing, and monitoring a management system of work measurement, program evaluation, accountability, and a management information reporting system as it applies to VR&E.
Promotion Potential:
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor GS-11, PD # 39814A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Bargaining Unit: No
Salary : $106,437