Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

Summary

This Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist position will be assigned to the Social Work Service, VA Northern Indiana Healthcare System, at the VA Outpatient Clinic in Mishawaka, IN. The focus is to promote optimal vocational functioning of clients within the community, in the context of prescribed job development interventions specified in the clients' treatment plans.

Duties

• ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Major duties include but are not limited to the following: Assess Veterans' vocational needs, employment goals, and barriers to employment. Develop individualized employment plans and vocational rehabilitation strategies. Provide job readiness training and ongoing job retention support. Assist Veterans with job searches, resume writing, and interview preparation. Identify suitable employment opportunities and provide job placement services. Establish and maintain relationships with community employers and job training programs. Collaborate with HUD-VASH staff and healthcare providers to coordinate employment services. Coordinate referrals to supportive services to address employment barriers. Provide therapeutic employment services to Veterans with mental health, substance use, and physical disorders. Apply supported employment practices and motivational interviewing techniques. Conduct employment workshops and vocational skills training sessions. Document vocational assessments, service plans, and employment outcomes in electronic records. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

Qualifications

TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-9 GRADE LEVEL, YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: 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. ~AND~ DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENT: This position requires a current, valid, and unrestricted 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, valid, and unrestricted state driver's license. In addition to meeting the English Language Proficiency and Driver's License Requirement, to qualify for this position, you must meet one of the following requirements: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you 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-7 level in the Federal service. 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. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. ~OR~ SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: Successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 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 or an LL.B. or J.D., if related to the position. Education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Have equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which may be used to meet total experience requirements for this grade level. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be cred…

Education

IMPORTANT: 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/.