Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

Summary

The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist (VRS) position is located in the Community Engagement and Reintegration Service (CERS), within the Veteran Community Employee Development (VCED) department, of the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare system (VAGLAHS). The incumbent is assigned vocational rehabilitation duties throughout the hospital, its clinics, and within the community. The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist falls under the auspices of the Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) programs.

Duties

Duties may include but are not limited to: Determines the vocational goals and objectives of the Veteran based on referral from a professional staff member or by interviewing the Veteran. Determines the areas of vocational interests, and decides what services such as job seeking skills training, resume development, or interview skills training the Veteran may require in order to successfully obtain suitable employment. Counsels and guides Veterans through difficult transition in the adjustment to employment. Coordinates with various resources to locate a training facility in the community that will be specifically suitable from the standpoint of the particular needs and problems of the individual. Helps the employer to understand the nature of the Veteran's limitations while maintaining a positive impression of the Veteran's capability to succeed. Networks with community employers, community agencies, and community businesses with the goal of developing professional relationships with these groups in order to assist program participants in obtaining and maintaining suitable community employment. May be assigned other administrative duties as needed to advance the Compensated Work Therapy programs, such as preparation for Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) surveys. Work Schedule: Various tours of duty based on the needs of the service. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist/PD11160A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/28/2026. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Individual Occupational Requirements Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position. 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: 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. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Education and Training Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Technical Competence Therapy and Counseling 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. 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 are moderate. Although some of the physical work is sedentary, there will be significant (50 - 70% of the time) local travel for support purposes. 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/.

Education

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/.