Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

Summary

This position is located at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center (RHJVAMC), within the Mental Health Service Line. The Employment Specialist provides vocational support to Veterans enrolled in the HUD-VASH (HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) program, helping participants achieve housing stability through sustained employment.

Duties

Major duties include but are not limited to: Conduct vocational assessments to identify Veterans' skills, interests, and employment barriers. Develop individualized employment plans in coordination with the Veteran and HUD-VASH treatment team. Provide job development, job placement, and job coaching services. Assist Veterans with resume writing, interview preparation, and job search strategies Coordinate with community employers, vocational rehabilitation programs, and training resources. Support Veterans in maintaining employment through follow-along services and problem-solving support. Address barriers to employment, including housing instability, transportation, mental health, and substance use concerns, in coordination with the care team. Document services and outcomes in accordance with VA and HUD-VASH program requirements. Track and report employment outcomes and program performance measures. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Work Schedule is subject to change based on agency need. Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process(AD-HOC). Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist/PD078800 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized 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, 11/12/2026. 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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 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.OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Successfully completed master's or equivalent graduate degree, or two (2) full years of graduate level education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D. with a major study in vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position.. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Your experience must be documented in your resume and transcripts are required. 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/.

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/.