Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist at Minneapolis

JOB SUMMARY:

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Vacancy Identification Number (VIN)  943230 

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincolns promise – "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" – by serving and honoring the men and women who are Americas Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?

The Minneapolis VA Health Care System is part of the VISN 23 Network and is recruiting for a full-time Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist at the GS 9/11 level within the Therapeutic and Supported Employment Services program.  The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist will provide supported employment services to veterans with physical psychiatric disabilities.

The Minneapolis VA Health Care System (MVAHCS) is a teaching hospital providing a full range of patient care services with state-of-the-art technology, as well as education and research. Comprehensive health care is provided through primary care, tertiary care and long-term care in areas of medicine, surgery, psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurology, oncology, dentistry, geriatrics and extended care.

As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless.  With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips.  Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the Nation, but we also provide many other services to Veterans through the Benefits Administration and National Cemeteries.  VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home life.  VA offers generous paid time off and a variety of predictable and flexible scheduling opportunities.  For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs, go to  http://www.vacareers.va.gov/ 

Special Employment Consideration: VAencourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible forhiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e.,intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatricdisabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connecteddisability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact on thelast page of the JOA for information on how to apply under this appointmentauthority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• Time-in-grade Restriction for current Federal employees

DUTIES:Back to top

The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist provides for physically and emotionally disabled patients and able-bodied patients those services necessary for the attainment and maintenance of satisfactory vocational rehabilitation in an independent and fully professional manner.  His/her case load includes patients with serious chronic medical conditions, orthopedic impairments, psychiatric disorders, and those with educationally and culturally disadvantaged backgrounds.  Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

-Analyzes mental and physical disabilities or other handicaps to determine barriers to successful employment

-Develops strategies to engage clients who may be reluctant to pursue employment

-Develops active and effective working relationships with the employment community, such that job development, employer understanding, job modification or adaptation to clients needs are accomplished in the best interests of all concerned

-Documents services rendered to clients in their medical record, and prepares a written summary for each client for whom service is rendered

-Provides follow-up counseling to assure adjustment on the job, and to maintain placement

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8AM to 4:30PM

FLSA Status: GS 9 Non-Exempt, GS 11 Exempt

Bargaining Unit: AFGE Local 3669

Position Description PD#: 5915A, 9443A

Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:Back to top

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

 

Time-in-grade:   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 positions above the GS-5 level.

 

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:

Applicants must possess qualifying specialized experience to be considered for this vacancy. 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 problems 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.

GS 9: Applicants must have One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS- 07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: assignments in which you directly carry out selected aspects of the total case process, such as interviewing or conferring with the persons served by the program, with employers, with officials of training establishments, and with others involved in the vocational rehabilitation process; or designing training programs and making minor adjustments according to the needs of the individual cases and drafting job training contracts.  At the GS 7 level, assignments involve a gradually increasing range and variety of case aspects, problems, and types of handicaps.

OR

Masters or equivalent doctoral degree or two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B or J.D., if related with a major study in directly related to vocational rehabilitation (vocational or educational counseling, or other related field). (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

OR

A combination of progressively higher level graduate education and experience may be substituted.  For example, you could have 6 months of specialized experience at the GS-7 (50%) and 27 semester hours of graduate education (50%) to meet the requirements of the position. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

GS 11: Applicants 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: training and fitting handicapped individuals to the requirements of regularly established kinds of work which they can perform despite their handicap, and applying specialized knowledge of the situation, the skill requirements, and the job demands, to estimate the probable success that the handicapped individual will have in completing a training program and in being placed in employment in a particular occupation.

OR

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related with a major study in directly related to vocational rehabilitation (vocational or educational counseling, or other related field). (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

OR

A combination of progressively higher level graduate education and experience may be substituted. For example, you could have 6 months of specialized experience at the GS-9 (50%) and 45 semester hours of graduate education (50%) to meet the requirements of the position. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

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 incumbent must be in good physical condition to transport severely handicapped clients to training and employment sites without assistance.  Other physical demands include stooping, bending and lifting.

RATING:

You will be rated on the following Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other characteristics (KSAOs) based on your application for this position.

KSA 1 - Knowledge of theories, principles, and practices of vocational rehabilitation

KSA 2 - Ability to assess employability needs, goals, and objectives of patients with mental and/or physical disabilities

KSA 3 - Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with a wide range of people from different backgrounds

If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.

 

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE . If your resume/application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Veterans Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claimpreference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided andprovide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which showsdates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates ofimpending separation.

Additionally, disabledveterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothersof eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 PointVeterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form.  Formore information, please review the information for disabled Veterans in theapplication checklist or visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Your résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

 

Country: USA, State: Minnesota, City: Minneapolis, Company: Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration.