Summary This position is located in the Social Work Service at West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System - Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach, FL. The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist (YRS) is responsible for utilizing the practices of the Evidence Based Recovery Model to provide individualized job finding and job retention services to patients with significant barriers to employment. Responsibilities ***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 and responsibilities include but not limited to: Performing the duties of a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist/Case Management, serving both the psychiatric and medical patients on an individualized basis Receiving and carrying through a full range of difficult and special procedure cases without supervision as a Case Manager Serving as a case manager to Veterans with potential for vocational rehabilitation and ensuring that they receive services for which they are eligible in a coordinated and expeditious manner Completing a vocational assessment and Individual Plan of Employment (IPE) for those referred for vocational services Understanding resources within the medical center, the other regional facilities, the VA regional offices, and state and community which could be provided for the patient's rehabilitation plan Attempting to restore patients to a level of functioning that will allow him to enter the competitive job market and live independently Completing job development of individual patients and using a large degree of independence and responsibility in maintaining cordial relationships with employers and community representatives in general Assessing the patient's aptitude and interests; investigating the attitude of employers in the community; placing patients in training or job situations; and using individual and group methods to guide the patient in the basic elements of job seeking, interviewing, job adjustment, advancement on the job, and skills required for independent living Motivating patients toward independent living and attempting to enhance the independence and responsibilities of the patient Working with prospective employers and training facilities to "sell" the program to them and to develop educational and vocational openings for selected patients Completing an initial vocational assessment and IPE, progress notes and a discharge note in accordance with TJC and CARF Standards Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 08:00 a.m. to 04:30 p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications Minimum Requirement: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must met. Specialized Experience (GS-11): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: (1) 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; (2) 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; AND/OR (3) 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. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) OR, Education (GS-11): 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. The major study must be vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position (Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist) NOTE: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) OR, Combination (GS-11): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education as described above. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level (i.e. 36 semester hours) may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-11. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) AND DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENT: A valid state driver's license is required for travel and incumbent will complete all necessary training for transporting patients in government vehicles. The incumbent must transport Veterans as needed to vocational employment related functions. (We cannot accept photographs, so please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. You may be required to show your valid driver's license at the time of your interview.) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Education and Training Interpersonal Skills Technical Competence Therapy and Counseling IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: The position requires that the incumbent drive on a regular basis. The position requires that the incumbent must possess a valid state driver's license. 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 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.