This position is located in the Mental Health Service of the George E Wahlen, VA Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. The primary purpose of this position is to provide vocational rehabilitation and placement services for veterans who experience mental illness. The position is assigned to the Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Program. Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: (1) A master's degree in rehabilitation counseling or clinical rehabilitation counseling from a rehabilitation counseling program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). If the applicant's degree was granted prior to July 1, 2017, the program must be accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education. OR (2) A master's degree in counseling or clinical rehabilitation counseling from a college or university accredited by a national or regional accrediting body accredited by Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). OR (3) A master's or doctoral degree in a related field of study with course content that emphasized rehabilitation, counseling, disability, therapy, health, employment, wellness, or human development from a college or university accredited by a national or regional accrediting body accredited by CHEA. OR (4) Foreign graduates with a degree acceptable by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Driver License: Driver License is Required. Certification: Current, full and unrestricted certification as a certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC) from the CRCC to practice vocational rehabilitation counseling. Exceptions for Graduate RCs: RC graduates from an approved counseling or rehabilitation counseling program who otherwise meet the basic qualification requirements and the additional degree requirements for CRC certification by the CRCC, but do not possess the required certification, may be appointed, pending certification, as a graduate RC on a full-time temporary appointment not-to-exceed two years under the authority of 38 U.S.C. ? 7405(a)(1)(D) Graduate RCs may only be appointed at the entry grade level and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained. Temporary graduate RC appointments may not be extended beyond two years or converted to a new temporary appointment. Preferred Experience: Previous vocational rehabilitation experience preferred. Grade Determinations: GS 9: (1) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. (2) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs).In addition to meeting the experience or educational requirements for this grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of human development and behavior, medical, psychosocial, and vocational aspects of disability and differential influences of environmental and cultural factors to assist persons with disabilities in determining suitable vocational goals. (b) Knowledge of history, philosophy and disability rights legislation in the field of rehabilitation to apply in the practice of rehabilitation counseling. (c) Ability to synthesize assessment and diagnosis information in conjunction with labor market trends and community/educational resources to develop an effective individual service delivery plan. (d) Knowledge of caseload management strategies to maximize an individual's independent functioning from assessment through provision of post-employment services. (e) Ability to employ person-centered job development strategies to facilitate successful job placement. (f) Knowledge of assessment tools and methods, functional capacity evaluations and specific vocational preparation to evaluate transferrable skills, residual capacities and needs for accommodations and assistive technology. GS 11: Experience: Completion of one year of professional experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled. OR Education: A doctoral degree in rehabilitation counselor education or related field (e.g. rehabilitation psychology) from a CACREP accredited institution or from an institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting body accredited by CHEA. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of physical and psychological disabilities, appropriate accommodations and assistive technology principles to mitigate and reduce or eliminate barriers to integrate into the community. (b) Knowledge of counseling theory, medical and psychiatric terminology and signs and symptomology of suicidal and homicidal ideations, to communicate appropriately with community health care professionals to provide useful input to other team members and employers in relation to the Veteran and/or his/her family's psychosocial needs and to recommend and help implement suitable treatment plans. (c) Ability to use evidence-based and evidence informed vocational and professional counseling practices to include individual placement and support (IPS) customized employment and supported employment models and motivational interviewing skills to promote self-awareness, adjustment to disability, enhanced job retention and successful integration to the community. (d) Knowledge of career development processes and job analysis methodology to determine essential functions of jobs, worksite modifications and/or alternative vocational goals given the work history and residual functional capacities of individuals with disabilities. (e) Ability to administer and interpret a wide variety of assessment methods including transferrable skills and labor market analyses to evaluate for individual interests, aptitudes and abilities and to identify suitable vocational goals for the development of an effective individual service delivery plan. (f) Knowledge of marketing strategies to develop collaborative partnerships/Memorandums of Agreement within VA and local business community to enhance employment and/or work opportunities. (g) Knowledge of military culture and specific factors and dynamics associated with Veterans, particularly combat Veterans, to assist those who are returning to community and community based-work. References: VA Handbook 5005/133 PART II APPENDIX G62. REHABILITATION COUNSELOR QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-0101 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS 9 to GS 11. Physical Requirements: Traveling throughout the medical center and community is required, as is performing activities involving sitting, walking, and standing, bending and carrying such items as books, papers, and files. In carrying out responsibilities it will be necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where he/she conducts interviews with the Veterans, their families, representatives of community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies. The incumbent must possess current driver's license and drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties. ["Duties include but are not limited to the following: Assesses Veterans for intake into the vocation rehabilitation program. Writes Treatment Plans with and for patients to facilitate patient's MH prescribing provider for participation in a CWT program. Actively monitors their assigned Veteran's performance and recovery. Provides vocational counseling and refers patient acquire competitive employment. Solicits and develops employments opportunities for veterans through a wide array of employment search approached and activities within the local community, industry, state, and federal agencies. Oversees and places veterans assigned to various employment positions within the Hospital and the community through the Compensated Work Therapy Programs. Provides and assists in arranging suitable placement of more severely disabled, difficult to place veterans who may require more individualized treatment plans in vocational and academic training, community employment, and conducts follow-up and follow along services at these placements. Monitors and reports to the VA's North East Program Evaluation center data utilized for the associated performance measures, which are involved in the initiative. Provides job coaching, job accommodation and adaptation services to veterans with severe mental illness, which may include psychosis and negotiate other accommodations with those employers who employ these veterans either here at these Hospital or within the local community. Provides rehabilitation services, including the assessment and identification of skills and barriers to vocational interest, aptitude and abilities, through the use of clinical tests, observations, interviews, and other appropriate methodologies. These will be used to determine barriers to employment and determination worksite placements and appropriate competitive employment worksites. Provides and coordinates a variety of professional rehabilitation counseling and case management services. Assesses data received from medical and psychological reports, develops rehabilitation plans, and as appropriate, provides rehabilitation services. Provides personal adjustment and problem solving counseling, thus allowing treatment to continue on schedule by using effective counseling skills to determine the cause and extent of the adjustment problem and referring the veteran, if the problem is unresolved after counseling, to other treatment professionals. Serves as the rehabilitation case manager for veterans participating in the CWT program assigned to their caseload. Serves as a consultant to the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) treatment team regarding veteran's problems in his/her are of specialized knowledge. Provides consultation on vocational rehabilitation for the interdisciplinary treatment team and other clinical staff. Establish and maintains a liaison between the Hospital, State, and other local government agencies and those organizations within the community which support or provide competitive employment opportunities for veterans. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Available on an Ad-hoc basis Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 52503A, 52504A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,298 health care facilities, including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
