Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor-Pathways Recent Graduate Program at Shreveport

JOB SUMMARY:

Vacancy Identification Number (VIN)920876

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln’s 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 America’s Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?

 

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/ 

 

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) values the contributions made by recent graduates of all ages and backgrounds. 

 

This announcement is for a position being filled under the Pathways Recent Graduate Program for individuals who have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.

The Pathways Recent Graduate Program provides managers a ready source of developmental employees and potential permanent employees upon completion of the program requirements. It also provides the recent gradudate with work experience directly related to their degree and career goals while offering eligibility for non-competitive conversion to permanent employment upon completion. 

 

Pathways Program Considerations:

 

• Veterans Civil Service Preference applies to selection for positions in the Pathways Programs.
• An agency may appoint a non-citizen, provided that the individual is lawfully admitted to the United States as a permanent resident or is otherwise authorized to be employed.
• Appointments made under the Pathways Programs are under Schedule D in the excepted service.
• Service in a Pathways Program confers no right to further employment in the competitive or excepted service.

 

Here are some key provisions of the Recent Graduates Program:

 

• Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.
• Preference Eligible Veterans unable to apply, due to military service obligations, have up to six years after the completion of their degree and/or certificate to apply.
• An individual who completed his or her educational requirements between December 27, 2010 and the effective date of the Pathways regulations (July 10, 2012) has 2 years of eligibility from July 10, 2012 to apply to the Recent Graduates Program.
• Mentorship throughout the program, Individual Development Plan (IDP), career planning, professional development, and training activities.
• Recent Graduates may be converted to a permanent position after successful completion of the 1-year Program period or at the end of the 120-day approved extension, unless the agency has an approved longer program based on a rigorous training and development requirement; or, in some limited circumstances a term appointment lasting 1-4 years.

 

Full requirements for Conversion:

 

• Completion of at least 1-year of continuous service in addition to all requirements of the Program.
• Demonstrated successful job performance.
• Meet the qualification standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted.
• Must possess US citizenship in order to be converted to a career/career conditional appointment.

 

For more information on the Pathways for Students go to http://www.opm.gov/HiringReform/Pathways/ 

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• U.S. citizen
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• A complete application package; Resume, Vet Pref (if applicable), etc.
• A completed Occupational Questionnaire.
• Proof of degree or certificate (i.e. transcripts, Registrar Letter...etc).
• You may be subject to a probationary period.

DUTIES:Back to top

This Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor-Pathways Recent Graduate Program (GS - 0199- 09) is under the Veterans Benefits Administration, New Orleans VA Regional Office, VR & E Division, located in Shreveport, Fort Polk, and New Orleans, LA.

 

As a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (TL) with the New Orleans Regional VA office you will:

• Provide and coordinate a wide range of vocational rehabilitation counseling and case management services to veterans with severe disabilities and other eligible individuals

• Perform initial evaluations, make eligibility and entitlement determinations, conduct rehabilitation planning and problem solving, and conduct counseling
• Assess data received from medical, psychological, and vocational evaluations to develop complex, individualized rehabilitation plans
• Coordinate and implement rehabilitation services, case documentation, employment services, and administration and interpretation of vocational testing

• Deliver both individual and group vocational rehabilitation counseling sessions
• Make recommendations and referrals to other sources that may assist the veteran

• Prepare official correspondence to include explaining decisions and creating administrative reports

• Coordinate referrals to other agencies and training programs

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:Back to top

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet time-in-grade requirements and qualifications requirements by the closing date, Thursday, July 11, 2013, of this announcement.

TIME-IN-GRADE:

GS-09: 52 weeks or equivalent of Federal Service at the GS-7 or equivalent 

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT (GS-9): Satisfactory completion in an accredited college or university of all the requirements for a masters degree in rehabilitation counseling, including an internship; OR a masters degree in counseling psychology or a related field, including at least 30 semester hours of course work in such areas as foundations of rehabilitation counseling, human growth and development, counseling theories and techniques, vocational assessment, career development, job placement, case management, and medical/psycho-social aspects of disability. Total graduate study must have included or been supplemented by a supervised internship.
OR
For masters degree programs without a supervised internship/practicum, substitution is allowed for successful professional experience following completion of a masters degree. Experience suitable for substitution must be one full year in direct delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities in rehabilitation programs, other than those in correctional facilities. A professional in vocational rehabilitation or a closely related professional field that typically has oversight for vocational rehabilitation programs must have supervised the experience or internship/practicum.

NOTE: SUBSTITUTION OF WORK EXPERIENCE ONLY APPLIES TO THE INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENT. IT DOES NOT REPLACE OR SUBSTITUTE THE BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT OF A MASTER’S DEGREE.

 

Supervised Internship – You must describe the duties and responsibilities performed during your supervised internship. Include the dates of the internship(s), where the internship(s) was performed, number of hours completed, and the name and title of the individual that supervised your internship.

 

NON-QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE: Vocational Rehabilitation experience obtained prior to completion of the requirements for the masters degree is not qualifying.

 

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: To qualify applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade as the position they are applying for. Specialized experience for the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor is defined as work that involves (1) Performing initial evaluations, entitlement determinations, and rehabilitation planning; (2) Providing individual and/or group counseling sessions; and (3) Consulting with medical and/or psychological providers regarding rehabilitation services.

 

GS-09: For placement at the GS-9 level, the Basic Education Requirement above must be met.

 

GRADUATE LEVEL TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED. Transcripts must be submitted with your application and reflect institution, major, grades, credit hours, grade point average or class ranking and Awarded/Conferred Master’s Degree.

 

A clear legible copy of your official/unofficial transcript (reflecting institution, major, grades, credit hours and grade point average or class ranking) must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

 

You will be rated on the following Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other characteristics (KSAOs) as demonstrated in your resume/application) for this position.

1. Knowledge of vocational rehabilitation counseling and case management techniques.
2. Knowledge of differential diagnostic assessment processes used in vocational, educational, rehabilitation, or personal adjustment counseling.
3. Ability to communicate in writing in a clear and concise manner.
4. Ability to communicate orally with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and with varying degrees of understanding.
5. Ability to function effectively working as a team member.
 

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit OPMs web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/alph-ndx.asp.

APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. *** 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. ***

FOREIGN EDUCATION: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must submit original official college transcripts from an accredited educational institution that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs.

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).

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

After the vacancy announcement closes, 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.

Veteran’s Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference, for 5pt (TP) or 10pt (CP/CPS, XPP, XP) ...etc., on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation.  Documentation is required to award preference. (See "Required Documents" section)

Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veterans Preference" with required proof as listed on page two (2) of the form.  For more information, please review the information for disabled Veterans in the application checklist or visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

Country: USA, State: Louisiana, City: Shreveport, Company: Veterans Benefits Administration.