Rehabilitation Counselor

Summary The Rehabilitation Counselor serves as a certified rehabilitation provider as a member of the Vocational Rehabilitation Services Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Program under the Rehabilitation Services Section of the Mental Health Clinical Center

• within the Veterans Administration Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS).

Rehabilitation Counselors work with an interdisciplinary team to provide and coordinate a wide range of rehabilitation counseling services to Veterans with disabilities.

Qualifications 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:

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 degree was granted prior to July 1

• 2017
• the program must be accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education OR 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 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 Foreign graduates with a degree acceptable by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC)

Certification:

Current

• full and unrestricted certification as a certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC) from the CRCC to practice vocational rehabilitation counseling Exceptions for Graduate RCs (a) 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) (b) Graduate RCs may only be appointed at the entry grade level (GS-9) and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained (c) Temporary graduate RC appointments may not be extended beyond two years or converted to a new temporary appointment

English Language Proficiency:

Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)

Grade Determinations:

Rehabilitation Counselor

• GS-09 Experience None beyond the basic requirements 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:

Knowledge of human development and behavior

• medical
• psychosocial
• and vocational aspects of disability and differential influences of environmental factors to assist persons with disabilities in determining suitable vocational goals Knowledge of history
• philosophy and disability rights legislation in the field of rehabilitation to apply in the practice of rehabilitation counseling 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 Knowledge of caseload management strategies to maximize an individual's independent functioning from assessment through provision of post-employment services Ability to employ person-centered job development strategies to facilitate successful job placement 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 Rehabilitation Counselor•GS-11

Experience:

Completion of one year of professional experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-9) level directly related to the position being filled Examples of experience are but not limited to: Provide vocational and personal adjustment counseling

• case management and transferrable skills analyses to aid Veterans with severe disabilities in pursuit of their self-determined employment
• educational and independent living goals Conduct assessments through record reviews
• observations and interviews with Veterans and their support systems to generate and document personal
• vocational and educational histories Customize evaluation of abilities
• aptitudes
• interests
• values and preferences Assist Veterans in vocational exploration activities to include informational interviews and labor market research Examine the impact of employment income on Veteran's benefits In coordination with Veteran's interdisciplinary teams (IDT)
• develop and amend patient-centered treatment plans utilizing specific
• measurable
• agreed upon
• realistic and time-based (SMART) goals

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:

Knowledge of physical and psychological disabilities

• appropriate accommodations and assistive technology principles to mitigate and reduce or eliminate barriers to integrate into the community 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 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 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 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 Knowledge of marketing strategies to develop collaborative partnerships/Memorandums of Agreement within VA and local business community to enhance employment and/or work opportunities Knowledge of military lifestyle•specific factors•and dynamics associated with Veterans•particularly combat Veterans•to assist those who are returning to community and community based-work

Preferred Experience:

Experience providing services with adult populations Experience working with behavioral health populations Experience working with populations diagnosed with serious mental illnesses Experience developing patient-centered treatment plans utilizing SMART goals and providing ongoing assessment of individuals progress Experience in rehabilitation counseling

Reference:

For more information on this qualification standard

• please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ 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-09 to GS-11. Duties Duties are but not limited too: Serve as a Rehabilitation Counselor providing personal adjustment counseling
• therapeutic rehabilitation interventions
• and case coordination services Serve Veterans who have myriad barriers to overcome and achieve competitive employment
• educational
• and independent living goals Provide a variety of professional rehabilitation counseling services such as personal adjustment counseling
• therapeutic rehabilitation interventions and case coordination services
• utilizing evidence-informed and evidence-based modalities and professional counseling practices to aid Veterans with severe disabilities in achieving competitive employment and educational and independent living goals Conduct biopsychosocial assessments using medical records
• pertinent disability documentation
• observation and interviews with Veterans and their support systems to generate personal
• vocational
• and educational histories Select
• administer
• and interpret vocational and other psychometric instruments to evaluate abilities
• transferrable skills
• functional capacity
• labor market analyses
• aptitudes
• interests
• values
• preferences
• and overall work resilience and synthesize into an interpretive data report Consult with interdisciplinary teams to enhance coordination of care
• ensure medical clearance
• and provide for optimal timing of further interventions Determine clinical need for and capacity to benefit from therapeutic and rehabilitation services to include work restoration/resilience treatment
• transitional work placement and/or competitive employment
• assistive technology
• financial benefits counseling and potential benefits protections Develop patient-centered treatment plans utilizing Specific
• Measurable
• Agreed upon
• Realistic
• and Time-based (SMART) goals and provides ongoing assessment of Veteran's progress Provide psychoeducational and/or psychotherapeutic groups to facilitate effective job search skills
• employer-desired soft skills
• work and life skills fostering independence and recovery Provide job development
• customized employment
• job carving
• job coaching
• job accommodation
• advocacy
• and adaptation services to both Veterans with severe disabilities and to educate and support employers Provide professional recommendations and guidance regarding the 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 Utilize knowledge of the military culture
• military transition to civilian occupations
• and specific factors and dynamics associated with Veterans
• particularly combat Veterans
• to advise those who are returning to the community
• and community-based work

Work Schedule:

Monday

• Friday
• 8:00am
• 4:30pm

Telework:

Not Available Virtual:

This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 26171-F/25505-

F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives:

Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized