Rehabilitation Counselor

Summary

Rehabilitation Counselors in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) work with Veterans who experience functional impairments and disabilities associated with mental health, physical, and/or psychosocial challenges affecting employment, independent living, or personal adjustment. Incumbent will use professional counseling and clinical modalities to promote and support optimal functioning, independence, personal adjustment, adaptation to disability, community reintegration, and recovery.

Duties

• Duties include, but are not limited to: Serving as a developmental Rehabilitation Counselor (RC) providing vocational/personal adjustment counseling, therapeutic rehabilitation interventions, case management, and case coordination services. Providing 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 disabilities in integrating successfully into the community and achieving competitive employment and educational and independent living goals. Working with an interdisciplinary team to provide and coordinate a wide range of rehabilitation counseling services to Veterans with disabilities. Consulting and collaborating with interdisciplinary treatment teams or other clinical staff to enhance coordination of care, ensure medical clearance, and provide for optimal timing of further interventions as it relates to the Veteran's vocational rehabilitation needs. Ensuring fidelity to evidence-based and evidence-informed vocational and professional counseling practices. Evaluating Veteran's abilities and disabilities; monitoring and recording Veteran's progress to ensure goals and objectives are met. Conducting biopsychosocial assessments using medical records, pertinent disability documentation, and observation. Synthesizing the information to develop case conceptualization and make clinical recommendations to facilitate treatment planning and provision. Following all suicide risk/prevention protocols in accordance with national and local policies, including administration of the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Selecting, administering, and interpreting psychometric assessments and vocational instruments to evaluate abilities, transferrable skills, aptitudes, interests, values, preferences, and overall work resilience. Customizing vocational exploration activities, including informational interviews and labor market research, to identify self-determined rehabilitation needs and goals. Determining clinical need for and capacity to benefit from therapeutic and rehabilitation services. Vocational programming benefits may include work restoration/resilience treatment, transitional work placement and compensation, financial benefits counseling, potential benefits protections, supported employment, and assistive technology. Developing patient-centered treatment plans, using Specific, Measurable, Agreed upon, Realistic, and Time-based (SMART) goals, and provides regular, ongoing assessment of Veteran's progress. Complete clinical charting and participate in professional peer reviews. Providing job development, job placement, job coaching, job accommodation, adaptation, retention, and education services to both Veterans with disabilities and for those employers who employ these Veterans. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 000000/ Rehabilitation Counselor Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript with the conferred date (if graduated) 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.