Blind Rehabilitation Specialist

Summary

The Blind Rehabilitation Specialist (BRS) is responsible for providing a full range of blind rehabilitation therapies to Veterans and service members within the Southwestern Blind Rehabilitation Center (SWBRC) at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS), in Tucson, AZ. Service may occasionally be provided via Telehealth. We are currently hiring for Blind Rehab Specialist Technology Instructors to join our Technology Team.

Duties

• The Blind Rehabilitation Specialist position located in the Southwestern Blind Rehabilitation Center (SWBRC) provides care and services to enhance the quality of life for individuals with vision loss through participation in a comprehensive and individualized rehabilitation program, so they may successfully reintegrate back into their community and family environments. Duties may include, but are not limited to the following: Evaluating and assessing needs, capabilities and limitations, goal setting and prescribing a treatment plan for individuals experiencing blindness/visual impairment caused by injury or disease. Works as part of the inpatient rehabilitation team coordinating care for blind and visually impaired Veterans. Maintains close communication with all other members of the interdisciplinary SWBRC staff, including optometry, psychology, social work, recreation, and nursing, to ensure the needs and goals of the Veteran are being met. Independent evaluation, treatment, and management of a blind and vision rehabilitation program of instruction that teaches Veterans with visual impairments to utilize adaptive skills and techniques necessary to cope with the demands of everyday life. Use diagnostic and therapeutic techniques and instrumentation to identify and resolve or minimize these problems. Identify the difficulties confronting the Veteran and the barriers to treatment and then develop and provide intervention designed to enhance the blind and vision rehabilitation process. Develops an individualized treatment plan in conjunction with an interdisciplinary team to improve the quality of life for blind and visually impaired Veterans through the development of skills and capabilities needed for personal independence, emotional stability and the successful integration into community, family, and environment. Serves as a subject matter expert for other medical and allied health staff by providing counseling to healthcare providers and professionals on the nature of visual impairment and blind and vision rehabilitation. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm or 8:00am-4:30pm

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

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/.