Rehabilitation Counselor

Veterans Health Administration • Johnson City, TN

12d • Onsite

About The Position

The Rehabilitation Counselor (RC) is organizationally located at the James H. Quillen Veterans Administration Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tennessee. The position is assigned to the Vocational Rehabilitation Program within Mental Health Service. The program provides vocational services including Transitional Work, Supported Employment, Community Based Employment Services, and Vocational Assistance.

The counselor works with Veterans whose mental health, physical, or psychosocial challenges affect employment, independent living, or personal adjustment. Using professional counseling and clinical modalities, the RC supports functioning, independence, adjustment to and adaptation to disability, community reintegration, and recovery. The position works with interdisciplinary teams to assess needs, provide counseling and case management, develop rehabilitation plans, and help Veterans attain and maintain employment, independent living, and personal goals.

The position is full-time, Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual. The role requires driving a government vehicle and transporting Veterans. The full performance level is GS-11.

Requirements

• Master's degree meeting one of the specified education pathways: rehabilitation counseling or clinical rehabilitation counseling; counseling or clinical rehabilitation counseling; a related field with relevant course content; or an acceptable foreign degree.
• Current, full, and unrestricted Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) certification from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC), unless qualifying under the stated grandfathering provision for eligible current VHA employees.
• For GS-11, one year of professional experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position, or a qualifying doctoral degree in rehabilitation counselor education or a related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of physical and psychological disabilities, accommodations, and assistive technology principles.
• Knowledge of counseling theory, medical and psychiatric terminology, and signs and symptoms of suicidal and homicidal ideation.
• Ability to use evidence-based and evidence-informed vocational and professional counseling practices, including Individual Placement and Support (IPS), customized employment, supported employment, and motivational interviewing.
• Knowledge of career development and job-analysis methods to identify job functions, workplace modifications, and alternative vocational goals.
• Ability to administer and interpret varied assessment methods, including transferable-skills and labor-market analyses.
• Knowledge of marketing strategies to develop collaborative partnerships or memorandums of agreement within VA and with local businesses.
• Knowledge of military lifestyle and factors affecting Veterans, particularly combat Veterans, returning to community and community-based work.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Must possess a current, valid driver's license and be able to meet VA requirements for operating a government vehicle and transporting Veterans.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical and be medically cleared to transport patients.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must complete required application and onboarding requirements and undergo a background/security investigation.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to the stated evaluation and written certification conditions.
• A transcript showing the date the degree was conferred must be submitted with the application.

Responsibilities

• Provide personal adjustment counseling, therapeutic rehabilitation interventions, and case coordination using evidence-informed and evidence-based approaches to help Veterans with severe disabilities achieve competitive employment, education, and independent-living goals.
• Complete vocational assessments using medical records, disability documentation, observation, and interviews with Veterans and their support systems to develop personal, vocational, and educational histories.
• Consult with interdisciplinary teams to coordinate care, ensure medical clearance, and determine optimal timing for interventions.
• Customize vocational exploration activities to identify self-determined rehabilitation needs and goals.
• Assess clinical need and capacity to benefit from services such as work restoration and resilience treatment, transitional work placement, supported employment, assistive technology, financial benefits counseling, and benefits protections.
• Develop recovery-oriented treatment goals and objectives with Veterans to address factors contributing to employment barriers.
• Monitor progress during sessions to guide individualized services, service duration, and discharge planning.
• Provide psychoeducational groups covering job-search skills, employer-desired soft skills, and life skills that foster independence.
• Help Veterans understand how employment income affects disability and other benefits and explain how to access relevant information.
• Contact employers and Federal, state, and local employment agencies to develop or identify job opportunities for Veterans with disabilities.
• Use computer software for drafting documents, data management and tracking, and entering assessments, progress notes, and other required documentation in the electronic health record.
• Maintain databases covering referrals, individual caseloads, employment outcomes, community engagement, and government vehicle use.
• Drive a government vehicle and transport Veterans as required.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; eligibility depends on position type and other factors.
• Prior federal or military service may be credited toward annual leave accrual, subject to request and approval before appointment and not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level