Rehabilitation Counselor

Veterans Health Administration • Syracuse, NY

9h • Onsite

About The Position

The Rehabilitation Counselor is assigned to VHA Vocational Rehabilitation Services at the Syracuse VA Medical Center and works with Veterans whose mental health, physical, or psychosocial disabilities affect employment, independent living, or personal adjustment. The counselor uses professional counseling and clinical modalities to promote optimal functioning, independence, adaptation to disability, community reintegration, and recovery.

Working with an interdisciplinary team, the counselor provides and coordinates rehabilitation counseling services, including assessment, counseling, case management, rehabilitation planning, and support in attaining and maintaining employment, independent living, and personal goals. The position is under the clinical and administrative supervision of the Vocational Rehabilitation Service Team Leader. The full-performance level is GS-11; selection may be at GS-09 through GS-11.

The counselor provides vocational and personal adjustment counseling; evaluates Veterans’ abilities, disabilities, and rehabilitation needs; develops patient-centered SMART treatment plans; and monitors progress. Services may include vocational exploration, job development and placement, job coaching and retention, employer outreach, job analyses, reasonable-accommodation planning, and coordination of vocational programming such as supported employment, transitional work, benefits counseling, and assistive technology. The counselor also advises interdisciplinary teams, communicates with community professionals and employers, completes clinical documentation, and participates in peer reviews.

The regular schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is ad hoc according to agency policy; this is not a virtual position. Recruitment or relocation incentives are authorized, while permanent change of station is not authorized.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• A master’s degree meeting one of the specified rehabilitation counseling, counseling, clinical rehabilitation counseling, or related-field education pathways, or an acceptable foreign degree.
• Current, full, and unrestricted Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) certification from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC), subject to the stated temporary graduate Rehabilitation Counselor exception.
• For GS-09: no experience beyond the basic requirements, and demonstration of the specified knowledge, skills, and abilities in disability and rehabilitation counseling, assessment, service planning, caseload management, job development, and assessment methods.
• For GS-11: one year of professional experience equivalent to GS-09 directly related to the position, or a qualifying doctoral degree in rehabilitation counselor education or a related field, plus the specified knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Possess a current, valid, and unrestricted driver’s license to operate a government-owned vehicle.
• Meet applicable background and security investigation requirements and complete the online onboarding process and required application documentation.
• Participate in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, as required.

Responsibilities

• Provide vocational and personal adjustment counseling, therapeutic rehabilitation interventions, and case coordination to Veterans with psychiatric, physical, and psychosocial disabilities.
• Conduct biopsychosocial assessments using records, disability documentation, observations, and interviews with Veterans and their support systems.
• Synthesize assessment information into case conceptualizations and clinical recommendations for treatment planning.
• Determine the clinical need for rehabilitation services and a Veteran’s capacity to benefit from them.
• Develop patient-centered treatment plans using SMART goals and monitor and document progress toward objectives.
• Select, administer, and interpret psychometric and vocational instruments assessing skills, aptitudes, interests, values, preferences, and work resilience.
• Customize vocational exploration, including informational interviews and labor-market research, to identify rehabilitation needs and goals.
• Use evidence-based and evidence-informed vocational and professional counseling practices.
• Teach job-search skills, resume and application development, interview skills, and basic computer skills to facilitate job placement.
• Coordinate job-search clubs and support Veterans’ self-directed job-search activities.
• Use counseling techniques to help Veterans develop workplace soft skills and natural supports.
• Apply knowledge of military culture to support Veterans returning to community and community-based work.
• Consult with interdisciplinary treatment teams and clinical staff about Veterans’ vocational rehabilitation needs.
• Communicate with community health care professionals and employers about relevant information concerning Veterans.
• Complete clinical charting and participate in professional peer reviews.
• Promote employment programs to community employers and develop relationships that create work opportunities for Veterans with significant impairments.
• Provide job development, job coaching, retention, and education services for Veterans with disabilities and their employers.
• Conduct job analyses to identify essential job functions and develop reasonable accommodations.
• Coordinate vocational programming, which may include work restoration and resilience treatment, transitional work placement and compensation, financial benefits counseling, benefits protections, supported employment, and assistive technology.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package; eligibility and specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual for qualifying prior federal service or military service, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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