Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Veterans Benefits Administration•Buffalo, NY

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Officer (AVREO) provides and coordinates rehabilitation, counseling, and case management services for disabled veterans and other eligible individuals. The Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) develops the purpose, objectives, services, and outcomes during evaluation, with a focus on helping Veterans find work, set goals, and become more independent in daily life. The AVREO supervises Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) staff at out-based locations and within the Regional Office and is responsible for administration and workflow of the VR&E Division program. The role facilitates operations with public and private universities, community colleges, and vocational and technical institutes; represents the agency in developing and overseeing contracts for counseling, evaluation, case management, employment, and traumatic brain injury services; and uses data to assess service concerns and recommend action. The position works with division teams to plan and carry out programs, projects, studies, and other work in support of the mission. Supervisory responsibilities include evaluating staff performance, recommending candidates for division positions and employee awards, receiving complaints, approving travel, and identifying ways to reduce backlogs and production barriers. The incumbent develops multi-year plans for in-service and contract work, supervises contract quality reviews, and ensures contracting activity is consistent with regulatory requirements. The work schedule is 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The position is primarily office-based, with occasional travel potentially required for training, meetings, or customer interactions. It is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only, with supervisory approval; routine or recurring telework is not authorized, and the employee must report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. This is not a virtual position. A one-year supervisory probationary period may be required. The position requires an annual Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-450), beginning before entry on duty.

Requirements

Master’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university in rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation services, clinical rehabilitation counseling, counseling psychology, mental health counseling, career counseling, or social work.
Either a supervised internship in rehabilitation counseling or case management specialization, supervised by a vocational rehabilitation professional or closely related professional with vocational rehabilitation program oversight, or one year of post-master’s experience directly delivering professional vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities.
At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-12 in the normal progression for the occupation, including experience in Veteran Readiness and Employment programs.
Specialized experience must include comprehension of independent living requirements; experience with psychological and vocational testing principles; and experience with vocational rehabilitation laws, regulations, rules, and policies related to implementing adjudicative decisions and/or developing rehabilitation plans.
Creditable vocational rehabilitation experience must be post-graduate, directly related to the duties, and equivalent to professional vocational rehabilitation counseling at the next lower level.
Current Federal GS employees must meet the GS-13 time-in-grade requirement of 52 weeks at GS-12 by the announcement closing date and submit documentation demonstrating eligibility.
Submit a transcript with coursework and the date of conferral of the qualifying master’s degree. Foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency.
Must be a U.S. citizen.
Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
Subject to background/security investigation and may be required to serve a probationary or trial period, including a one-year supervisory probationary period.
Selected applicants must complete online onboarding and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment I-9 requirements.
Some travel may be necessary for training, meetings, or customer interactions.

Responsibilities

Supervise VR&E staff at out-based locations and within the Regional Office.
Administer the VR&E Division program and manage its workflow.
Facilitate operations with public and private universities, community colleges, and vocational and technical institutes to resolve training issues.
Serve as a technical representative in developing, awarding, implementing, and evaluating contracts for professional counseling, evaluation, case management, employment, and TBI services.
Gather and interpret data about service concerns and recommend appropriate action.
Work with division teams to plan, design, and carry out programs, projects, studies, and other mission-supporting work.
Evaluate subordinate employees’ performance; recommend candidates for division positions and awards; receive employee complaints; approve employee travel; and determine actions to reduce backlogs and production barriers.
Develop multi-year plans for scheduling in-service and contract work.
Supervise contract quality reviews and ensure contracting activity in out-based offices or under division control complies with regulatory requirements.
Provide and coordinate rehabilitation, counseling, and case management services to disabled veterans and other eligible individuals, supporting employment, goal setting, and independence.