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Summary This position is located in the VA Black Hills Health Cary System in Rapid City, SD Responsibilities ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist possesses intensive knowledge of mental and physical disabilities or other handicaps, in terms of the practical effects of such handicaps on work tolerances, motivations, adjustment to training, and difficulty in employment placement. The focus of services will be to promote optimal occupational functioning of Veterans within the community. Major duties and responsibilities can include: Determining the vocational goals and objectives of the Veteran based on referral from a professional staff member or by interviewing the Veteran Determining areas of vocational interest, and deciding what services such as job seeking skills training, resume development, or interview skills training the Veteran may require in order to successfully obtain employment Analyzing mental and physical disabilities or other handicaps, in terms of the practical effects of such handicaps on motivations, adjustment to training, and difficulty in employment placement Counseling and guiding Veterans through difficult transitions in the adjustment to employment Helping employers understand the nature of the Veteran's abilities while maintaining a positive impression of the Veteran's capability of success Approving any significant modifications to the placement contract, evaluating the results of the program, making sound professional arguments for recommended changes, and reporting program progress in accordance with established procedure Assisting the Veteran to find suitable employment opportunities, monitoring progress, and promoting successful adjustment Networking with community employers, community agencies, and community businesses with the goal of developing professional relationships with these groups in order to assist program participants in obtaining and maintaining suitable community employment Performing related duties as required. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period 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 dentification 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) Qualifications To Qualify for the GS9 you must meet one of the following: GS-9: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7) in Federal Service that has equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist GS-9. Specialized experience includes: a) Work that required obtaining and applying occupational information for people with disabilities, knowledge of the interrelationships of the involved professional and specialist services, and skill in employing the methodology and techniques of counseling to motivate and encourage individuals served by the program; b) Experience that demonstrated knowledge of the vocational rehabilitation problems characteristic of the disabled, including familiarity with available resources and skill in identifying, evaluating, and making effective use of such resources to serve individuals with disabilities; or of the disadvantaged, including knowledge of adjustment problems of the educationally or culturally disadvantaged, familiarity with available adult education and training resources, and ability to recognize problem areas needing special attention; and c) Experience in vocational guidance or teaching in a recognized vocational rehabilitation program or school, developmental or supervisory work in programs of vocational rehabilitation or training programs for the disadvantaged, or personnel or employment placement work that provided extensive knowledge of the training and adjustment requirements necessary to place persons having disabilities or social adjustment problems.-OR- SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: Successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or two (2) full years of graduate level education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D. with a major study in vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other field related to this position. This education must have been obtained at an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. -OR- COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Your experience must be documented in your resume and transcripts are required. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS GS-11: One year of specialized experience that provided a knowledge of training practices, techniques, and requirements as they relate to vocational development or rehabilitation. To be creditable, experience must have been at the GS-09 grade level in Federal service. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: work that required obtaining and applying occupational information for people with disabilities, knowledge of the interrelationships of the involved professional and specialist services, and skill in employing the methodology and techniques of counseling to motivate and encourage individuals served by the program; experience that demonstrated knowledge of the vocational rehabilitation problems characteristic of the disabled, including familiarity with available resources and skill in identifying, evaluating, and making effective use of such resources to serve individuals with disabilities; or of the disadvantaged, including knowledge of adjustment problems of the educationally or culturally disadvantaged, familiarity with available adult education and training resources, and ability to recognize problem areas needing special attention; or experience in vocational guidance or teaching in a recognized vocational rehabilitation program or school, developmental or supervisory work in programs of vocational rehabilitation or training programs for the disadvantaged, or personnel or employment placement work that provided extensive knowledge of the training and adjustment requirements necessary to place persons having disabilities or social adjustment problems. This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. ~OR~ A Ph.D., equivalent doctoral degree, 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. with a major study in vocational rehabilitation, vocational or educational counseling, or other fields related to the position. Transcripts required. ~OR~ An equivalent combination of specialized experience and higher-level graduate education as described that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. Transcripts required, and experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Education and Training Interpersonal Skills Technical Competence Therapy and Counseling IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Physical Requirements/Work Environment: The physical demands of this position are moderate. Although some of the physical work is sedentary, there will be significant local travel for support purposes to potential work locations, community locations, and Veteran work sites. This local travel may involve operating vehicles in inclement weather. The stress related to providing services to Veterans in emotional distress or who may be demanding and uncooperative, can be more significant than that of most sedentary positions. Work is performed in a well-lit and climate-controlled office environment. The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist may have to occasionally work outside in performing job observations or interventions of Veteran work performance. The nature of the Veterans served may entail some risk of physical harm if they become agitated. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.