Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

To qualify, you must be a current, permanent VA employee or a CTAP-eligible former VA employee.

• Open only to current, permanent VA employees and CTAP-eligible former VA employees.
• Time-in-grade: For GS-09, 52 weeks at GS-07; for GS-11, 52 weeks at GS-09; for GS-12, 52 weeks at GS-11.
• Current VBA employees requesting reassignment must hold at least GS-09 with promotion potential to GS-12.
• Master's degree in rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation services, clinical rehabilitation counseling, counseling psychology, mental health counseling, career counseling, or social work from an accredited institution.
• Supervised internship in rehabilitation counseling or case management, OR one year of post-master's experience in direct delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities.
• Grandfathering provision: VRCs employed in VBA on July 28, 2023, are considered to have met qualification requirements for their held grade.
• GS-11: One year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09, or 3 years of progressively higher graduate education or a Ph.D. in rehabilitation counseling or counseling psychology.
• GS-12: One year of post-graduate professional vocational rehabilitation counseling experience equivalent to GS-11.
• Specialized experience must involve managing vocational rehabilitation counseling or case management for persons with a wide variety of disabilities (mental health, physical, cognitive, visual/auditory, substance abuse).
• Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Conduct initial rehabilitation evaluations and entitlement assessments.

• Develop rehabilitation plans, goals, and objectives to help veterans find employment and increase independence.
• Provide problem-solving and adjustment counseling.
• Manage cases, including coordination of all rehabilitation services and case documentation.
• Administer and interpret vocational testing as necessary.
• Provide employer consultation, employment development, and placement services.
• Deliver career counseling and vocational planning and assessment.
• Combine data from diagnostic tests and medical records to assess strengths, weaknesses, capabilities, and interests.

Must be a U.S. Citizen.

• Selective Service Registration required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• May be required to serve a 1-year probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Must complete an online onboarding process and provide acceptable forms of identification (REAL ID compliant after May 7, 2025).
• Telework eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only.
• Position is not remote.

Complete federal benefits package including health, dental, vision, life insurance, and retirement.

• Paid leave (annual, sick, and federal holidays).
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Access to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with employer matching.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on position type and work schedule.

This announcement is open only to current, permanent VA employees and CTAP-eligible former VA employees.

• One position is assigned to the VetSuccess On Campus (VSOC) program at Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY.
• One position is assigned to the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) at Fort Drum, NY.
• Telework is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only; this is not a remote position.
• Agency contact: Renee Trimble, Phone: 919-286-0411 X5519, Email: [email protected].
• Address: Buffalo Regional Benefit Office, 130 S. Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, NY 14202.
• If you are selected, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period.
• All required documents must be submitted by the closing date; late or missing documents will not be accepted.
• Check your the official application portal account and email regularly for updates, including assessment invitations and interview requests.

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs responsible for administering benefits for veterans, service members, and their families. The Buffalo Regional Benefit Office serves veterans in western New York and surrounding areas. This office is hiring Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors to support the VetSuccess On Campus program at Syracuse University and the Integrated Disability Evaluation System at Fort Drum. These roles are critical to helping disabled veterans achieve employment and independence.