This position is in Mental Health Care Line (MHCL)/Community Outreach Division (COD) at the Fort Thomas, KY VAMC. The incumbent serves as the Community Employment Coordinator (CEC) for Homeless Veterans providing ongoing orientation and training of the Homeless Service continuum in order to connect Veterans to the most appropriate and least restrictive VA and/or community-based employment services
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/22/2025. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Skilled in communicating effectively both orally and in writing, with agencies, faculty, and external entities. Skilled in exercising independent judgment, flexibility and discretion when setting priorities, implementing procedures, maintaining standards, and resolving problems. Knowledge of the organizations mission and operating programs, support organizations and functions, as well as specific techniques and analysis, to promote efficiency and effectiveness of the programs. Skill in analyzing problems to frame the issue, formulating alternatives to resolve, and presenting recommended solutions. Ability to choose, interpret, adapt, and apply pertinent guidelines. 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. 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, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. (Transcripts Required) Major Study - Vocational Rehabilitation, Vocational or Educational Counseling, or other fields related to the position.. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a progressively higher level graduate education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. (Transcripts Required) Major Study - Vocational Rehabilitation, Vocational or Educational Counseling, or other fields related to the position.. 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; religions; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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. 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/.
The Cincinnati VA Medical Center (CVAMC) is a two-division campus located in Cincinnati, OH and Fort Thomas, KY serving 15 counties in Southwest OH, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana with 6 Community Based Outpatient Clinics located in Bellevue, KY; Florence, KY; Lawrenceburg, IN; Hamilton, OH; Clermont County, OH, and Georgetown, OH. The CVAMC also supports two off main campus locations in the Cincinnati area via an Eye Center and Mental Health Outreach Community Division. Duties: Provide guidance, consultation, training, oversight to Community Outreach Division staff and VA employees. Including best practices, assistance with work adjustment, ongoing support services and employment needs of homeless Veterans across the Cincinnati VAMC. Assist local staff in developing templates for concise, individualized Veteran-centered assessments to determine the needed intensity level of employment services and supports for homeless Veterans. Collaborate with community based job development agencies and indirectly to leverage employment opportunities for homeless Veterans. The goal is to reduce barriers to employment and identify appropriate supports to sustain outcomes. Develop collaboration with VA and non-VA staff and community based employers to include Compensated Work Therapy (CWT); HCHV and HUD-VASH Employment Specialist; Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) and GPD grantees that target employment; Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA); Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E); Department of Labor grantees Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (HVRP); and local community. Participate and conduct monthly meetings with VA and non-VA staff locally to address and resolve barriers to rapid job placement, reasonable accommodations, criminal history. Liaison for community partners for employment placement and support services for homeless Veterans. Monitors performance and progress through review of cases referred to the members of the collaborative to ensure that Veterans are receiving services leading to competitive employment and appropriate follow-up supports are in place as needed. Maintain database to review employment placement outcomes and barriers of sent referrals. Discuss strengths, resources, accomplishments, challenges, and recommended changes to VAMC and national homeless leadership, program staff, and members of collaboration. Participate and attend program meetings, team huddles, and community meetings. Share competitive employment opportunities at varying levels available both for the Cincinnati VAMC and in the community. Develop and maintain COD Employment Monthly Newsletter distributed to social work services, GPD, VJO and community partners. Assist Veterans who self-present or referred for individualized serves from VA staff within the homeless program or broader Cincinnati VAMC. Conduct brief group or individual training in job search skills and resume writing to GPD sites monthly or as needed. Provide current job vacancies and upcoming Job Fairs/Hiring Events in the local community. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Vocational Development Specialist/PD92792-0 Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical demands. It may involve some walking, standing, bending, or carrying of work supplies and donated items for Veterans. Additionally, competent automobile driving skills are required.