Blind Rehabilitation Specialist - Visual Impairment Service Team (VIST)
Company
Department of Veterans Affairs - Veterans Health Administration
Location
Washington, District of Columbia Washington, District of Columbia
Type
Full Time
Job Description
Summary
This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
- All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
- 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.
- Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
- Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
Qualifications
- United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
- Education-(Transcripts must be submitted): Applicants must have earned one of the following:
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major field of study in blind or vision rehabilitation, or a closely related program in rehabilitation, special education, family and consumer science education, technology, and industrial arts education;
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (without a major field of study as outlined above) that included, or was supplemented by, at least one of the following:
- At least 30 semester hours of directly related, upper-level undergraduate courses (e.g., at least 200-course level or higher, or as identified by the college or university).
- One full year of directly related graduate level coursework (typically at least 15 - 18 semester hours).
- A certificate from an accredited college or university in the core curriculum in orientation and mobility, vision rehabilitation therapy, assistive technology for blind and visually impaired individuals, or low vision therapy and a directly related practicum/internship in the occupation, either included in the degree or post-degree.
- Foreign Graduates must have proof of a minimum of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (or foreign equivalent, as verified through an independent credential evaluation company), with a specialization in blind rehabilitation.
- Certification. Required at the GS-11 grade level and above. (Must be Submitted with application)
- Applicants must possess at least one active, current, full and unrestricted certification to be eligible for appointment. Certification must be granted by the Academy for certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP), or another equivalent, closely related professional credential in special education or rehabilitation. NOTE: The ACVREP administers four certification programs: Low Vision Therapy, Orientation and Mobility, Assistive Technology Instruction and Vision Rehabilitation Therapy. They may then use the designation for the certification they hold (as listed in subparagraph (2)) below:
- BRS who provide the following service must obtain certification granted by ACVREP as follows:
- Orientation and mobility training - Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS®).
- Communication and daily living therapy - Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (CVRT®).
- Low vision therapy - Certified Low Vision Therapists (CLVT®).
- Assistive Technology - Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialists (CATIS®).
- BRS Advanced Practitioners at the GS-13 grade level must possess two certifications awarded by ACVREP.
- BRS VIST Coordinators may be drawn from traditional blind/vision rehabilitation backgrounds, and from counseling backgrounds such as social work, vocational rehabilitation counseling, etc. VIST Coordinators must be credentialed/certified through:
- Any certification via the ACVREP,
- Individuals appointed based on experience as a Social Worker must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social work. If appointed as a VIST Coordinator, Social Workers are appointed to the GS-0601 series, but must still maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment,
- Certification via the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, (CRC),
- Individuals appointed based on experience in other health care occupations must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice in their field. If appointed as a VIST Coordinator, such individuals are appointed to the GS-0601series, but must still maintain their full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification in their occupation to remain qualified for employment. Examples of occupations may include but [are not limited to Marriage and Family Therapist or Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
GS-11 - In addition to meeting the basic and certification requirements, you must possess a completion of one (1) year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level. Example of GS-09 Experience: Individuals at this grade level serve as entry level staff BRSs. They are responsible for intake, assessment, planning for rehabilitation, intervention, and follow-up in the content specialties. They receive guidance from experienced staff members for the most complex Veteran cases.
OR
Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Doctoral Degree; or Doctoral Degree in Blind Rehabilitation or a directly related field.
In addition to the above you must demonstrate all the following KSAs:
- Ability to communicate both orally and in writing with staff at all organizational levels; with Veterans and their family members; with community groups; and individuals with varying degrees of understanding about visual impairment.
- Ability to assess Veterans having diverse and multiple disabilities to make recommendations for blind/vision rehabilitation therapeutic interventions.
- Ability to write a blind/vision rehabilitation plan that includes evaluation information from multiple disciplines with observable, measurable goals and that identifies specific outcomes.
- Knowledge of VA blind and low vision rehabilitation treatment programs.
- Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with patients, employees, other team leaders, managers and other stakeholders.
- Knowledge of psychological, rehabilitation, and counseling theories and principles.
- Ability to coordinate with various resources to identify suitable training programs.
In addition to the above you must demonstrate all the following KSAs:
- Skill to effectively communicate both orally and in writing with staff at all organizational levels, with Veterans and their family members, with community groups, and individuals with varying degrees of understanding.
- Ability to assess Veterans having diverse and multiple disabilities to make recommendations for therapeutic interventions.
- Skill in writing a blind/vision rehabilitation plan that includes evaluation information from multiple disciplines and contains observable, measurable goals that identify specific outcomes.
- Knowledge of VA and non-VA blind and low vision rehabilitation treatment programs.
- Skill in interpersonal relationships dealing with patients, employees, other team leaders, managers, and other stakeholders.
- Knowledge of psychological, rehabilitation, and counseling theories and principles.
- Ability to coordinate with various resources to identify and refer Veterans to suitable training programs.
- Ability to apply decision-making principles to adjust programs on a day-to-day basis, to develop short term and long-range goals, and to plan for future utilization of resources.
Education
Qualifications Continued:
Preferred Experience: Prefer applicant with one year of experience working with patients in the field of blind rehabilitation and case management.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-12.
Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring exertion such as standing, frequent bending; reaching above the shoulder; light lifting and carrying (up to 10 pounds), pushing or pulling objects. The work requires the ability to cope with a variety and complexity of situations due to the diversity of patients, duties, and responsibilities. The work requires pushing veterans in wheelchairs on a regular basis.
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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Additional information
Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.
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.
Date Posted
09/30/2024
Views
0
Similar Jobs
Senior Associate, Data Science - People Analytics - Capital One
Views in the last 30 days - 0
Capital One is seeking a Senior Associate Data Science specialist for their People Strategy Analytics team The role involves applying data science an...
View DetailsSenior Associate, Data Scientist - Customer Management - Capital One
Views in the last 30 days - 0
Capital One is seeking a Senior Associate Data Scientist for the Mainstreet Customer Management Data Science team The role involves partnering with cr...
View DetailsPrincipal Project Manager, Commercial Bank - Capital One
Views in the last 30 days - 0
Capital One a Fortune 500 company and one of the nations top 10 banks is seeking a Principal Project Manager for its Commercial Bank The role involves...
View DetailsManager, Project Manager - Capital One
Views in the last 30 days - 0
Capital One a Fortune 500 company and one of the nations top 10 banks is seeking a Manager Project Manager The role involves leading critical and stra...
View Details2025 Sensor Modeling and Simulation Analysis Engineer - The Aerospace Corporation
Views in the last 30 days - 0
The Aerospace Corporation is a trusted partner to the nations space programs providing technical expertise and innovative solutions across satellite l...
View DetailsPackage Consultant-SAP SCM MM - IBM
Views in the last 30 days - 0
As an IBM Associate Business Consultant you will have the opportunity to tackle complex business problems capitalize on market opportunities and under...
View Details