Newly Signed Bill Creates Pathway for More Counselors in the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs

On October 23^rd, ACA shared the news that Senate Bill 785 (S.785), The Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019, was signed into law. This law will provide veterans improved assistance as they transition from the military into civilian life. It also has a strong focus on suicide prevention and mental health care research—providing an opportunity to improve staffing concerns within the United States Department of Veteran Affairs (V.A.).

The efforts of ACA members has made a world of difference to our community and in helping getting this bill turned to law. It created the opportunity for ACA to confidently meet with the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee in May 2019 to explain the importance of this bill and receive their buy-in.

Now that the bill is law, you may wonder how you could explore potential employment opportunities within the V.A. Here is a simple step-by-step guide on seeking employment:

First: Go to www.usajobs.gov to search for employment opportunities.

Second: Once you enter the site, you need to type in a specific job title in the Keywords search at the top of the page.

• When you enter a job in the keywords, do not type in “counselor”. If you do, you will receive a search with thousands of opportunities that are not related to your expertise. If you are a trained, credentialed Mental Health Counselor (titles vary by state), type in “licensed professional mental health counselor” or “rehabilitation counselor”. These two searches will provide you with what you are looking for.
• Please keep in mind this is a federally classified job; therefore, the title you hold in your state will likely not match up with the federal government. However, you are eligible for federal jobs based on your educational background and training.
• You can also enter the location of the country you would like to work in. It is recommended that you search without a location. This will allow you to compare the career options and the starting salary before you apply for the opportunity of your choice.
• Now that you have found a job in which to apply, you can click “Apply” to the right of the job description.

Third: You will need to create a profile where your resume, clinical hours, references, and more will be stored. This process will allow you now to apply for employment to multiple positions with the click of a button.

Now that you know where to look for employment opportunities, and how to apply, here are a few tips to consider when applying:

1. Pay attention to the application due dates. The Government will reject all applications received after the positions closes.
2. Pay attention to:
   1. The GS level of the position. This is the Pay and General Schedule that will clearly define how much money you are eligible to earn.
   2. The length of the position; some are temporary, 1-year, permanent, etc.
      1. Any position that is not permanent may be eligible for renewal. Ask this question in your interview.
   3. Symbols: There are several symbols that may appear under the salary. Please scroll over them to learn what they mean. Some may tell you the job is only for current federal employees, others may only be for Veterans or Military Spouses.
3. Accepting an Offer: Be prepared. Your assigned Human Resources representative will provide you with a lot of information. Read all of it and provide the V.A. with everything they ask for. The more you provide, the better chance you have in increasing your annual salary based on the GS schedule.
4. Review the Hybrid Title 38 Classification. This will provide you details on how the Federal Government governs your position. Last, we are aware that counselors have heard conflicting information about the new occupational series for counselors in the V.A. Through our contacts, we wish to provide you clarity. First, occupational series are not determined by the Office of Personnel Management, they are determined by the Secretary. Therefore, the creation of a new occupational series will not impact the V.A. The information provided in this blog is accurate and you can trust ACA as the source for factual information that benefits you and the profession as a whole.

There are currently 78 positions open within the Department of Veteran Affairs. If you’re interested, please begin the process to apply today. For questions, please e-mail or call the agency contact at the bottom of each job description. And as always, you can reach out to the Government Affairs team if you need any additional guidance by e-mailing advocacy@counseling.org.

If you are not signed up as an ACA advocate, please visit the ACA Take Action page and sign up for alerts today. Your advocacy continues to prove to be the positive difference we need in obtaining legislative success for all counselors and the clients you serve.