Veterans Health Administration Logo
Position Title
Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialist (BROS)
Agency
Veterans Health Administration
Announcement Number
CBTD-12736692-25-MC Opens in new window
Open Period
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 to Friday, June 20, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1. Are you an employee of the department/service line indicated for this position?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.

To verify your eligibility, you may be required submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50).  Please review the instructions in the announcement.  Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted).  Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
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2. Are you a Veterans Health Administration employee?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
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Preferences
1. Which of the following items describes your current or recent (within the last five years) political appointee service?

If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
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Your resume must be submitted in English and include the following information for each job listed:
  • Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
  • Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
  • Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
  • Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications. Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages or encrypted, and digitally signed documents linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.
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By submitting your application, you are certifying, to the best of your knowledge and belief, all the information submitted by you with your application for employment is true, complete, and made in good faith, and that you have truthfully and accurately represented your work experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education (degrees, accomplishments, etc.). The information you provide as part of your application may be investigated. You are also certifying, and acknowledging, that misrepresenting your experience or education, or providing false or fraudulent information in, or with your application, may affect your eligibility for appointment and/or continued employment. False or fraudulent statements may be punishable by fine or imprisonment (18 U.S.C. 1001). (limit characters)
Assessment 1
The following are requirements for appointment as a Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialist (BROS) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). This standard applies to all VHA BROS positions.

Please select the appropriate answer to the following question(s) that demonstrate your ability to qualify for and perform the duties of this position.  When answering the questionnaire, remember that your experience is subject to verification by investigation.  You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation of experience or education as proof to support your answers. 
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Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s). (limit characters)
1. English Proficiency:
Candidates who are not proficient in written and spoken English will not be appointed to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA under the authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74. [See Chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.]

Are you proficient in written and spoken English?
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2. Education and Experience:
Do you possess one of the following:

(1) The individual must have earned:
(a) 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.
OR,
(b) A master'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.
OR,
(c) A bachelor's [or master's] degree from an accredited college or university (without
a major field of study as outlined in (1)(a) and (b) above) and obtained 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. This education must have included
supervised practice; and
(d) Completion of one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the
BRS, GS-9 grade level.
OR,
(e) Three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a
doctoral degree in blind rehabilitation or a directly related field.

(2) 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.

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3. Certification: Required at all levels.
Do you possess any of the following certification(s)?

(1) Applicants must possess at least one active, current, full, and unrestricted certification to be eligible for appointment.

(2) An applicant who has, or ever had his/her certification suspended, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in Chapter 3, Section B, Paragraph 16 of this part. An applicant who has or has ever had a certification revoked or terminated for cause, or voluntarily relinquished such certification after being notified in writing by the State of potential revocation or termination for cause, is ineligible for employment and must be removed from the GS-0601 series. This applies even if the applicant possesses one or more valid certifications or registration (38 U.S.C.  7402(f)).

NOTE: The Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP) administers [four (4)] certification programs: Low Vision Therapy, Orientation, and Mobility, [Certified Assistive Technology Instructions Specialist] and Vision Rehabilitation Therapy. They may then use the designation for the certification they hold (as listed in subparagraph (2)) below:

(3) BROS who provide the following services must obtain and maintain one certification at the GS-11 grade level and two certifications at the GS-12 grade level granted by ACVREP as follows:

(a) Orientation and mobility training - Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS?).
(b) Communication and daily living therapy - Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (CVRT?)
(c) Low vision therapy - Certified Low Vision Therapists (CLVT?).
(d) Assistive technology - Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist CATIS?)]

 
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4. Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs):  Please note that in addition to the meeting the basic requirements above, you must also be able to demonstrate the following KSAs:

(a) Knowledge and understanding of highly specialized complex evaluations and diagnostic tests and procedures of blind/vision rehabilitation.
(b) Ability to properly assess a wide variety of patients having diverse and multiple disabilities to make recommendations for blind/vision rehabilitation therapeutic interventions.
(c) [Skill in development and writing of a] blind/vision rehabilitation plan that includes evaluation information from multiple disciplines with observable, measurable goals and that identifies specific outcomes.
(d) Knowledge of teaching methods and learning principles.
(e) Ability to employ interventions, unusual motivational techniques, and coordinate treatment with other professionals to achieve outcomes of the rehabilitation plan.
(f) Skill in recommending appropriate blind/vision rehabilitation prosthetic devices for patients within scope of practice, making adaptations and modifications as required.
(g) Ability to plan, direct, and distribute work assignments to volunteers, assistants, interns, and/or BRSs at lower grade levels and perform assigned mentoring duties for staff, students, and interns.


Are you able to demonstrate this KSAs?

**Please note that this should be demonstrated in your resume
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5. Specialized Experience:

In addition to meeting the basic requirements and KSAs listed above, completion of a minimum of one-year specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level is required.
Do you have the experience listed above?

**Please not that this should be demonstrated in your resume.
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6. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to meeting the KSAs at the GS-11 grade level (as above), the candidate must fully demonstrate all the following KSAs:

(a) Skill to independently develop, plan, and administer complex treatment programs.
(b) Ability to act as a subject matter expert in the blind/vision rehabilitation field and as consultant, supervisor and/or mentor in evaluating and treating patients in specialty or program areas.
(c) Ability to coordinate, motivate, and effectively manage staff and/or committee members to include organizing work, setting priorities, and delegating tasks and responsibilities.
(d) Ability to disseminate appropriate information through various media as a consultant or mentor.
(e) Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with patients, employees, other team leaders, managers, and other stakeholders.
(f) Ability to identify team group dynamics, objectively observe, and modify behaviors.
(g) 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.

Are you able to demonstrate the KSAs that are described above?

**Please not that this should be demonstrated in your resume.
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Resume Reminder: Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:

- Employer name and complete address;
- Job title; Duties (be as detailed as possible);
- Month & year start/end dates (e.g., June 2007 to April 2008);
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week); and
- Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held.

Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy.

We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.


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TRANSCRIPT REMINDER - If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) or if the position requires a college education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application.
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SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (for Eligibility and/or Time-in-Grade): (FOR CURRENT AND FORMER CIVILIAN FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ONLY. IF YOU HAVE NEVER WORKED FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, PLEASE DISREGARD)

If you are a current federal employee, you must attach your most recent, non-award SF-50. This SF-50 should not be more than a year old and must show your current position, grade and step. Award SF-50's typically do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted if they do not include Grade and Step.

In order to clearly demonstrate you possess the time-in-grade as required by the announcement, additional SF-50s should be attached which clearly demonstrate the minimum time-in-grade requirement. Please note that having steps does NOT show time-in-grade. When in doubt, submit your most previous (within the last year) AS WELL AS an SF-50 that is OVER 1 YEAR OLD.

Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • -Within grade increases at the highest grade held
  • -Promotions with an effective date more than one year old
  • -SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old
PLEASE CONTACT THE HR SPECIALIST LISTED ON THE ANNOUNCMENT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE PROPER SF-50S. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE AFTER THE CLOSING DATE.
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