Texas Rehabilitation Association
17424 W. Grand Parkway, Suite 422.
Sugar Land, TX, 77479
T: 713.818.1852 •F: 281.343.0357
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If you're nterested in being certified to work with the Department
of Labors'Workers' Compensation Program? This information is for you!

CERTIFICATION OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION COUNSELORS TO PROVIDE
DIRECT SERVICES TO OWCP INJURED WORKERS

The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Program
(OWCP), Branch of Medical Standards and Rehabilitation (BMSR)
is soliciting vocational rehabilitation counselors (VRC) who live
in the states of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New
Mexico. OWCP/BMSR intends to certify and contract with individual
VRCs in these areas to provide direct vocational rehabilitation
services for injured workers covered by the Federal Employees’
Compensation Act. OWCP certification involves (1) minimum
qualification criteria, (2) rating of educational and experience
factors, (3) selection of those counselors with the highest ratings,
(4) required attendance at a two day training workshop, and (5) a
contractual agreement to follow OWCP standards.

The minimum qualifications for consideration are:(1)a bachelor
degree from an accredited four year college or university and
(2) two years workers’ compensation vocational rehabilitation
counseling experience.

Each VRC is required to submit to the OWCP National Office a complete
application package, ORIGINAL AND DUPLICATE, consisting of:(1)a
narrative summary which provides a complete and detailed description
of their work experience and educational background, including
vocational counseling experience in using the labor market, job
placement, and using testing/vocational evaluation; (2) copies of
transcripts supporting the college/university degrees obtained;
(3) two letters of reference verifying workers experience (not
character references); and (4) a signed cover letter or statement
by VRC indicating that the application package demonstrates the
intent to be available to provide direct services to injured workers
covered under OWCP, and including the following statement:
“I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, all
information, statements and documents herein presented are true,
correct, complete and made in good faith, under penalty of
disqualification and prosecution under the law.”

VRCs currently certified with OWCP do not need to provide letters
of reference.

Applicants with the highest ratings will be selected to attend
the required training workshops. The training workshops will
take place in Dallas and Houston, Texas, the week of October 22, 2007.
OWCP will provide a memorandum of attendance, which the VRC may
use to apply for continuing education units. VRCs are not paid or
otherwise reimbursed for attending those workshops.

Certification extends for a basic one year period, followed by a
minimum of four one year options. Evaluation of counselor’s
performance will determine whether options are renewed.

VRCs who receive referrals are evaluated on OWCP’s standards of
timeliness, quality, and adherence to OWCP’s policy and procedures.
Additional rating factors are positive outcomes or successful closures.
These evaluations will determine whether you continue to receive
referrals, and have a bearing on eligibility for future workshops.

VRCs selected to provide direct services are compensation at the
rate of $75 per hour for professional time, and $37.50 (one half
the rate) based on the OWCP approved schedule for direct services
on a case by case basis. OWCP may develop and test pilot programs
to determine the feasibility of other methods of remuneration.
OWCP does not guarantee a minimum number of referrals to each VRC.

This recruitment advertisement is also being posted in the Federal
Business Opportunity publication.

Individual VRCs are hereby asked to forward a complete application
package, including all of the required information of resume,
verifying references, and transcripts of completed college work,
in one package to Julia Tritz, Office of Workers’ Compensation,
200 Constitution Avenue, N. W., Room C4315, Washington, D.C. 20210.
Questions regarding the recruitment process should be forwarded to
Tritz.Julia@dol.gov.

The deadline for submitted applications package, original and
duplicate, is June 15, 2007.

THE APPLICATON PACKAGE MUST BE POSTMARKED AND/OR RECEIVED AT THE
ABOVE ADDRESS BY THE APPLICABLE DUE DATE OR THE VRC IS DISQUALIFIED.

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.