The ABCs of SCHEDULE A for Service Providers on Helping Your Clients Obtain Federal Employment

INTRODUCTION

Are you a career counselor? Do you provide services to students with disabilities? Are you a vocational counselor or vocational rehabilitation professional? Are you an employment navigator? Do you work in any capacity to assist individuals with disabilities obtain meaningful employment? If so, this guide is for you! The federal government wants you to know how to help your clients get in our doors!

There are many advantages to having your clients work for the federal government. Federal employees serve in a wide variety of exciting jobs, earn good wages, receive medical benefits, and make a difference through public service. The federal government hires people in many different fields, from accounting to public affairs, health care to law enforcement, and everything in between.

This guide will educate all types of service providers about a special hiring authority - Schedule A - which is used in the federal government to quickly bring individuals with disabilities on board. This guide will show you, step by step, how to work with your local federal agencies to successfully place your clients with disabilities using Schedule A.

What is Schedule A hiring authority for persons with disabilities?

The Schedule A hiring authority for individuals with disabilities streamlines the often complex federal hiring process. Agencies can hire qualified individuals with disabilities without posting a job announcement.

Your client may be eligible to apply for federal employment using Schedule A if he or she is a person with:

• an intellectual disability;
• a severe physical disability; or
• a psychiatric disability.

In order for your client to be selected, your client will have to show that he or she meets the qualifications of the job (with or without reasonable accommodations).

Want more information? Read on!

By following the steps outlined below, you will be able to provide opportunities for your clients to seek federal government employment.

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A. Identify Open Positions

Work with your client to identify open positions that are compatible with his or her knowledge, skills, experience, and interests.

Most federal vacancies are advertised on the USAJOBS web site found at www.usajobs.gov. This is the federal government's official site for job information and includes thousands of job postings. Not all agencies use USAJOBS to announce job vacancies, so it is important to check specific agency web sites for additional information on employment opportunities. A listing of agency sites can be found at www.usa.gov.

Quick Tips and Helpful Hints:

• USAJOBS allows you to search for openings in a particular agency, career field, city or all three using the advanced search function.
• USAJOBS allows you to save your job searches in the system once you create an account. You can also receive e-mail updates when new job announcements are posted which meet specific criteria saved on a USAJOBS account. To learn more about saved searches and e-mail notifications, click here.
• If your client cannot access the Internet or needs additional assistance with the application process, he or she can call 1-800-FED-INFO (333-4636).
• Connect with USAJOBS on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information on vacancy announcements and tips on the application process.

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B. Prepare Application Materials

Once your client identifies the position(s) for which he or she wishes to apply, your client should start preparing his or her application.

1. Prepare Required Documents

For most of your clients, this will typically mean creating a resume. Resumes should connect an applicant's skills and abilities with the requirements listed in the vacancy announcement.

In addition to the resume, many (if not most) federal vacancy announcements ask for other documents to be submitted as part of the application package. It is very important that both you and your client read all job announcements very carefully. Make sure your client submits all of the documents required (such as a writing sample, cover letter, transcripts from high school or college, or a professional certification/license) as the application may be rejected without them. Additionally, many agencies require applicants to complete an occupational questionnaire to determine whether an applicant has the requisite skills and experience for the position.

Remember: Applications will be considered "incomplete" if your client fails to provide all required documentation or fails to complete any required questionnaires. An agency will not give applicants the opportunity to provide the missing information once they have submitted their application; instead, the "incomplete" application will be rejected.

Quick Tips and Helpful Hints:

• Job applicants can create a resume directly on USAJOBS using the "resume builder" feature. This may be useful if your client is seeking their first job or re-entering the workforce. Alternatively, your client can upload an existing resume directly onto USAJOBS.
• Encourage your client to submit his or her materials as soon as possible. Some job openings may close after the agency receives 100-200 resumes.

2. Prepare Schedule A Materials

In addition to the typical application materials mentioned above, to be considered for a Schedule A appointment, an applicant will also be required to submit documentation proving that he or she has an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability. This is often referred to as "Proof of Disability Documentation." Proof of disability will typically come in the form of a letter. Such a letter simply needs to say that your client has an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability.

Your client can get this letter from:

• his or her doctor;
• a licensed medical professional;
• a licensed rehabilitation professional (which may mean you); or
• any federal, state, District of Columbia, or US territory agency that issues or provides disability benefits.

The letter does NOT need to detail your client's medical history or need for an accommodation. To view sample Schedule A proof of disability letters, visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/getting-a-job/sampleschedaletters.pdf

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C. Apply for the Job

Once your client's resume and references are in order, he or she has obtained the proof of disability letter, and has all the other required application materials ready to go, the next step is to apply for the job.

1. Apply through USAJOBS

Your client should start by applying for the position he or she is interested in through the USAJOBS web site or the specific federal agency's web site. When applying electronically, your client should follow the application instructions listed in the job posting and submits the required documents. There may be a place for your client to upload their Schedule A proof of disability documentation.

Your client should submit their application materials as quickly as possible. Sometimes agencies will only accept a limited number of applications. Finally, every job posting will only accept applications for a specific amount of time.

2. Apply directly with the agency using the Schedule A process

Most agencies have a DPM or SPPC whose role is to help the agency recruit, hire, and accommodate people with disabilities. Your client should contact the Disability Program Manager (DPM) or Selective Placement Program Coordinator (SPPC) at the relevant federal agency where they wish to work and ask them for guidance on the best way to apply for the identified vacancy using the Schedule A hiring process for persons with disabilities. The DPM or SPPC will work with your client to make sure their resume/application is considered through Schedule A.

You (or your client) can find the appropriate person or office by either using the contact information included in the vacancy announcement itself (all announcements include a phone number or e-mail address to be used for questions) or by searching a directory of SPPCs maintained by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

It is advisable to apply for a position through the regular vacancy announcement (on USAJOBS or the agency's web site) AND THEN follow-up with the SPPC/DPM or appropriate office. Contacting the appropriate agency person responsible for overseeing Schedule A applications can take time. You and your client should factor this in as a part of the application deadline.

Quick Tips and Helpful Hints:

• Not all agencies have a DPM or SPPC, so you (or your client) may need to speak with an HR professional within the agency instead. In general, the contact information for the HR professional responsible for the vacancy is listed on the job announcement.
• When contacting a federal HR professional concerning possible employment opportunities, explain that you are referring to Schedule A for persons with disabilities. Several regulations are generically referred to as "Schedule A." Schedule A regulations cover more than just persons with disabilities.
• If your client is a veteran, you both may want to contact a VA counselor for information on federal employment programs for veterans with disabilities.

Once you or your client connects with the appropriate agency official, ask him or her for guidance on the best way to proceed with applying for the identified vacancy using the Schedule A hiring authority.

Next Steps: What happens after your client's application is submitted?

Generally, the agency will contact your client about his or her application status. If, after a reasonable period of time he or she has not heard from the agency about his or her application, your client should follow up with the DPM, SPPC, or the HR professional listed on the job vacancy. If the agency is interested in interviewing your client for the open position(s), someone from the agency will contact your client to set up an interview. At this point, your client should let the DPM, the SPPC, or the HR professional listed on the job vacancy, know if he or she needs a reasonable accommodation for the interview.

If the agency wants to hire your client, he or she will be offered the position. It is always advisable for your client to ask for the offer of employment in writing. The person extending the offer - typically an HR professional - should be able to clearly explain the offer and answer any questions you or your client may have.

If an offer of employment is accepted and your client believes he or she will need an accommodation to perform the job duties, encourage your client to give the agency reasonable notice, so that the agency can have what is needed on his/her first day.