Rehabilitation Counselor

Counsel individuals to maximize the independence and employability of persons coping with personal, social, and vocational difficulties that result from birth defects, illness, disease, accidents, aging, or the stress of daily life. Coordinate activities for residents of care and treatment facilities. Assess client needs and design and implement rehabilitation programs that may include personal and vocational counseling, training, and job placement.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Classification Counselor; CRC (Certified Rehabilitation Counselor); Employment Advisor; Job Coach; Rehabilitation Specialist; Vocational Counselor; Vocational Placement Specialist; Vocational Services Specialist; VRC (Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor); Work Counselor

Tasks

• Develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.
• Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.
• Prepare and maintain records and case files, including documentation, such as clients' personal and eligibility information, services provided, narratives of client contacts, or relevant correspondence.
• Locate barriers to client employment, such as inaccessible work sites, inflexible schedules, or transportation problems, and work with clients to develop strategies for overcoming these barriers.
• Analyze information from interviews, educational and medical records, consultation with other professionals, and diagnostic evaluations to assess clients' abilities, needs, and eligibility for services.
• Monitor and record clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.
• Develop and maintain relationships with community referral sources, such as schools or community groups.
• Maintain close contact with clients during job training and placements to resolve problems and evaluate placement adequacy.
• Arrange for physical, mental, academic, vocational, and other evaluations to obtain information for assessing clients' needs and developing rehabilitation plans.
• Participate in job development and placement programs, contacting prospective employers, placing clients in jobs, and evaluating the success of placements.
• Manage budgets and direct case service allocations, authorizing expenditures and payments.
• Confer with physicians, psychologists, occupational therapists, and other professionals to develop and implement client rehabilitation programs.
• Supervise rehabilitation counselors and staff.
• Arrange for on-site job coaching or assistive devices, such as specially equipped wheelchairs, to help clients adapt to work or school environments.
• Collaborate with clients' families to implement rehabilitation plans, such as behavioral, residential, social, or employment goals.

Knowledge

• Therapy and Counseling
• Psychology
• Customer and Personal Service
• English Language
• Administrative
• Education and Training
• Sociology and Anthropology
• Administration and Management

Skills

• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Monitoring
• Reading Comprehension
• Critical Thinking
• Writing
• Active Learning
• Learning Strategies

Abilities

• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Problem Sensitivity
• Speech Clarity
• Written Comprehension
• Written Expression
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Speech Recognition
• Near Vision
• Fluency of Ideas
• Information Ordering
• Originality
• Category Flexibility