Rehabilitation Specialist

Position Summary

This position is with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and performs a full range of professional vocational rehabilitation assignments and work. It serves as a Transition Rehabilitation Specialist serving students who are transitioning from school into the community by implementing a planning process in support of students’ jobs and adult placement.

• Counseling and guiding individuals with disabilities to assist them in achieving employment outcomes consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests and informed choice.
• Analyzes and interprets the pertinent educational, social, medical, psychological and vocational information of applicants or consumers in order to determine their aspirations, interests, motivations, aptitudes and scholastic achievements.
• Conducts diagnostic interviews to obtain medical, psychological, educational, social, vocational and personal information to assist people with disabilities in making appropriate career choices.
• Determines appropriate referrals to other agencies and community partners, including appropriate medical, psychological and psychiatric services.
• Completes a comprehensive assessment for each applicant and eligible VR consumer accessing appropriate external resources as necessary.
• Determines the consumer’s eligibility, the need for VR Services, and ensures VR Services are appropriate.
• Develops a rehabilitation plan with each consumer that is consistent with the consumer’s aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities and career goals.
• Follows up and monitors a consumer’s services to ensure timely provision of services and progress to Individualized Plan of Employment (IPE) completion or employment outcome.
• Independently authorizes and approves expenditures of state/federal funds for individualized goods and services to consumers.
• Prepares case reports to monitor and record the consumer’s progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.
• Participates in job development, job placement programs, and follows up on consumers who have been placed in employment.
• Develops community referral sources for providing services to consumers.
• Establishes the method of which educational, social, medical, psychological and vocational data is to be obtained from consumers, family and community programs; works with the community in establishing facilities and programs to assist the individual with a disability.
• Maintains records and prepares reports and correspondence related to work.
• May be assigned as a Vocational Rehabilitation liaison to one or more local schools.
• Explores comparable benefits.
• Engages in conflict resolution, preserving good counselor‑consumer and/or counselor‑provider relationships.
• Reviews and interprets various evaluation results with consumers.
• Complies with required steps of the consumer appeal process.
• Completes documentation timely and accurately.
• Educates consumers on assignment of their “ticket” under the Ticket to Work Program.
• Establishes and maintains contact with schools (including post‑secondary), hospitals, doctors, other agencies and other referral sources.
• Educates referral sources about Vocational Rehabilitation programs and the referral process.
• Determines the need for post‑employment services for consumers on an individualized basis.
• Maintains engagement with consumers throughout their rehabilitation process.
• Oversees the work of staff by making and reviewing work assignments, establishing priorities, coordinating activities, and resolving work‑related problems.
• Performs related work as assigned.

• Knowledge of counseling techniques, vocational assessment, job placement and interviewing techniques, and community resources.
• Skill in the use of a computer and applicable software.
• Excellent communication, creativity, problem‑solving, evaluation of services and time management skills.
• Ability to be flexible, handle multiple tasks, maintain a professional demeanor, and show empathy.
• A willingness to obtain necessary continuing training/education for Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) certification maintenance; or if not a CRC certificate holder, a…