Vision Rehabilitation Specialist Senior

Vision Rehabilitation Specialist
- Senior Itinerant

The Vision Rehabilitation Specialist
- Senior Itinerant analyzes and assesses the adaptive skills of customers with Blindness, Deaf-Blindness, and Low Vision for their activities of daily living and employment readiness. As the Rehabilitation Teaching and Orientation & Mobility subject matter expert, the Vision Rehabilitation Specialist
- Senior Itinerant applies superior emerging and evolving technologies and training methods to current and future customers and employers. They recommend and help develop the curriculum and implement training methodologies to customers and employers seeking to accommodate their staff in accordance with Section 508 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This Itinerant position is unique in that it will provide intermittent training and support to customers across the state as case load and needs increase and support is necessary.

This position also recruits, evaluates and manages vendors who provide specialized adaptive rehabilitation training and teaching to customers. It develops program standards related to Low Vision Evaluations, develops and monitors their budget for Low Vision kit and Adaptive Tools. It also provides adaptive education to businesses, customers, community partners, and employers.

Applicants can choose to work from one of many offices located in Washington State:
Seattle, Tacoma, Lacey/Olympia, Vancouver, Spokane and Yakima.

Some of what you will enjoy doing:

• Conducts comprehensive, in-depth assessments of all customers who are referred for vocational rehabilitation services.
• Assesses and measures customer's adjustment to vision loss, readiness for training. If issues arise, works with Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and/or local VRS to address any issues or conflicts. Recommends and implements solutions, therapies, techniques, and tools to address low vision needs.
• Analyzes anticipated needs for aids and appliances and skills and techniques, and determines the most effective and cost-efficient way to provide training (internally and/or externally) through discussion with Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC), local VRS, internal team, and customer
• Facilitates the practice of "informed choice"
• Makes formal recommendations in the electronic case management system
• Demonstrates skills in independently synthesizing assessment data and developing comprehensive specialized services and training unique to the individual and program as it relates to the vocational goal
• Coordinates assessment results with team, and develops plans for overlapping areas of responsibilities
• Assigned Statewide training responsibilities for areas of high volume, need, or as assigned to this position as the Itinerant
• Communicates to the customer the scope of training, competencies, and expected results of training
• Develops and communicates the objectives and completion measurements for all training
• Conducts training or arranges contract training to external vendors
• Develops the service expectations and outcome in collaboration with the Vision Rehabilitation Specialist assigned to the regional territory for services that need to be conducted by the Itinerant
• Monitors customer progress and assesses effectiveness of training, making any necessary adjustments to training plan in collaboration with local VRS
• Tests and measures customer competencies
• Serves as a statewide resource to customers, staff and community partners
• Communicates the agency's scope and mission,
• Educates community partners and employers to an array of adaptive tools and techniques that allow for optimal activities of daily living, travel, and access to communication for potential students and employees
• Provides consultation, presentations/training, and technical assistance statewide, and nationwide, to community resource and service providers for the application and use of adaptive tools and training
• Provides support and is responsible for the onboarding, training, and development for lower-level vision rehabilitation specialist staff towards competency among the range of vision rehabilitation specialists skillsets
• Responsible for ongoing training requests by lower-level staff and requests from Regional Area Managers (RAM) for employee retention training for lower-level staff
• Support statewide vision rehabilitation specialists process review and improvement efforts
• Ability to independently perform comprehensive low vision evaluations including calculating magnification needs, lighting needs in home and workplace, glare reduction tools. Recommends solutions and alternatives as needed
• Coordinates recommendations to vocational rehabilitation participants and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC)
• Manages Low Vision Lab, overseeing the lab supplies, inventory, and makes recommendations for budget with the oversight of the Regional Area Manager
• Prepare and maintain, which includes writing and editing, current documentation of training activities and related services in the automated…