8163D2
Pay Grade: 26
DEFINITION OF WORK
Summary
This is full-performance professional counseling work within a rehabilitation program.
Work includes negotiating with and counseling clients, families, and other professionals to assist in effecting emotional adjustments to disabilities, to determine client eligibility, to develop realistic rehabilitation goals and plans, to provide vocational guidance concerning employment and training requirements, trends and opportunities. Work also includes determining the spectrum of services needed to sustain employment. Some positions specialize in transition planning for high school special education students.
Standard Classification Factors
Supervision Received - LEVEL C: "Under direction" Employees at this level usually receive a general outline of the work to be performed and are generally free to develop their own sequences and methods within the scope of established policies. New, unusual, or complex work situations are almost always referred to a superior for advice. Work is periodically checked for progress and conformance to established policies and requirements.
Difficulty - LEVEL C: Considerable Duties which require a high degree of concentration because of the many factors which must be considered and weighed before a decision can be reached. Usually positions that require planning, developing, and coordinating programs and directing fairly large groups of people fall into this category.
Complexity - LEVEL D: Work is of a diversified nature that usually involves multiple unrelated steps. Analytical thought is necessary for dealing with complex data and situations. Work often involves a variety of unrelated processes and may require planning or carrying out a sequence of actions or both. Several alternatives usually exist at this level for approaching problems or situations. Workers at this level exercise a considerable amount of independent judgment. Work is controlled by occasional review and by reporting to or consultation with supervisors or superiors. When guidelines exist at this level, they are usually broadly defined or technical requiring careful analysis and interpretation.
Consequence of Actions or Decisions - LEVEL C: Consequences of actions or decisions at this level are limited in scope and effect as the work is reviewed occasionally. Errors may cause moderate inefficiency. Costs due to errors may be significant.
Contacts - LEVEL C: The purpose of the contact is to influence, motivate, conduct interviews, make formal presentations or counsel to achieve common understanding or solutions to problems when the information is sensitive in nature or the individuals or groups are skeptical or uncooperative. Communication techniques and well developed communication skills become an important requirement at this level.
Physical Demands - LEVEL B: The work requires light physical exertion. The employee may be required to perform handling activities with lightweight or easily moved items (e.g. books, file folders, boxes of office supplies, small machine parts, etc.); perform moving activities for brief periods; operate light equipment; perform repetitive motions for brief periods; confined to a work area.
Environmental Conditions - LEVEL A: The work environment involves normal everyday hazards or discomforts typical of offices, meeting and training rooms, or libraries. Comfortable levels of temperature, ventilation, lighting and sound are inherent in the work environment. Exposure to deviations from pleasant environmental conditions is only occasional. The likelihood of injury is remote.
Supervision/Leadership - LEVEL A: No supervisory or leadership responsibility; may explain work instructions or assist in training others.
Distinguishing Features
Differs from the Human Services Consultant which provides quality assurance review, training for staff, handles more complex cases or serves as expert resource.
EXAMPLES OF WORK PERFORMED
Interviews clients for personal, biographical and vocational information to assess needs. Explains agency services, policies and the rehabilitation process.
Determines pertinent medical, psychological and social information necessary to make an eligibility determination and to determine that rehabilitation services will improve employability. Information is obtained by personal contact or written correspondence with physicians, psychologists, referring agencies and other interested parties and by arranging for diagnostic, physical, mental and vocational evaluations.
Analyzes medical, psychological, social and vocational reports and data to determine the nature and limitation of the disabilities.
Determines client eligibility and develops individual written rehabilitation plan which includes a rehabilitation goal, measurable intermediate objectives and a timeline.
Monitors each rehabilitation plan to insure that goals and objectives are being met.
Determines appropriate services available from a variety of programs and funding sources for rehabilitation plans (vocational, transition, or independent living).
Develops individual transition plan for high school special education students in order to document the cooperative activities of students, parents, schools, and other agencies to meet post-school residential, vocational, and community living needs.
Provides individual counseling services to disabled individuals throughout the rehabilitation process.
Independently manages case service allocations to insure quality and cost effective rehabilitation outcomes. Authorizes expenditures and payments for client services. Applies knowledge of state purchasing policies and procedures to maintain compliance for purchases.
Maintains case file to document client information, rationale for eligibility and services provided, narrative of significant client contacts and other events. Records include documents from other agencies and providers. Case file also includes documents required by federal and state policies and procedures.
Negotiates with business and industry, schools and other training programs, consumer organizations and community groups to secure commitments of time, funding, resources, and influence to increase placement and rehabilitation opportunities for disabled individuals.
Develops liaison with schools, community-based facilities and community groups to secure appropriate referrals and to develop community programs to meet unmet client program needs.
Provides specialized instruction in orientation and mobility to visually impaired individuals.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES, AND SKILLS
Knowledge
*Knowledge of the principles and techniques of counseling.
*Knowledge of the physical and psychological aspects of disability and human behavior.
*Knowledge of individual appraisal instruments and their applications.
*Knowledge of job analysis, job modification and rehabilitation engineering.
Knowledge of agency policy and procedures.
Abilities
*Ability to relate to and work effectively with physically, emotionally, and developmentally disaled persons.
*Ability to communicate effectively with a variety of people.
*Ability to review and evaluate information and to adapt trends and developments in the field to a practical program application.
*Ability to analyze medical, psychological, economic, social and academic information to formulate recommendations.
*Ability to evaluate personal and psychological characteristics, physical abilities, work background, potential capabilities and interests of the disabled individual and to interpret these in terms of their occupational significance.
*Ability to develop individual written rehabilitation plans (vocational, transition, and independent living).
*Ability to use reference materials on disability to guide eligibility decisions and rehabilitation plan development.
*Ability to use computer technology with accommodations as needed, to complete job duties.
*Necessary at Entry
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Six years of experience in rehabilitation counseling or counseling, counseling and guidance, clinical counseling, sociology, psychology, social work, education, special education and education of the deaf. Education may be substituted for experience as determined relevant by the agency.
Master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling or a current Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) certificate. Individuals with Master's degree in other disciplines may be considered on the condition that they complete specific courses related to the Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling discipline within established agency's timeframes after being hired.
Necessary Special Requirements:
Some positions require national certification as an Orientation and Mobility
Instructor.
NC: 09/03
REV: 08/05
REV: 07/08