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This is a professional class for positions that provide diverse vocational rehabilitation counseling and case management services to persons with physical, mental and emotional disabilities. Positions in this class determine eligibility for services; and plan, develop, implement and manage individualized plans designed to help clients minimize, eliminate or adjust to handicapping conditions, and achieve and maintain employment and/or independent living skills. Provides guidance and counseling to individuals throughout the rehabilitation process. May provide specialized counseling for direct job placement, job seeking skills and overcoming barriers to employment; or for specific disability populations such as deaf, long-term mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, school age, visually handicapped, traumatic brain injured, substance abuse, and/or physically disabled. Provides services to employers such as information on affirmative action, rehabilitation engineering and job analysis. Work may be performed in an institution, facility, or field location. This class is distinguished from the Rehabilitation Vocational Evaluator class by its responsibility for providing a full range of comprehensive services and widely varied individualized rehabilitation programs to clients rather than concentrating on vocational evaluation services.

Complexity of Work: Performs work of moderate difficulty involving the provision of a full range of counseling and vocational rehabilitation services. Work requires decisions which aim to minimize or eliminate the handicapping conditions of individuals where possible, and to assist individuals in obtaining job readiness skills for successful achievement of gainful and reasonably permanent employment and independent living skills. Positions plan and/or conduct diagnostic evaluations to determine eligibility according to federal and state policy; and interview clients to

gather and analyze client personal history, medical and psychological data, physical capacities, and barriers to employment in order to assist in determining viable vocational alternatives. Determines appropriate counseling approaches and cost effective services; identifies needed behavior modification and uses appropriate behavioral techniques including modeling behaviors; determines rehabilitation goals; and develops individualized rehabilitation programs, intermediate objectives; criteria for accomplishment and methods of evaluation. Provides guidance, counseling and training to clients and their family members related to social and disability adjustments; medical, emotional and occupational issues; and job seeking and job readiness skills. Conducts on-site reviews for identification of architectural and environmental barriers, and arranges for work environment accommodations in order to minimize mental, emotional or physical barriers to employment. Observes and records client’s behaviors, changes, and progress; and maintains comprehensive case records. Assesses client potential to benefit from services; and utilizes effective case management techniques. May encumber and manage funds; seek and develop integrated services with other agencies, community resources and third party payers; and/or arrange for client medical services. Functions as client advocate; develops community referral services; conducts marketing and public relations activities involving parents, school personnel, employers and community organizations; and participates in special projects, task forces and advocacy groups.

Supervision Given: Supervision is typically not a factor.

Supervision Received: Receives directions from a Rehabilitation Program Supervisor or other higher level administrator in the form of general assignments and periodic review. Develops work sequence and rehabilitation plans independently within established policies.

Scope: Performs a wide range of counseling and/or case management services which affect the social, physical, economic, vocational and psychological well-being of clients, patients, and students. Work also affects community employers and organizations and the success of the agency's mission to provide quality rehabilitation services.

Impact of Actions: Inappropriate counseling may have negative effects on both client and family well-being; and may prevent the successful employment and/or independent living of the client. Major costs in time, money, court actions, services, community/employer goodwill, and agency integrity may be incurred

through errors in judgment or inappropriate decisions. Proficient case management impacts both client and the community by facilitating the client’s ability to be a positive, contributing member of society, and by strengthening relations between the agency and community employers, thus promoting the employability of disabled individuals.

Personal Contacts: Frequent internal and external contacts with clients, private and public employers, vendors, community agencies, civic organizations, human services professionals, medical personnel, school superintendents, hospital and county administrators, directors of community service boards and social services, legal officials, and clients’ family members regarding clients’ evaluations, employment, and progress; to promote services and public support; and to obtain and provide information about programs and clients.

Knowledge: Working knowledge of the theory, principles and practices of rehabilitative systems, counseling methods, psycho-social assessment, crisis intervention, behavior modification, the management, fiscal planning/management, case management, and interviewing techniques. Working knowledge of barriers to employment, regional labor market and employment trends; career development and counseling; jobs and job skills; social, economic, and community resources; affirmative action, EEO and related legislation; and disabilities, related medical terminology, and cultural differences of the disabled.

Skills: Working skill in manual sign language may be required for positions working with deaf clients.

Abilities: Demonstrated ability to develop, coordinate and manage a variety of internal and external evaluation, rehabilitation, and employment resources; to communicate effectively orally and in writing; to interpret, analyze and synthesize data in the planning, development and implementation of individualized rehabilitation services; to counsel clients and family members and monitor progress; to administer and interpret applicable tests; to make independent decisions regarding client’s ability to adapt or function in a training/work program; to work well with diverse groups of people; and to promote the awareness of the employability of persons with disabilities.

QUALIFICATIONS GUIDE*

Licenses or Certification: None.

Education or Training: Graduation from an accredited college or university with course work in counseling, psychology, or a related human services field.

Level and Type of Experience: Experience performing case work management; working with the disabled; applying a variety of counseling techniques; and coordinating community and financial resources.

An equivalent combination of training and experience indicating possession of the preceding knowledge and abilities may substitute for this education and experience.

This class was revised and re-titled in December 1988 as a result of the Classification Review/Specification Update Program. It was formerly titled the Rehabilitation Counselor class.