Rehabilitation Counselor

Summary of Position:

A Rehabilitation Counselor, or Rehab Counselor, helps people with disabilities live independently and reach their full potential, often with a focus on employment. They assess client needs, develop individualized rehabilitation plans, and provide guidance and support to help participants overcome challenges related to their disabilities. This may involve counseling, vocational training, job placement assistance, and collaboration with other professionals. 

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Performs rehabilitation casework at a beginning professional level with supervisory review utilizing newly acquired knowledge, skills, and techniques to enable a disabled individuals with disabilities (i.e. learning disabled, epilepsy, personality disorders, mood disorders, serious burn victims, orthopedic impairments, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injured, etc.) to successfully interface with his or her total environment - both social and vocational.

• Assesses functional limitations and vocational potential of eligible rehabilitation consumers, interpreting psychological and specialized medical information, and utilizing comprehensive vocational evaluation assessments, with supervisory review.
• Counsels consumers, family members, significant others, etc., relative to physical restoration, implications of prognosis, and social/psychological adjustments to facilitate independence, and arranges for ancillary services as needed.
• Provides counseling, guidance, training, vocational alternatives, and placement services, with supervisory review, to achieve the consumer's individualized rehabilitation goal, adhering to all state and federal laws and regulations, and agency policies and procedures.
• Conducts less complex psychosocial evaluations with supervisory review aimed at assessing rehabilitation problems and needs manifested in various disabilities.
• Develops a knowledge base of medical aspects of disabilities to include significant consequences and complications, functional problems, and social implications.
• Utilizes acquired rehabilitation knowledge in the technical formulation and monitoring of contractual agreements for individualized plans based on each consumer's specific disability, interests, skills, and goals, with supervisory review.
• Assists in conducting workshops and provides individual counseling to assist consumers with improving interpersonal skills, understanding the labor market, and achieving gainful employment and/or self-sufficiency.
• Develops knowledge of various therapeutic modalities to remove or accommodate disabilities to the extent possible, utilizing physical/mental restoration, adaptive devices, etc.
• Interprets medical and psychological information utilizing acquired knowledge of physical and mental capabilities, medical aspects of disabilities, significant consequences and complications, functional problems, and social implications.
• Collaborates and consults with other agencies, health professionals, educators, vocational evaluators, and community leaders to achieve each consumer's plan of rehabilitation.
• Develops and maintains knowledge of labor market information to assist consumers with job placement. Confers with public and private employers to establish job opportunities for consumers. Aids consumers in securing employment consistent with their goal.
• Maintains required documentation of casework activities and ensures confidentiality of case information.
• Supervises the work of paraprofessional staff in the completion of caseload support duties critical to the successful rehabilitation of consumers. Evaluates performance and provides guidance.
• Attends training to develop and maintain knowledge and skills that require in-state travel, to include overnight stays, and may require out-of-state travel.
• Performance of duties involves field travel, which requires possession of a valid driver's license unless a reasonable accommodation is made.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Make referrals to appropriate agencies and/or providers of the Department of Health (DOH) 

Document and follow up promptly to ensure services are in place and appropriate. 

Respond to participant referrals and needs promptly. 

Empower participants and families to be actively involved 

CLIENT FILE MAINTENANCE

Keeps accurate and up-to-date records and documentation. 

Ensures all paperwork is documented per LRS guidelines.

PARTICIPATES IN PUBLIC RELATIONS ACTIVITIES TO ORIENTATE AND MARKET PROGRAM SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC. 

Participate in Easterseals activities and other activities if requested. 

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Provide input and assistance to the Supervisor and Program Director in the preparation of program reports and state-required reports. 

Work with Supervisors and the Program Director to ensure maximum communications and coordination with other Easterseals staff, e.g., administrative assistants, other program development staff, etc. 

Consistently participate in staff meetings to keep informed and ensure open lines of communication. 

STAFF DEVELOPMENT 

Participate in state activities and training opportunities as budget/need allows. 

Participate in mandatory in-service training required by Easterseals and other organizations 

Complete at least 20 hours of training per year. 

COMPETENCIES:

Problem Solving/Decision Making – Able to assess needs and consider a course of action to best meet those needs. 

Monitoring – Able to monitor participant progress and respond to unmet needs;

Planning – Establish effective objectives and priorities, implement plans, anticipate obstacles, and consider alternatives. 

Action Orientation – Take initiative rather than passively accepting; acts and attempts to influence events to achieve goals. 

Work Commitment – Willingly commit extra effort and time to get a job done; identify with organization goals; exhibit excellent time management abilities. 

Oral and Written Communication Skills – Ability to exhibit appropriate use of grammar and spelling in written communication, exhibit appropriate use of grammar in oral communication, and ensure oral and written communication is professional. 

Building Relationships – Able to establish rapport with provider agencies and staff, Easterseals administrative, and other program staff. 

Team Playing – Work cooperatively with other Easterseals Supervisors 

Mission Advocacy – Able to identify with the project and Easterseals objectives; adequately, constructively, and directly communicate these objectives.

• A bachelor’s degree plus one year of experience in rehabilitation services, social services, administrative services, therapy services, or nursing; OR
• A bachelor’s degree in a rehabilitation field, a social sciences field, social work, education, nursing, health and human services, speech therapy, or business administration; OR
• A master's degree.

? Must have own reliable transportation for regular participant visits, current driver’s license, and insurance   

? Willing and able to travel during the day to outlying parishes as required 

? Able to multitask and meet deadlines 

? Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills 

? Proficient in the use of standard office software (i.e., Word, Excel) and computer literate. 

? Must be a team player, supportive of all team members. 

? Must complete all training set forth by the State of Louisiana and pass any required certification testing. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS with or without accommodation: 

• The employee is regularly required to operate a computer, type documentation into web-based applications, file and retrieve written documents, and communicate with others on the phone and in person. 
• The employee is frequently required to walk, sit, use hands, and lift /move lightweight items.
• Ability to move independently within the facility and the community.