Rehabilitation Counselors
Human Services > Counseling & Mental Health ServicesProjected Growth: Faster than average
Projected Job Openings
Extensive Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Counsel individuals to maximize the independence and employability of persons coping with personal, social, and vocational difficulties that result from birth defects, illness, disease, accidents, or the stress of daily life. Coordinate activities for residents of care and treatment facilities. Assess client needs and design and implement rehabilitation programs that may include personal and vocational counseling, training, and job placement.
Common job titles of Rehabilitation Counselors include:
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Experience and Education
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
49.25% said they needed a Master's Degree.
26.26% said they needed a Bachelor's Degree.
Tasks
Monitor and record clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.
Develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.
Prepare and maintain records and case files, including documentation such as clients' personal and eligibility information, services provided, narratives of client contacts, or relevant correspondence.
Confer with physicians, psychologists, occupational therapists, and other professionals to develop and implement client rehabilitation programs.
Maintain close contact with clients during job training and placements to resolve problems and evaluate placement adequacy.
Participate in job development and placement programs, contacting prospective employers, placing clients in jobs, and evaluating the success of placements.
Analyze information from interviews, educational and medical records, consultation with other professionals, and diagnostic evaluations to assess clients' abilities, needs, and eligibility for services.
Arrange for physical, mental, academic, vocational, and other evaluations to obtain information for assessing clients' needs and developing rehabilitation plans.
Manage budgets and direct case service allocations, authorizing expenditures and payments.
Develop diagnostic procedures to determine clients' needs.
Arrange for on-site job coaching or assistive devices, such as specially equipped wheelchairs, to help clients adapt to work or school environments.
Locate barriers to client employment, such as inaccessible work sites, inflexible schedules, or transportation problems, and work with clients to develop strategies for overcoming these barriers.
Develop and maintain relationships with community referral sources, such as schools or community groups.
Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.
Collaborate with community agencies to establish facilities and programs for persons with disabilities.
Collaborate with clients' families to implement rehabilitation plans, such as behavioral, residential, social, or employment goals.
Tools
Voice over internet protocol VoIP systems
Voice output communication aids
Tablet computers
Smartphones
Scanners
Photocopiers
Personal computers
All ToolsNotebook computers
Multi-line telephone systems
Liquid crystal display LCD projectors
Laser printers
Laser pointers
Laser facsimile machines
Intercom systems
Handheld calculators
Global positioning system GPS receivers
Desktop computers
Alternative mouse options
Alternative computer keyboards
Technologies
Adobe Systems Adobe Reader
Budgeting software
Chart Links
Client information database software
Data input software
Electronic medical record EMR software
Email software
All TechnologiesEncryption software
Fanatic Software Informant
Global positioning system GPS software
Microsoft ActiveSync
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Microsoft Mobile Explorer MME
Microsoft Office Mobile
Microsoft Office Outlook (Calendar)
Netscape Navigator
Scheduling software
Spreadsheet software
Test interpretation software
Virus protection software
Voice recognition software
Word recognition software
Skills
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Operations Analysis
Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Abilities
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Expression
Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Inductive Reasoning
Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Problem Sensitivity
Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Deductive Reasoning
Occupation Sections
Knowledge
Therapy and Counseling
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Psychology
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Clerical
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Sociology and Anthropology
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.