DSHS DVR Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

About the role

The job of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor is suited for the person committed to the economic prosperity of students, youth, and adults with disabilities seeking good-paying jobs and career advancement.

Responsibilities

• Work with customers to complete comprehensive assessments and develop an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE).
• Provide vocational rehabilitation counseling and support.
• Determine each customer’s eligibility for vocational rehabilitation services necessary to achieve their employment goal.
• Conduct comprehensive assessments of customer needs, identifying disability-related barriers to employment that require VR services.
• Arrange and interpret results of diagnostic testing and other vocational rehabilitation assessment tools; obtain benefit reports and interpret results to assist and counsel customers.
• Aid customers in developing and implementing an Individual Plan for Employment and monitor progress toward completion of employment goals.
• Maintain close working relationships with those who jointly serve DVR customers; promote DVR programs to the public and employers; conduct outreach in the community to share information about DVR services.
• Lead group orientations, workshops, and related activities to facilitate informed choices and prepare customers for employment.

Requirements

• Current Certification as a Rehabilitation Counselor by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC).
• A master's degree in rehabilitation counseling, psychology, counseling, or a field related to vocational rehabilitation (such as one that promotes the physical, psychosocial, or vocational well-being of people with disabilities).
• A master's degree with at least 18 quarter or 12 semester credit hours of rehabilitation counseling courses, plus 6 months of paid/unpaid vocational counseling, job placement, vocational assessment, or other areas of rehabilitation counseling experience.
• A bachelor's degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling or reasonably related field, and accepted or enrolled in a rehabilitation counseling or related master's program that will be completed within two years, plus one year paid/unpaid experience consisting of: Direct work with people with disabilities in a setting such as an independent living center; direct service or advocacy activities that provide you with experience and skills in working with persons with disabilities; direct experience as an employer, as a small business owner or operator, or in self-employment, or other experience in education, human resources, recruiting, or experience in supervising employees, training, or other activities that provide experience in integrated employment environments or in areas that assist others find employment (i.e. WorkSource).

Qualifications

• Apply technical knowledge of medical and psychological aspects of disabling conditions, labor market information, transferable skills evaluations, assistive technology, and job modifications.
• Absorb and apply multiple counseling techniques to meet the varied needs of customers.
• Manage multiple and competing priorities within prescribed time limits.
• Negotiate with vendors and collaborate with other rehabilitation professionals.

Skills

• Technical knowledge of medical and psychological aspects of disabling conditions, labor market information, transferable skills evaluations, assistive technology, and job modifications.
• Assist customers in exercising informed choices to make collaborative decisions that are consistent with appropriate vocational rehabilitation practice.
• Support customers in developing a wide variety of social, educational, and financial resources to reach their employment goals by applying multiple counseling techniques to meet the varied needs of customers.
• Manage multiple and competing priorities within prescribed time limits.
• Negotiate with vendors and collaborate with other rehabilitation professionals.

Benefits

Starting salary depends on your qualifications. Thoroughly submitted application documents will assist in determining your experience and education in this area.

Pay

Starting salary depends on your qualifications.

Schedule

Starting salary depends on your qualifications.