REHABILITATION SPECIALIST 2

SS414 $44,637 - $80,434
Creation Date: 01/28/2000
Change Date: 01/01/2025

FUNCTION OF WORK:
To independently provide eligible rehabilitation consumers who are blind, deaf, deaf-blind or hard-of-hearing with counseling, guidance, training, vocational alternatives and placement services resulting in gainful employment and self-sufficiency. Also serves as a resource person to other professional counseling staff.

LEVEL OF WORK:
Experienced

SUPERVISION RECEIVED:
General from a Rehabilitation District Supervisor and may receive functional from a Specialist-Master.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED:
Direct-line over Rehabilitation Counselor Associate or support staff and functional supervision over Counselors, Counselors- Entry or Specialists 1.

JOB DISTINCTIONS:
Differs from Specialist 1 by independent performance of duties, provision of functional supervision over Counselors, Counselors- Entry and Specialists 1 and completion of agency required training and/or certification.

Differs from Specialist-Master by level of work, level of independence and responsibility, supervision received and lack of master's degree requirement.

CORE COMPETENCIES:
CORE COMPETENCIES HAVE NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED BY STATE CIVIL SERVICE FOR THIS JOB TITLE. MORE INFORMATION ON THE SCS COMPETENCY MODEL CAN BE FOUND HERE.

EXAMPLES OF WORK:
EXAMPLES BELOW ARE A BRIEF SAMPLE OF COMMON DUTIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS JOB TITLE. NOT ALL POSSIBLE TASKS ARE INCLUDED.

Independently performs complex specialized rehabilitation casework utilizing knowledge, skills and techniques to enable individuals who are blind, deaf, deaf-blind or hard-of-hearing to successfully interface with his or her 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 assessments.

Independently counsels consumers, family members, significant others, etc. relative to implications of the prognosis and social/psychological adjustments to facilitate independence and arranges for ancillary services as needed.

Provides specialized counseling, guidance, training, vocational guidance, and placement services to achieve the consumers individualized rehabilitation plan, adhering to all state and federal laws and regulations and agency policies and procedures.

Conducts comprehensive psychosocial evaluations aimed at assessing rehabilitation problems and needs manifested in deafness and blindness.

Maintains current knowledge base of medical aspects of disabilities, particularly deafness and blindness, to include significant consequences and complications, functional problems and social implications.

Performs specialized rehabilitation tasks involving serious consequences and requiring advanced technical knowledge including independent functioning in formulating and monitoring contractual agreements for individualized plans based on each consumers specific disability, interests, skills and goals.

Conducts workshops and provides individual counseling to assist consumers with improving interpersonal skills, understanding the labor market and achieving employment and/or self-sufficiency.

Maintains and utilizes knowledge of various therapeutic modalities to remove or accommodate disabilities to the extent possible.

Interprets medical and psychological information utilizing knowledge of physical and mental capacities, 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 consumers plan of rehabilitation.

Serves as supervisor to professional individuals (i.e. interpreters, orientation and mobility instructors, etc.) hired to work with consumers currently under an active individualized rehabilitation plan.

Provides technical assistance to regional employers regarding accessibility and job site modifications for consumers.

Works with other agencies and disciplines through a network of activities such as serving on various committees and as a member of organizations and task forces dealing with issues relative to deafness or blindness.

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 ensure confidentiality of case information.

Supervises work of paraprofessional staff in completion of caseload support duties critical to the successful rehabilitation on consumers. Evaluates performance and provides guidance.

Assists in training and orienting new employees to the practices and procedures of providing rehabilitation services. Assists supervisors and managers in providing in-service training.

Serves as resource person to other staff by providing knowledge and expertise in regards to functional limitations of deafness or blindness and ideas for innovative services pertaining to individual consumers with unique needs.

Attends training to maintain and upgrade knowledge and skills, which requires 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.

Utilized as expert witness and provides other legal testimony regarding a consumers rehabilitation potential.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
One year of the required experience for the following minimum qualifications must have been providing rehabilitation services to individuals who are hearing or visually impaired:

A bachelor's degree plus three years of experience in rehabilitation services, therapy services, administrative services, social services, or nursing; OR

A bachelor's degree in rehabilitation services, a social sciences field, social work, education, nursing, health and human services/resources, speech therapy, biomedical engineering, or business administration plus two years of experience in rehabilitation services, therapy services, administrative services, social services, or nursing; OR

A master's degree plus two years of experience in rehabilitation services, therapy services, administrative services, social services, or nursing.