Rehabilitation Counselors
SOC: 21-1015.00

Description:

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.

National Salary Information:

Hourly Statistics:

Annual Statistics:

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015 wage data.

Employment Projections:

Employment (2014):
120,100 employed

Projected (2024):
130,900 employed

Projected growth (2014-2024)


Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015 2014-2024 employment projections external site. "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2014-2024). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Alternate Titles:

  • Career Specialist
  • Case Manager
  • Certified Rehabilitation Counselor
  • Classification Counselor
  • Classifications Officer CC/CM
  • Coach (Career Transition and Performance)
  • Coordinator of Rehabilitation Services
  • Correctional Classification Counselor
  • Correctional Counselor/Case Manager
  • Counselor
  • Developmental Training Counselor
  • Direct Care Counselor
  • Direct Care Specialist
  • Director of Rehabilitation
  • Director of Vocational Evaluations/Rehabilitation Counselor
  • Disability Counselor
  • Disability Program Navigator
  • Employment Advisor
  • Employment Case Manager
  • Employment Evaluator/Case Manager
  • Employment Instructional Associate (EIA)
  • Employment Specialist
  • Employment Specialist/Program Manager
  • Employment Trainer
  • Group Counselor
  • Group Home Counselor
  • Homemaking Rehabilitation Consultant
  • Human Services Care Specialist
  • Job Coach
  • Job Coach/Job Developer
  • Job Coaching
  • Job Developer
  • Job Developer for Deaf Adults
  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
  • On-Site Services Specialist
  • Options Advisor
  • Placement Coordinator
  • Prevocational/Rehabilitation Counselor
  • Prison Classification Counselor
  • Program Coordinator
  • Program Specialist
  • Psychosocial Rehabilitation Counselor
  • Qualified Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
  • Rehab/Pre-Vocational Counselor
  • Rehabilitation Counselor
  • Rehabilitation Counselor for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
  • Rehabilitation Engineer
  • Rehabilitation Liaison
  • Rehabilitation Services Counselor
  • Rehabilitation Specialist
  • Rehabilitation Technician
  • Residence Counselor
  • Senior Case Manager
  • Senior Staff-Specialized Employment
  • Supportive Employment Case Manager
  • Supportive Employment Program Specialist
  • Transition Specialist
  • Veterans Rehabilitation Counselor
  • Vocational Case Manager
  • Vocational Evaluator
  • Vocational Placement Specialist
  • Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant
  • Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VCR)
  • Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist
  • Vocational Rehabilitation Technician
  • Vocational Services Specialist
  • Work Counselor

    • Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

    Experience:

    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.

    Education:

    Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

    Job Training:

    Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

    Required Skills:

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Learning
  • Learning Strategies
  • Monitoring
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Coordination
  • Persuasion
  • Negotiation
  • Instructing
  • Service Orientation
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Operations Analysis
  • Technology Design
  • Programming
  • Operation Monitoring
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Systems Analysis
  • Systems Evaluation
  • Time Management
  • Management of Financial Resources
  • Management of Personnel Resources

    • Knowledge Used:

  • Administration and Management
  • Clerical
  • Economics and Accounting
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Personnel and Human Resources
  • Production and Processing
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Mathematics
  • Psychology
  • Sociology and Anthropology
  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Therapy and Counseling
  • Education and Training
  • English Language
  • Foreign Language
  • Philosophy and Theology
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Law and Government
  • Telecommunications
  • Communications and Media
  • Transportation

    • Tasks:

  • Monitor and record clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.
  • Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.
  • Prepare and maintain records and case files, including documentation such as clients' personal and eligibility information, services provided, narratives of client contacts, and relevant correspondence.
  • Arrange for physical, mental, academic, vocational, and other evaluations to obtain information for assessing clients' needs and developing rehabilitation plans.
  • Analyze information from interviews, educational and medical records, consultation with other professionals, and diagnostic evaluations to assess clients' abilities, needs, and eligibility for services.
  • Develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.
  • Maintain close contact with clients during job training and placements to resolve problems and evaluate placement adequacy.
  • Develop and maintain relationships with community referral sources, such as schools and community groups.
  • Locate barriers to client employment, such as inaccessible work sites, inflexible schedules, and transportation problems, and work with clients to develop strategies for overcoming these barriers.
  • Arrange for on-site job coaching or assistive devices, such as specially equipped wheelchairs, to help clients adapt to work or school environments.
  • Confer with physicians, psychologists, occupational therapists, and other professionals to develop and implement client rehabilitation programs.
  • Develop diagnostic procedures to determine clients' needs.
  • Participate in job development and placement programs, contacting prospective employers, placing clients in jobs, and evaluating the success of placements.
  • Collaborate with clients' families to implement rehabilitation plans such as behavioral, residential, social, and employment goals.
  • Collaborate with community agencies to establish facilities and programs for persons with disabilities.
  • Manage budgets and direct case service allocations, authorizing expenditures and payments.

    • Tools & Technology:

  • Alternative computer keyboards
  • Alternative mouse options
  • Desktop computers
  • Global positioning system GPS receivers
  • Handheld calculators
  • Intercom systems
  • Laser facsimile machines
  • Laser pointers
  • Laser printers
  • Liquid crystal display LCD projectors
  • Multi-line telephone systems
  • Notebook computers
  • Personal computers
  • Personal digital assistants PDA
  • Photocopiers
  • Scanners
  • Smartphones
  • Tablet computers
  • Voice output communication aids
  • Voice over internet protocol VoIP systems
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Reader
  • Budgeting software
  • Chart Links software
  • Client information database software
  • Client System
  • Data input software
  • Email software
  • Encryption software
  • Global positioning system GPS software
  • Microsoft ActiveSync
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
  • Microsoft Mobile Explorer MME
  • Microsoft Office Mobile
  • Microsoft Office Outlook (Calendar)
  • Microsoft Office Outlook (Email)
  • Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Word
  • Netscape Navigator
  • Scheduling software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Test interpretation software
  • Virus protection software
  • Voice recognition software
  • Web browser software
  • WebIS Pocket Informant
  • Word processing software
  • Word recognition software

    • community and social service

    industry stats

    SOC: 21-0000

    Total Employed: 1,972,140

    Average Annual Salary: $46,160