Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Full Job Description

This is a non-merit position. Candidates must follow the instructions in the "To Apply" section.

Only applicants who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and meet all selective requirements (listed below) will be eligible.

The Iowa Department for the Blind (IDB) is seeking experienced Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (classification: Senior Services Specialist for the Blind 1) to join our statewide team.

These positions play an important role in supporting Iowans who are blind, have low vision, or are deafblind in achieving their employment goals.

One position will focus on serving Northwest Iowa, one on South/Southwest Iowa, and one on Central Iowa.

While all new counselors complete a minimum 14-week training period in Des Moines, we are open to negotiating domicile location after training is successfully completed.

As a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with IDB, you will manage a caseload of approximately 45–55 clients within your assigned region, providing individualized counseling, guidance, and employment planning.

Counselors work collaboratively with clients to help them gain the skills, confidence, and independence needed to pursue, secure, and succeed in competitive employment.

Ideal candidates will bring a strong understanding of vocational rehabilitation principles and career development strategies, along with the ability to conduct assessments, develop employment plans, build relationships with service providers, employers, and educators, and support clients in navigating the job search process.

Strong documentation, organization, communication, and time-management skills are essential to success in this role.

Duties and responsibilities include the following areas:

Case Management

• Independently prioritize workload to maximize effective utilization of time, resources, and agency assets. This position covers a territory of several counties in central Iowa and requires frequent travel.
• Submit necessary reports, case recordings, authorizations, and correspondence in a timely and accurate manner.
• Maintain client files and other records in an organized and specified format.

Application and Eligibility Determination

• Interview applicant, consult with family, and contact other sources such as ophthalmologists, community partners, and employers to procure visual, medical, psychological, social and educational information.
• Determines eligibility for services, assesses vocational, social and medical needs through appropriate testing and medical reports.

Plan Development/Counseling and Guidance/Plan Implementation

• Provide guidance and counseling regarding client’s personal and vocational adjustment throughout the rehabilitation process.
• Assist clients through informed choice in determining appropriate vocational goals and serves as a resource for clients seeking information regarding employment and employment goals.
• Maintains a working knowledge of assistive technology and reasonable accommodations.
• Assist clients to obtain an employment outcome using a variety of job development and job placement strategies including contacting employers, assessing employers’ needs, and providing resources and education to employers and clients.
• Counsel and guide clients in the establishment of self-employment goals.

Public Awareness and Education

• Advocate, consult, advise, educate, mediate, and intercede with service providers, employers, and the general public.
• Develop and maintain referral sources by providing information and resources through personal contacts, written communication and presentations.

Essential Functions

• Interpret and analyze assessment data to develop goals and activities for individual plans of employment.
• It is the policy of the Department for the Blind to conduct background checks on all finalist candidates prior to any offer of employment.
• Provide pre-employment transition services including job exploration counseling, work-based learning opportunities, workplace readiness training, counseling opportunities for post-secondary educational programs, and instruction in self-advocacy/peer mentoring to students with disabilities.
• Communicate with educators, community rehabilitation providers, and employers statewide about equipment modifications, accommodations, and alternative techniques that help blind people succeed.
• Develop and implement approaches to help eligible individuals explore career alternatives, find and interview for available jobs, and keep and/or advance in current jobs.
• Develop relationships with employers statewide to assist blind students, youth, and adults (with and without additional disabilities) to obtain, maintain, and retain employment and explore careers.
• Ability and means to travel within the local area in order to meet with clients, educators, employers and other professionals and stakeholders to perform the work of the position.

Benefits:

At the State of Iowa, we are committed to your well-being. As a valued team member, you'll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Paid Time Off: Enjoy vacation with accruals that rollover on a yearly basis, sick leave with no limits on accrual and 9 paid holidays per year.
• Great Benefits: Excellent Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance Options.
• Retirement Plan: IPERS Retirement package and an option for a deferred compensation plan.
• Flexibility: Flexible Spending Accounts (medical and dependent care).
• Life Insurance: Free Life Insurance.
• Support: Employee Assistance Programs and Employee Discount Programs.

To learn more about the benefits of working with the State of Iowa, visit our benefits webpage.

It is the policy of the Department for the Blind to conduct background checks on all finalist candidates prior to any offer of employment.

E-Verify and Right to Work

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.

Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States.

The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization.

For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov.

Requirements

752 Vocational Rehabilitation:
6 months experience, 12 semester hours, or a combination of both that specifically relates to employment and training services for individuals with disabilities. That knowledge base will include an awareness of the unique needs of this population, laws relating to discrimination or reasonable accommodations, assistive technology, and an understanding of employment and training systems and services, especially as provided in Iowa.

AND

257 Career Development Counseling:
6 months experience at the high school or college level or in the public or private sector such as Iowa Workforce Development or an employment agency. In the case of the latter, must have experience analyzing and assessing applicants’ work and education history and applying it to career goals.

• Must possess broad knowledge of postsecondary education and/or job training infrastructure.
• Must be able to communicate with program participants of varying academic and vocational abilities

Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in human service-oriented sciences, education, marketing or business and experience equal to three years of full time professional work;the equivalent of three years of full-time experience as a rehabilitation counselor or teacher shall be considered as qualifying provided the employee has successfully completed training to meet the certification criteria established by the agency;an equivalent combination of education and experience, substituting the equivalent of one year of full-time professional work experience for each year of the required education to a maximum substitution of four years.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.