Rehabilitation Counselors

What the job really is

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, aging, 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.

At a glance

• Sector: Community & Social Service
• O*NET-SOC code: 21-1015
• O*NET job zone: 4 — considerable preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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 clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.
• Develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.
• 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.
• Monitor and record clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.
• 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.
• Collaborate with clients' families to implement rehabilitation plans, such as behavioral, residential, social, or employment goals.
• Develop and maintain relationships with community referral sources, such as schools or community groups.
• Maintain close contact with clients during job training and placements to resolve problems and evaluate placement adequacy.
• Arrange for on-site job coaching or assistive devices, such as specially equipped wheelchairs, to help clients adapt to work or school environments.
• Arrange for physical, mental, academic, vocational, and other evaluations to obtain information for assessing clients' needs and developing rehabilitation plans.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Alternative computer keyboards, Alternative mouse options, Budgeting software, Chart Links, Client information database software, Data input software

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
• Mental Health Counselors
• Healthcare Social Workers
• Child, Family, and School Social Workers
• Occupational Therapy Aides
• Psychiatric Technicians
• Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
• Recreational Therapists

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 4 (considerable preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Rehabilitation Counselors — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.