About This Career

Counsels 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. Coordinates activities for residents of care and treatment facilities. Assesses client needs and designs and implements rehabilitation programs that may include personal and vocational counseling, training, and job placement.

This career is part of the Human Services cluster Counseling and Mental Health Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Prepares and maintains records and case files, including documentation, such as clients' personal and eligibility information, services provided, narratives of client contacts, or relevant correspondence.
• Develops rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.
• Confers with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.
• Locates barriers to client employment, such as inaccessible work sites, inflexible schedules, or transportation problems, and works with clients to develop strategies for overcoming these barriers.
• Monitors and records clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.
• Participates in job development and placement programs, contacting prospective employers, placing clients in jobs, and evaluating the success of placements.
• Collaborates with clients' families to implement rehabilitation plans, such as behavioral, residential, social, or employment goals.
• Analyzes information from interviews, educational and medical records, consultation with other professionals, and diagnostic evaluations to assess clients' abilities, needs, and eligibility for services.
• Develops and maintains relationships with community referral sources, such as schools or community groups.
• Maintains close contact with clients during job training and placements to resolve problems and evaluate placement adequacy.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less.
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel