Rehabilitation Counselor 3 - Albany
🔍 Georgia - Dougherty - Albany
Summary/Objective:
The Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) is seeking candidates for high visibility positions in our Vocational Rehabilitation Program. GVRA offers candidates the opportunity to work with community partners, organizations, and internal and external stakeholders throughout the state to develop partnerships with education and leverage resources.
Under broad supervision, provide vocational rehabilitation (VR) services to individuals with disabilities to facilitate competitive and integrated employment outcomes. Provides vocational counseling and guidance to determine eligibility and, develop a vocationally focused plan with eligible individuals leading to successful employment outcomes. Mentors and trains counselors. Serves as lead counselor for the office or area of assignment and may provide clinical supervision for graduate student interns, Counselor 1, Counselor 2, and other staff members, as assigned.
Essential Functions:
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Conducts interviews with VR participants (potentially eligible individuals, applicants, and clients) to determine need and interest in VR services.
- Determines eligibility, identifies the order of selection, conducts a comprehensive needs assessment, develops an individualized plan for employment, and authorizes services.
- Reviews and interprets education, vocational, psychological, and medical information.
- Travels within the caseload assignment or assigned school areas to meet with individuals, providers, partners, and other outreach.
- Counsels and guides participants throughout the rehabilitation process, including establishing employment goals, facilitating job search efforts, maintaining contact with clients, and moving the case to closure.
- Monitors client movement through the VR process and ensures timely provision of services.
- Provides information to educate the public, other agencies, vendors, and potential customers about rehabilitation services.
- Provides individualized assessment of employment development for the purpose of student goal planning, as well as rehabilitation team planning.
- Creates and maintains a high-performance environment characterized by positive leadership, ethical decision-making, effective case management that safeguards client welfare, strong team orientation, and a culture focused on the individual's seeking assistance from GVRA.
- Adheres to internal controls when authorizing expenditures to ensure fiscal decisions are reasonable, appropriate, allocable, and necessary for vocational rehabilitation funds.
- Documents accurately and timely in client information system while adhering to the GVRA Client Services Policy Manual and federal regulations of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA).
- In collaboration with the Policy, Training, and Strategic Initiatives, the District Manager and Supervisor, provides counselor development and training. May be required to be subject matter expert on topics identified by audit findings or skill deficiencies.
- Serves as a mentor to other counselors and staff members, including approval of work products (such as Individualized Plan for Employment development).
- Provides feedback to Office Supervisor regarding observations and performance of fellow counselors.
- Observes rules of confidentiality as stated by departmental guidelines in the dissemination and interpretation of test results and other case file information.
- May be responsible for handling complex cases.
- May be responsible for attending community and external partner meetings.
- Other duties as assigned.
Other Duties:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Competencies:
- Technical Capacity
- Personal Effectiveness/Credibility
- Organizational Skills
- Thoroughness
- Collaboration Skills
- Communication Proficiency
- Flexibility
Preference will be given to applicants who, in addition to meeting the required education and experience, possess one or more of the following:
- Master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling, counseling, education, special education or related field from an accredited college or university
- Five (5) years of experience as a counselor
- Two (2) years of experience as a VR counselor
- Experience mentoring or coaching counselors
Supervisory Responsibility:
None required for this position.
Work Environment:
This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as laptop computers and smartphones.
Physical Demands:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
Working Conditions:
Incumbents working in this job perform duties in an office setting. This is a 40-hour workweek requirement. The position may involve managing a high-volume workload and demands a high level of accuracy while working with deadlines. Regular attendance is an important part of being successful in this position. Reasonable accommodations can be made available to qualified individuals upon request.
Position Type and Expected Hours of Work:
This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. This position occasionally requires long hours and weekend work.
Travel:
Travel is primarily local during the business day, although some out-of-area and overnight travel may be expected.
Additional Eligibility Qualifications:
None required for this position.
Work Authorization/Security Clearance:
As a condition of employment with Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, you must successfully complete a mandatory federal and national background check, pre-employment testing, and additional checks required for your job.
All candidates interested in employment with The Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency must be legally authorized to work in the United States. The Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency does not offer sponsorships for current or future employment visas (e.g., H-B1 employment visa).
AAP/EEO Statement:
GVRA provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
