Rehabilitation Assistant - Ames

State of Iowa • Ames - 50010 - Story County, IA

7d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Team at Iowa Workforce Development is accepting applications for a full-time Rehabilitation Assistant role in our Ames, IA Vocational Rehabilitation office. This position provides general agency information, completes agency referral/application materials, schedules intake interviews, and facilitates various job candidate training sessions. The role involves conducting initial interviews, developing partnerships with job candidates, instructing them on social and work-related behaviors, and providing job seeking skills training. The Rehabilitation Assistant also follows up with employers, answers public inquiries about vocational rehabilitation services, researches job leads and accommodations, and maintains contact with job candidates in employment. Additionally, the position supports clerical processing, including managing case records, processing releases of information, handling SSA verification requests, entering data into the case management system, and typing/processing case-related correspondence. The role requires maintaining files, using office equipment like copiers and scanners, working with software and electronic forms, and ensuring tasks are completed accurately and in a timely manner. The assistant will also support staff in adhering to regulatory time frames, may serve as a front desk receptionist, answer calls, take messages, and document changes in case records. Treating customers with respect, attending staff meetings, and providing backup coverage for other clerical team members are also key aspects of the role. A criminal background check is required.

Requirements

• Two years of full-time work experience in a human services field which involved: customer service, contact with the public to either compile or provide information regarding services, the organization/management of confidential information, or the scheduling of appointments.
• Two years of full-time work experience as a legal assistant/paralegal, medical office assistant, or job coach.
• A combination of a total of two years of education and full-time experience (as described in either number one or two), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work equals one year of full-time experience.
• Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes eighteen months of full-time work in direct client/customer service in a clerical or administrative support capacity.
• Must be able to pass a criminal background check conducted by the Iowa Department of Public Safety.
• No applicant for employment with the Iowa Department of Workforce Development can have a current, ongoing overpayment balance with Iowa Workforce Development without a payment plan in place.

Responsibilities

• Provide general agency information at orientations for job candidates to support new referrals.
• Complete agency referral/ application materials to support job candidates as necessary.
• Schedule intake interviews for referrals.
• Facilitate job candidate orientation, Job Seeking Skills Training (JSST), Job Club, and mock interviews through direct one-on-one contact, presenting to small groups, or in writing.
• Conduct initial interviews with new applicants to gather personal data, complete agency paperwork, explain rights and responsibilities, and explain available vocational rehabilitation services.
• Develop partnerships with job candidates focusing on employment throughout the rehabilitation program; explain employer and rehabilitation team expectations.
• Instruct job candidates in acceptable social interpersonal, and work-related behaviors to improve success in work environments.
• Redirect inappropriate or disruptive behavior to improve job candidate success in vocational training.
• Instruct job candidates one-on-one to perform simple tasks and provide feedback to achieve desired behavior.
• Provide Job Seeking Skills training to assist job candidates to learn to find employment.
• Instruct job candidates on jobs and follow up with employers to identify problems and issues; work with counselors, job candidates, and employers to resolve issues.
• Complete monthly progress reviews as requested by counselors.
• Contact employers to develop jobs.
• Monitor and update area office employer development account.
• Answer questions about vocational rehabilitation services from the public.
• Review occupational projections, salary expectations, and labor market trends; research job leads; and conduct research on accommodations/medical information needed as requested by counselors.
• As directed by counselors, maintain monthly contact with job candidates who are seeking or in employment (statuses 20 and 22) with ongoing plans to meet goals.
• Accompany job candidates to job interviews as directed by counselors.
• Provide limited job coaching as directed by counselors.
• Observe and interact with job candidates and business representatives in diverse and varied work settings.
• Identify work skills and behaviors needed and provide coaching to candidates.
• Review job candidate on-the-job performance and report information to counselors.
• Follow job maintenance plans developed by counselors, job candidates, and employers.
• Support clerical processing and workload that includes opening, transferring and closing case records.
• Process and track confidential releases of information and related case data complying with agency standards.
• Process Social Security Administration verification requests.
• Enter data into the case management system.
• Maintain files.
• Create, amend, cancel, bill and track files.
• Type and process letters pertaining to case services.
• Process mail and deliveries utilizing USPS or UPS/FedEx services as needed.
• Use copiers/scanners to copy, scan, download/upload information into the agency case management system.
• Work with software, hardware and electronic forms needed for position responsibilities and compose case notes documenting work provided in case record.
• Ensure tasks and assignments are thoroughly completed and performed in a business/professional appearance with special attention to spelling, grammar, punctuation usage, accuracy, fact checking, attention to detail and completed in a timely manner.
• Assist service staff in adhering to regulatory time frames such as 60 days for eligibility, 90 days for plan development, annual reviews, goal dates and 90 days for stabilization.
• May serve as front desk receptionist, providing coverage for visitors.
• Announce arrival of visitors in a timely manner and follow up if visitors have been waiting too long by finding alternate contact.
• Answer incoming calls politely and clearly, determining nature of the call and routing the call to the appropriate person and route complex issues to area office supervisor or Secretary 2.
• Take messages as appropriate.
• Cancel and reschedule appointments as requested by staff.
• Document changes in case record and send notifications to job candidates and assigned team members as applicable.
• Treat internal and external customers with respect and establish a good rapport.
• Review messages from voice mail and respond when appropriate.
• Attend agency staff meetings utilizing information provided to support and direct work activities.
• Provide backup coverage for other clerical team members when needed due to absences or work priorities.
• Support special projects and tasks as needed to meet office/agency needs.

Benefits

• Excellent health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous paid time off, including nine paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave with no cap on the sick leave accrual.
• IPERS retirement package.
• Additional optional deferred compensation retirement plan.
• Flexible Spending Accounts for medical and dependent care.
• Free Life and Long-term Disability Insurance with the option to purchase additional coverage.
• Employee Assistance Programs and Discount Programs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree