Vocational Counselor

JVS of MetroWest•Montclair, NJ

7h•Onsite

About The Position

The Vocational Counselor, within the Disability Services Department, reports to the Director of Vocational Rehabilitation. This full-time, non-exempt position manages a caseload of individuals with disabilities, tracking their progress through program phases. Responsibilities include conducting intake interviews, orienting participants to the JVS program, and developing/delivering curriculum for group activities. The role involves gathering information from participants, families, and community stakeholders for needs planning, and engaging participants in a discovery process to match their skills with employer needs. The counselor will also work on self-awareness, job interests, and options with participants. Additionally, the position serves as a liaison with referral sources, refers participants to community service providers, and coordinates services. Specialized services for NJDVRS participants, such as Customized Employment Services and Community Based Work Evaluations, are also part of the role. The counselor will coordinate field trips, assist with transportation and travel training, and reach out to employers to develop community-based activities. Participation in community activities with participants, referring them to career services, and following up on job placements are required. The role also involves assisting with CARF accreditation preparations and performing other related duties.

Requirements

Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, Vocational Counseling, Psychology and/or related fields.
Experience in providing counseling services to people who have disabilities.
Strong verbal, writing and computer skills.
Must have a strong background in running group activities.

Responsibilities

Manages a caseload of individuals who have disabilities, tracks and records participant’s progress through program phases.
Provides intake interviews to program participants and orients them to the JVS program.
Researches, develops and delivers curriculum for programmatic groups and activities.
Gathers information from participants, their family members and community stakeholders who are all involved in the discovery and support needs planning process.
Engages participants in a discovery process which gives a global picture of each individual and matches their education, talents and interests with employer needs.
Works with participants on self-awareness, self-analysis and investigation of job interests and options.
Provides liaison with referral sources and reports to them as appropriate.
Refers participants to various service providers in the community depending on needs and coordinates services with other service providers as needed.
Provides specialized services for NJDVRS program participants which includes but is not limited to Customized Employment Services, Community Based Work Evaluations, Pre Employment Transition Services.
Coordinates and develops field trip sites for participants.
Assists with transportation needs and travel training when needed.
Reaches out to area employers for the purpose of developing community-based activities for participants.
Attends various community-based activities with participants.
Refers participants to career services and follows up job placements as per program requirements.
Participates in preparations for CARF accreditation as needed.
Performs other duties consistent with program needs and not calling for materially different skills.