DSHS DVR Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

State of Washington • Whatcom County – Bellingham, WA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Join the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) and our hard-working team of professionals as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor 1-3 in Training at our Bellingham Office. The job of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor is suited for the person that has a commitment to the economic prosperity of students, youth and adults with disabilities who are seeking paid jobs and advancement in their careers. You provide vocational rehabilitation counseling and case management services to assist people with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining employment. DVR may offer relocation assistance for those out-of-state applicants offered WA state employment with DVR. Motivated people engaged in providing vocational rehabilitation services to people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. In cooperation with other agencies and service providers, you will work with customers to complete comprehensive assessments and develop an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) to achieve their employment goals. In this role, you will independently provide vocational rehabilitation counseling and case management to a caseload of students, youth, and adults with disabilities to assist them in achieving a competitive employment outcome.

Requirements

• Current Certification as a Rehabilitation Counselor by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC)
• A master's degree in rehabilitation counseling, psychology, counseling, or a field related to vocational rehabilitation (such as one that promotes the physical, psychosocial, or vocational well-being of people with disabilities)
• A master's degree with at least 18 quarter or 12 semester credit hours of rehabilitation counseling courses, plus 6 months of paid/unpaid vocational counseling, job placement, vocational assessment, or other areas of rehabilitation counseling experience
• A professional who is accepted/enrolled in a rehabilitation counselling or related master’s degree program that will be completed within two years and has achieved a bachelor’s degree along with one year paid/unpaid experience consisting of: Direct work with people with disabilities in a setting such as an independent living center Or, direct service or advocacy activities that provide you with experience and skills in working with persons with disabilities Or, direct experience as an employer, as a small business owner or operator, or in self-employment, or other experience in education, human resources, recruiting, or experience in supervising employees, training, or other activities that provide experience in integrated employment environments or in areas that assist others find employment (i.e. WorkSource)

Nice To Haves

• Apply technical knowledge of medical and psychological aspects of disabling conditions, labor market information, transferable skills evaluations, assistive technology, and job modifications
• Assist customers in exercising informed choices to make collaborative decisions that are consistent with appropriate vocational rehabilitation practice
• Support customers in developing a wide variety of social, educational, and financial resources to reach their employment goals by applying multiple counseling techniques to meet the varied needs of customers
• Manage multiple and competing priorities within prescribed time limits
• Negotiate with vendors, and collaborate with other rehabilitation professionals

Responsibilities

• Serve a caseload of 50-110 DVR customers
• Determine each customer’s eligibility for vocational rehabilitation services necessary to achieve their employment goal
• Provide vocational rehabilitation counseling and support
• Conduct comprehensive assessments of customer needs identifying the disability-related barriers to employment that require vocational rehabilitation services
• Arrange and interpret results of diagnostic testing and other vocational rehabilitation assessment tools; obtain benefit reports and interpret results to assist and counsel customers
• Assist customers in developing and implementing an Individual Plan for Employment and monitor progress toward completion of employment goals
• Maintain close working relationships with those who jointly serve DVR customers
• Promote DVR programs to the public and employers, and conduct outreach in the community to share information about DVR services
• Lead group orientations, workshops, and related activities to facilitate informed choices and prepare customers for employment

Benefits

• Relocation assistance
• Tuition reimbursement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level