STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
HUMAN RESOURCES
CLASSIFICATION: REHABILITATION COUNSELOR I
Class Code:
7615-19 Date Established: 07-01-50
Occupational Code:
7-7-9
Date of Last Revision: 08-20-07
BASIC PURPOSE: To assist persons with disabilities to
increase employment potential and optimize person independence.
CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
·
Provides
counseling and guidance to persons with disabilities or injuries in order to
maximize employment potential and personal independence.
·
Obtains
various reports regarding an individual’s disability in order to assist
in the determination of eligibility and the development of a rehabilitation
plan for eventual employment.
·
Determines if
diagnostic testing is needed, and makes arrangements for testing.
·
Maintains a
documented case file on each client.
·
Maintains
ongoing communications with area employers in order to make selective job
placement of clients.
·
Determines
appropriate rehabilitative services for promoting client employability.
·
Consults with
schools and facilities as part of a team in delivering better services to
persons with disabilities.
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DISTINGUISHING FACTORS:
Skill: Requires skill in developing formats and
procedures for special applications OR in investigating and reviewing the use
of equipment and data for a specialized function.
Knowledge: Requires logical or scientific understanding
to analyze problems of a specialized or professional nature in a particular
field.
Impact: Requires responsibility for contributing to
immediate, ongoing agency objectives by facilitating the direct provision of
services to the public or other state agencies.
Errors at this level result in inaccurate reports or invalid test
results and require a significant investment of time and resources to detect.
Supervision: Requires partial supervision of other
employees doing work which is related or similar to the supervisor, including
assigning job duties, providing training, giving instructions and checking
work.
Working Conditions: Requires performing regular job functions in
a controlled environment with minimal exposure to disagreeable job elements and
little risk of hazard to physical or mental health.
Physical Demands:
Requires light work, including continuous walking or operating simple equipment
for extended periods of time as well as occasional strenuous activities such as
reaching or bending.
Communication: Requires summarizing data, preparing reports,
and making recommendations based on findings which contribute to solving
problems and achieving work objectives.
This level also requires presenting information for use by
administrative-level managers in making decisions.
Complexity: Requires a combination of job functions to
establish facts, to draw daily operational conclusions, or to solve practical
problems. This level also requires
providing a variety of alternative solutions where only limited standardization
exists.
Independent Action: Requires objective assessment in analyzing
and developing new work methods and procedures subject to periodic review and
in making decisions according to established technical, professional or
administrative standards.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Education: Bachelor’s degree from a recognized
college or university with major study in social work, psychology, sociology,
education, rehabilitation counseling, vocational guidance, human resources or
human services. Each additional year of
approved formal education may be substituted for one year of required work
experience.
Experience: Two years’ professional or technical
experience in education, vocational guidance, rehabilitation counseling, human
resources, workers’ compensation, employment services or human services.
License/Certification: Eligibility for
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
1.
Individuals
hired at the level of Rehabilitation Counselor I agree, as a condition of hire,
to pursue a plan of action developed within six months of the date of hire that
will ensure they qualify for the Rehabilitation Counselor II level within 7
years. Until this requirement is met, individuals
will not have signature authority to complete eligibility determinations or
Individual Plans for Employment. This
does not, however, apply to individuals hired into the position of
Rehabilitation Counselor I (Benefits), which remains at the “I”
level permanently.
2.
For
appointment consideration, Rehabilitation Counselor I applicants must
successfully participate in a
written examination measuring possession of knowledge, skills and
abilities identified as necessary for satisfactory job performance by this
specification.
RECOMMENDED WORK TRAITS: Thorough knowledge of federal and state laws
and regulations and the State Plan regarding vocational rehabilitation. Thorough knowledge of the principles and
practices of vocational counseling.
Knowledge of individual and group behavior with special emphasis on the
psychosocial aspects of disability.
Knowledge of current social, economic and health problems and resources
with special emphasis on factors related to vocational rehabilitation. Working knowledge of the physical and
emotional issues of disability as they affect employment outcomes. Working knowledge of the standard
psychometric and occupational tests.
Ability to secure and maintain cooperation of physicians, employers,
educators and other in rehabilitation work.
Must be willing to maintain appearance appropriate to assigned duties
and responsibilities as determined by the agency appointing authority.
DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: This class specification is descriptive of
general duties and is not intended to list every specific function of this
class title.
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Last Updated 10/21/04
URL: http://www.nh.gov/hr/classspec_r/7615.htm