Rehabilitation Counselors Go Back to List Counsel individuals to maximize the independence and employability of persons coping with personal, social, and vocational difficulties that result from birth defects, illness, disease, accidents, or the stress of daily life. Coordinate activities for residents of care and treatment facilities. Assess client needs and design and implement rehabilitation programs that may include personal and vocational counseling, training, and job placement.

Technology used in this occupation:
	Document management software

Tasks
	Monitor and record clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.
	Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.
	Prepare and maintain records and case files, including documentation such as clients' personal and eligibility information, services provided, narratives of client contacts, or relevant correspondence.
	Arrange for physical, mental, academic, vocational, and other evaluations to obtain information for assessing clients' needs and developing rehabilitation plans.
	Analyze information from interviews, educational and medical records, consultation with other professionals, and diagnostic evaluations to assess clients' abilities, needs, and eligibility for services.
	Develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.
	Maintain close contact with clients during job training and placements to resolve problems and evaluate placement adequacy.
	Develop and maintain relationships with community referral sources, such as schools or community groups.
	Locate barriers to client employment, such as inaccessible work sites, inflexible schedules, or transportation problems, and work with clients to develop strategies for overcoming these barriers.
	Arrange for on-site job coaching or assistive devices, such as specially equipped wheelchairs, to help clients adapt to work or school environments.

Skills
	Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
	Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
	Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
	Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
	Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
	Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
	Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
	Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
	Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
	Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Knowledge
	Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
	Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
	Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
	Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
	English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
	Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
	Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
	Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
	Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
	Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

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Education & Training   Education:   Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).   Related Experience:   Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

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Wage Information
	Region Average Entry Level  Mid-Range  Annual  Hourly  Statewide $49,108.00 $23.61  $16.37  $17.08 - $29.27  Bridgeport/Stamford $53,479.00 $25.71  $17.73  $18.35 - $35.31  Hartford $46,512.00 $22.36  $16.02  $16.33 - $25.17  New Haven $51,101.00 $24.57  $16.54  $17.61 - $32.54  New London/Norwich $48,163.00 $23.16  $16.60  $17.71 - $28.74  Waterbury $42,752.00 $20.55  $15.52  $15.65 - $18.33  Torrington $53,459.00 $25.70  $17.25  $18.69 - $33.50

Occupation Outlook ( 2016 - 2026 ) Average Annual Job Openings:   271   Employment in this occupation is expected to grow more slowly than average, but the number of annual openings will offer very good job opportunities.

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	Some of the occupational information on this page is formulated from O*NETTM v17.0 data. O*NETTM is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.